What the study found
Different Industry 4.0 technologies were found to be more suitable at different stages of the food supply chain for addressing food loss and waste. The strongest expert agreement was in the Consumption, Distribution and Post-Harvest stages.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that stage-specific technology selection can help guide managers and policymakers in adopting Industry 4.0 technologies for sustainable operations and advancing Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which is the UN goal focused on reducing food loss and waste.
What the researchers tested
The study used a multi-stage systematic literature review of 122 research papers to identify themes, then surveyed 34 domain experts who ranked six technologies: Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics, Blockchain, Cloud Computing, Internet of Things and Digital Twin, across five food supply chain stages. Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance was used to assess expert agreement, and the researchers then developed a decision support framework.
What worked and what didn't
The expert rankings identified Blockchain and Big Data Analytics as most suitable for Production; Digital Twin and Internet of Things for Post-Harvest; Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twin for Processing; Internet of Things and Blockchain for Distribution; and Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence for Consumption. The decision support framework also mapped each technology to a resource quadrant, such as Blockchain being placed in a high-capital, moderately high-technology and low-skills quadrant.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe detailed limitations beyond noting that practical understanding of stage-specific suitability remains inadequate. The findings are based on a literature review and expert rankings, so the summary available here does not provide evidence of real-world implementation outcomes.
Key points
- The study found that different Industry 4.0 technologies fit different food supply chain stages.
- Expert agreement was strongest for the Consumption, Distribution and Post-Harvest stages.
- Blockchain and Big Data Analytics were ranked highest for Production.
- Digital Twin and Internet of Things were ranked highest for Post-Harvest.
- The authors developed a decision support framework to help select technologies under different organizational constraints.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Industry 4.0 technologies vary by food supply chain stage
- Authors:
- Kamaldeep Kaur Sarna, Debadyuti Das, Rajesh Kumar Singh
- Institutions:
- University of Delhi, Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, Management Development Institute
- Publication date:
- 2026-02-12
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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