This study focused on Japan and analyzed the impacts of food wastage reduction (FWR) driven by information technology (IT) on energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Our analysis based on an input-output (I-O) table for 2011 shows that if 50% of the food wastage in Sectors F (fruit and vegetable cultivation), I (food industries), and M (households) is reduced, production in many related sectors (such as crop cultivation, animal husbandry and fisheries, fertilizer and agrochemical production, waste treatment, and household consumption) will decrease. However, computer and electronic information and communication equipment manufacturing, and information services sectors exhibit increased production. As a result, energy consumption and GHG emissions in Japan will fall by 0.04–0.08 EJ/yr (0.2–0.4% of the primary energy supply in Japan in 2011) and 5.6–7.8 million tons of CO2-eq/yr (0.4–0.6% of GHG emissions), respectively. Furthermore, the results suggest that FWRs in Sector M (based on software applications for food wastage monitoring) and FWRs in Sector I (based on IT applications, such as advanced demand predictions using weather forecasts and point-of-sale data and meal reservations) will lead to GHG emission reductions in Japan at reduced costs compared to FWRs in Sectors F (from online sales of substandard fruits and vegetables). Therefore, these improvements can lead to significant GHG emission reductions in Japan.
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