Abstract
Achieving transition towards sustainable and resilient food systems is a critical issue on the current societal agenda. This study examined the potential contribution of digitalization of the food system to such transition by reviewing 76 relevant journal articles, indexed on the Scopus database, using the integrative literature review approach and descriptive content analysis with MAXQDA 2020 software. ‘Blockchain’ was the top hit among keywords and main concepts applied to the food system. The UK as a country and Europe as a continent were found to lead the scientific research on food system digitalization. Use of digital technologies such as blockchain, the Internet of Things, big-data analytics, artificial intelligence, and related information and communications technologies were identified as enablers. Traceability, sustainability, resilience to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and reducing food waste were among the key benefit areas associated with digitalization for different food commodities. Challenges to practical applications related to infrastructure and cost, knowledge and skill, law and regulations, the nature of the technologies, and the nature of the food system were identified. Developing policies and regulations, supporting infrastructure development, and educating and training people could facilitate fuller digitalization of the food system.
Highlights
The integrative approach was selected for the present study because it best matched the purpose of the work, which was not to cover all materials ever published and archived in all databases on digitization, digitalization, and agro-food supply chain management, but rather to synthesize recent findings and assess the practical readiness for the transition towards a sustainable food system
The Dominant Digitalization Technologies Applied in Food Systems
In order to identify the dominant digitalization technologies/concepts applied in food systems, the keywords and main digitization/digitalization technologies/concepts examined in the selected journal articles were analyzed
Summary
The author noted the important role of supply chain management in establishing a network of firms, suppliers, transportation systems, logistics hubs, and production units. The business environments are requiring supply chain management theories and principles to be synergized by the recent developments of digital technologies. All sectors of the economy, including industry, agriculture, trade, mining, defense, and politics, face emerging opportunities and threats caused by the rise of robotic technologies. This demands more focus on intellectual capital in the discipline of digitalization along the spectrum of human life and economic sectors. A current critical task for stakeholders in food sector disciplines is to identify ways to transition towards economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable and resilient food systems. Based on a review of the recent literature, this paper describes possible solutions through digitalization of the food system
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