3.1 Knowledge-Based Supply Chain
The term "knowledge-based supply chain" was derived from the term "knowledge-based economy," which describes an advanced economy with a greater reliance on knowledge, information, and high skill levels, as well as an increasing need for business and government sectors to have ready access to all of these. Knowledge-based supply chains are those that make extensive use of cutting-edge technology and heavily depend on data, knowledge, information, and people skills as the cornerstone for inventive operations, and as such, are crucial to the knowledge economy's overall strategy (Yin et al, 2022).
A number of cutting-edge technologies such as real-time supply chain visibility, warehouse robots, autonomous deliveries, big data analytics, the internet of things, machine learning, robotics, additive manufacturing, and virtual reality are some of the terms used to describe artificial and augmented intelligence. These and other emerging technologies have been employed in different industries and improved organisational performance and customer satisfaction (Olan et al., 2022). Similarly, in food supply chain management, the same technologies have been found to be helpful in achieving both food security and sustainability (Dora et al., 2021). A supply chain system has to satisfy a number of conditions for any community or nation to achieve food security. Traditional supply chain systems lack the visibility, transparency, and ease of monitoring that technology-aided supply chains do (Humayun, 2021). A selected number of 4.0 technologies are discussed below.
Artificial Intelligence
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has gradually established itself in the logistics industry. AI technologies are now being employed in supply chain management for route planning and scheduling, demand planning, and smart transportation. The application of cutting-edge technologies will have a significant impact because it will be useful in sustainable solutions and will encourage the usage of robotics, last-mile delivery, and automated picking devices. Experts predict that augmented intelligence will be used more to supplement AI in food supply chain. When paired with AI insights, augmented intelligence will provide greater value to businesses by allowing logistics personnel to complete jobs faster while minimising errors such as contamination and perishability (Monteiro, & Barata, 2021).
Supply Chain Visibility in Real Time
Supply Chain Visibility has evolved into an essential tool for any logistics company. SCV improves real-time visibility to meet consumer expectations for real-time monitoring of their orders. Start-ups offering supply chain visibility technology enable businesses to react using real-time information on the weather, roads, and traffic patterns to respond swiftly and correctly to dynamic circumstances (Yadav, Luthra, & Garg, 2021). Discussions regarding supply chain visibility are incomplete without mentioning Internet of Things (IoT) sensor technologies, which are critical tools in tracking shipments (Monteiro, & Barata, 2021).
Advanced Analytics and Data Standards
The logistics business has typically used a fragmented environment to store and process information. As a result, huge inefficiencies have resulted, making it impossible for businesses to digitize their processes. Logistics businesses should expect improved data standardisation in food transportation as a result of the development of mainstream information technology standards (Rejeb, Rejeb, & Zailani,2021). Food supply chain sector will reap enormous gains from digitizing and standardizing data. Furthermore, young start-ups are collaborating with businesses to digitize their data for forecast optimization and advanced analytics, which can aid in demand projections, better supply visibility, assertive linear planning, unforeseen condition detection, preventative upkeep, and last-mile enhancements (Dora et al., 2021).
Robotic Warehouses
For years, robots have walked freely about warehouses, and the application of robotic systems in logistics is projected to become increasingly common in the coming years. The testing of robots in warehouses has increased by 18% year on year (Khandan et al., 2022). Warehouse robotics can assist in loading trucks, transferring boxes, and assembling pallets without the necessity of human labour. This improves the efficiency needed when dealing with perishable foods (Piramuthu, 2022).
Driverless Deliveries
Companies are experimenting with driverless deliveries in order to increase efficiency and save on labour costs. Although regulatory difficulties with driverless delivery cars may take some time to resolve, players in the logistics sector may anticipate that more businesses will come through this cutting-edge technology. to improve distribution efficiencies (Sgarbossa et al., 2022).
3.3 KNOWLEDGE BASED SCM AND FOOD SECURITY
Despite ongoing progress in combating hunger, an intolerable number of people go without the food they need to lead healthy and active lives. The most recent projections indicate that there are over 795 million individuals in the world or slightly more than one in every nine, go to bed each night hungry, while an even bigger number live in poverty (defined as earning less than $1.25 per day) (Mudzielwana, Mafongoya & Mudhara, 2022). Improvements in agricultural productivity are required to boost rural average incomes and access to affordable food, but they are insufficient to assure food security. Food security comprise not only of an appropriate supply of food but also availability, access, utilization, and food stability for individuals of all ages, genders, races, religions, and socioeconomic status. Agriculture is directly tied to food security, while food security is dependent upon an efficient supply chain system. Each country's agricultural industry is dependent on accessible natural resources as well as the politics that regulate those resources. Rice, maize, root crops, sorghum, and cassava are staple food crops that provide the majority of the nutritional energy in the human diet (Pandey, 2021).
The Importance of 4.0 Technologies for Food Security
Food security is defined as having continuous economic and feasible access to enough food to meet nutritional requirements for a nutritious, healthy, and productive life. When no one in a household is hungry or afraid of going hungry, the household is food secure. Food insecurity frequently has long-term ramifications for the ability of families, communities, and countries to thrive and achieve. Long-term malnutrition stunts growth, impairs cognitive development, and makes people sicker (Fedotova, 2021). Food security is comprised of four pillars: availability, access, usage, and stability. A person must always have access to sufficient food of the appropriate dietary composition (quality). Those who never get enough decent meals are perpetually hungry (Režek et al., 2021).
Food Access and 4.0 Technologies
Food access essentially refers to a neighbourhood and a home having enough food. True food security requires that individuals have access to a sufficient amount and quality of nutritious food. Food access is influenced by a number of geographical, social, and policy factors. Pricing, household proximity to suppliers, and transportation all have an influence on food access (David, 2022).
When analysing national food security, it is crucial to consider not only national production but also the nation's access to food on the international market, its currency exchange income, and its citizens' consumption preferences. Food access at home is determined by a family's income, own food supply, as well as its inhabitants' ability to obtain optimal quality and variety of food in the marketplace. However, the study can only be entirely correct at the individual level because we can only assess the impact of sociocultural disparities on people's ability to meet their nutritional needs by determining who consumes what (Latino et al., 2022).
Reducing food losses in production, transit, and storage as well as retail and consumer food waste is an important part of food access. Since there are no ready markets for smallholder farmers, they frequently store their grains in substandard facilities (e.g., no protection against moisture, excessive heat, rodents, and pests), resulting in ruined crops (Rezek et al., 2021). Food loss is frequently referred to as a "farm-to-fork" harm issue (Aung & Chang, 2014); it is characterized as any food product, liquid or solid, cooked or uncooked, thrown away or wasted, including food processors. Food loss is a global issue in both developing and developed countries (de Lange & Nahman, 2015). According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), around 40% of food produced is lost or wasted throughout the food supply chain (Warker, 2018). In developing countries, this figure is significantly greater. Before reaching the end consumer, food must pass through a large channel of farmers, retailers, distribution companies, transporters, warehousing facilities, processors, and suppliers, and must go through process steps such as production, harvesting, post-harvest, processing (warehouses, packaging), shipping, distribution, and sales. There are five types of losses in the food supply chain: agricultural loss, postharvest loss, processing loss, distribution loss, and consumption loss (Kummu et al., 2012). The majority of food loss happens throughout the food system, beginning at farms and finishing at households through post-harvest processing (warehouses, packaging), transportation and distribution, availability in supermarkets, and consumer purchase. Food loss is far more widespread in developing nations in the early and intermediate stages of the supply chain, and it is mostly caused by insufficient supply chain and logistics structures and management, low levels of technology use, and capital efficiency in food production systems.
The cultivation, storage, and distribution of high-value perishables like vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and meat are restricted by a lack of electricity and economic refrigeration. Additionally, there is a need for reasonably priced refrigerated transportation to deliver produce from the farm to the market while maintaining freshness and negotiating unpaved, difficult terrain (Buluswar et al., 2014; African Cashew Alliance, 2010). As a result, all crops, but especially perishables, are vulnerable to agricultural losses. For preservation, handling, refrigeration, shipping, and processing, a multitude of post-harvest loss devices are helpful. For instance, threshers are anticipated to decrease post-harvest grain loss from 4.87 percent to 0.01 percent, equating to a savings of $12 million in Uganda. The threshers should also increase employment prospects, labour productivity (saving up to 59% of the time spent threshing), and grain quality (Okiror et al., 2021). Utilizing internet of things and blockchain based food tracking system allows the food supply chain to assess the degree of safety of perishable food products by tracking their path from where they are grown, handled, or stored to how they are transported or processed. This results in the creation of an authentic and transparent chain of records for the food ecosystem (Godsiff, 2016). The provenance and artificial intelligence traceability of information in the food sector help to increase the quality and safety of food (Saberi et al., 2019). Additionally, the advancement of technology in the era of 4.0 technology has the potential to reduce wasteful spending and the financial burden associated with outbreaks, cross contamination, and product recalls. Many sectors have considered using cutting-edge technology, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain, to improve traceability (Sun et al., 2022).
Numerous initiatives in Canada are utilising nanotechnology to enhance agricultural preservation and lower the likelihood of food loss. In order to keep fruit fresh, a nanotechnology-based smart packaging system was created, utilising hexanal-impregnated packaging and coatings generated from banana stems and other agricultural waste (Green et al., 2021).
More technologies are being used around the world to provide access to food, such as thermal battery-powered milk chillers, better genetic variants, and technology for drying seeds and grains. Additionally, advances in aeration and preservation technologies, inventive packaging, biowax coating, effective pulse processing technology, and the creation of cool stores are all contributing to increases in food access (Fedotova, 2021). The use of advanced cleaning, grading, and packing techniques, low-cost refrigerated vehicles, low-cost solar dryers, and vacuum or hermetic sealing systems can significantly increase food access in several African nations (Sibanda & Mwamakamba, 2021).
The Improvement of Food Availability Through Technology
The availability of sufficient quantities of food in acceptable quality, whether it comes from domestic production or imports, including food aid, is referred to as food availability (FAO, 2006). According to Chávez-Dulanto et al., (2021), the presence of food in a community is what is meant by "food availability." This and the efficiency of food production are closely related. When essential resources, like water for irrigation, are scarce or when agricultural land is damaged or degraded, food availability can become a problem (David, 2022).
According to Yin et al., (2022), emerging cutting-edge technologies like big data, artificial and augmented intelligence, the internet of things, blockchain, and others have the potential to have a positive impact on all food supply chains and contribute to increasing food availability. Precision farming, gene editing, biological crop protection, and technologies that improve traceability from farm to fork are some examples of specific technologies. These advancements can help to improve resource- and climate-efficient food systems.
Less food will be wasted, and supplies will be increasingly dependable as a result of improved communication between food producers, traders, and consumers. One approach to doing this is to trace inventories from the field to the store with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags (Hemathilake & Gunathilake). Perishable goods can also be preserved in the best possible ways and provide information about each good's origins that can be utilised to prevent the propagation of foodborne diseases. By increasing the effectiveness of the supply chain, RFID technology can assist in increasing food security (Humayun, 2021). Below are discussions on how 4.0 technologies (knowledge-based supply chains) help to improve food availability.
Greater Transparency and Accuracy
A company's supply chain ecosystem may house thousands of suppliers who work in the food industry. Any gaps in supply chain risk management can result in supply chain disruptions, missed revenues, and excessive costs in such circumstances, making it vital to ensure end-to-end transparency and real-time asset tracking (Astill et al., 2019). By going digital, businesses can track the whole food supply chain in real time, including determining the precise location of commodities (on order, in transit, or in a warehouse). By combining IoT data with notifications from supply chain partners, sophisticated solutions make inventory tracking simple. This boosts lot and batch management, optimizes inventory, minimizes associated expenses, and reduces out-of-stock situations while also improving order accuracy and projected time of arrival (Stranieri et al., 2021).
Reduction of information asymmetry and cost
The unevenness of information can be eased by information technology, particularly the embracing of social media by farmers in different parts of the world. Farmers are able to get information about markets easily so that they can supply where there are requirements. Digital technologies can assist farmers in making more accurate judgments about resource management by providing, processing, and analyzing a growing amount of data more quickly. They may also reduce scale economies in agriculture, enhancing the competitiveness of small-scale producers. Inequalities in access to information, expertise, technologies, and markets can be reduced with the use of digital technologies, which can also help farmers make more accurate resource management decisions (Shamika et al., 2020).
Use of Irrigation technologies to increase food production
In the quest to ensure and raise crop output, the availability of water is a crucial component. Due to physical water scarcity and economic water scarcity as a result of underinvestment in water infrastructure or human capacity issues to meet water demand, many farmers lack access to water for agriculture, leading to unavailability of food. In this regard, low-cost and cheap drills, pumps powered by renewable energy sources, and technology for desalination and increased water efficiency may be able to address these issues and increase the amount of water available for agricultural production, resulting in improved food availability (UNCTAD, 2017).
Salts and minerals that make water unfit for human consumption or crop irrigation can be removed by water desalination technology like off-grid solar-powered electrodialysis reversal (EDR) devices. Groundwater may become more accessible as a source of irrigation with the use of lightweight drills for shallow groundwater and technology to identify groundwater. Solar-powered irrigation pumps may make irrigation more widely available. Affordable rainwater storage systems are another viable irrigation technique, and greenhouses can help farmers extend their producing season throughout the year by reducing the impact of erratic rainfall on water availability (Shamika, Bob, Ulrich, Bernadette, Adrian, & Lin, 2020).
In fragile natural ecosystems, the Groasis Waterbox technology can increase water efficiency to meet rising agricultural output demand. The Groasis Waterbox is an integrated planting technique that encircles plant bases, collecting dew and rainwater beneath the plant to create a water column, and distributing that water over extended periods of time to prevent evaporation (Al-Anzi, 2022).
Improved Plant Varieties and Higher Crop Yields Through Crossbreeding
The fortification of nutrients, drought tolerance, diseases, herbicides, or pests, and increased yields can all be achieved by genetic modification of plant species. Crossbreeding techniques have been used in earlier agricultural forms of genetic manipulation (Shamika, Bob, Ulrich, Bernadette, Adrian, & Lin, 2020). Such a technology is nevertheless helpful, especially for farmers across a variety of geographies, despite the fact that plant modifications are restricted to the greatest features available within the same family of crops (Buluswar et al., 2014). The Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance has improved household food security and nutrition in Ethiopia for an estimated 3.98 million people by promoting the wide adoption of excellent protein maize (QPM) varieties among maize growers and consumers (Kondwakwenda, et al., 2022).
Managing the Soil to Increase Agricultural Production
Afforestation of crops and the eradication of pests and illnesses are now more prominently featured in technical advancements and breakthroughs and less on environmentally sound soil management techniques. On the other hand, healthy soils with fewer pests and illnesses support the growth of healthy plants (Shamika, Bob, Ulrich, Bernadette, Adrian, & Lin, 2020). Artificial fertilizers have been used to increase agricultural yields for a long time, but they need a lot of capital and rely heavily on natural gas, particularly in the case of nitrogen. New technologies that make organic fertilizers (composting, manure, or dung) more feasible and effective could eventually replace synthetic fertilizers (Al-Anzi, 2022).
Food Utilisation and 4.0 Technologies
According to food utilisation, not all food is equally valuable or sufficient. It is essential that the food being obtained is of a high caliber in order to be food secure (Konur et al., 2021). Food must be nourishing and healthy enough to give people the energy they require for their everyday tasks. Additionally, it is essential that people have the skills and knowledge needed to effectively "utilise" the food that is accessible to them. This entails having the tools necessary to appropriately choose, prepare, and preserve readily available and easily accessible foods. Utilising 4.0 technology in food preparation and packaging can extend food's shelf life and increase food safety (Stranieri et al., 2021).
In the food industry, using machines also guarantees affordability and high quality. Utilising technologically advanced machinery lowers the cost of maintaining food freshness and boosts output (Kondwakwenda, et al., 2022).
Utilising food effectively converts the food a household has access to into nutritional adequacy for its members. Analysis of distribution in terms of need relates to one element of use (David, 2022). Although there are nutritional criteria for the actual dietary requirements of men, women, boys, and girls of all ages and life phases (including pregnant women), these "needs" are frequently socially manufactured based on culture. For instance, research from South Asia reveals that women typically eat later than men in the same family and are less likely to eat desired meals like meat and fish. Poor food utilisation, or an individual's diet lacking the ideal ratio of macro- (calories) and micronutrients, frequently causes hidden hunger (vitamins and minerals). People may appear to be well-fed and consume enough calories, but they may be lacking in important micronutrients like vitamin A, iron, and iodine (Pandey, 2021).
Systems of effective food control are necessary to safeguard consumer health and safety. They are also essential for giving nations the ability to guarantee the safety and quality of the foods they export to other countries and to make sure that imported foods meet local standards. Food security is the idea that everyone, especially the most disadvantaged, has unhindered access to a sufficient supply of nutritious, culturally acceptable food that will completely support their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being (Sindhu & Kumar, 2022).
Food quality and food safety can be used interchangeably, but food safety alludes to any risks to human health, chronic or acute, that may result from the use of food (Wu & Hsiao, 2021). All additional characteristics that affect a product's value to the end user are considered to be part of food quality. This contrast between safety and quality has significant effects on how policies are created and determines the type and focus of the food control system that is best suited to achieve predetermined goals for the safety of the nation and its people (Pandey, 2021).
Since the advent of preventative strategies like Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) in 1960, there has been a greater emphasis on managing the risk factors associated with food safety Gehring & Kirkpatrick, 2020). It is a methodical approach to food safety that focuses on physical, chemical, and biological risks as a means of mitigation rather than on the inspection of the final product. The food industry uses HACCP to recognize possible food safety hazards so that important steps can be taken to lessen or minimize the likelihood of the hazards materialising (David, 2022).
Food stability and 4.0 Technologies
Access, availability, and consumption of food should be somewhat steady throughout time in order to be considered to have good food stability. Any dangers to this stability should be reduced to a minimum. Natural catastrophes, climate change, conflict, and economic issues, including sharp price swings, pose threats to the stability of the food supply (Konur et al., 2022).
When a community, family, or individual has constant access to food and is not at risk of losing that access due to cyclical occurrences like the dry season, the situation is said to be in food stability. When someone is malnourished due to a lack of necessary nutrients, their food intake is unstable (Astill et al., 2019).
Precision farming, insurance, and farmer decision assistance are just a few of the agricultural applications that can benefit from big data and the Internet of Things. Depending on the vegetation index it creates using satellite imagery, it gives information about crop health to farmers and businesses, ultimately helping producers make decisions about what to do and what not to do to ensure crop health. To preserve food stability, it is also possible to employ the cloud-based global agricultural monitoring system, which makes use of indicators from remote sensing and climatology on various scales. First, indices for rainfall, temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, and potential biomass are used to analyse the trends of crop environmental conditions worldwide. Together, they describe the crop status, agricultural intensity, and stress, which is the perfect way to assess the stability of the food supply. Additionally, several nations are utilizing hyperspectral imaging, which is cantered on drones and satellites (Green et al., 2021). Al-Anzi (2022) went on to discuss how early warning systems and precision agriculture can help with issues related to food stability.