Factors Affecting the Adoption of Emerging Technologies to Reduce Food Waste by SMEs in the Food Industry

Abstract

Consumers have now been able to purchase whatever food they wish in the 21st century. Not all the food that is purchased is consumed, resulting in food waste. About a third of the food produced is wasted in the world. Humans are the main culprits of food waste. The problem is worsening by each day, with different attempts failing to counter the problem. The study investigates factors affecting the adoption of emerging technologies to reduce food waste by SMEs in the food industry. The TOE framework was used for this purpose. The study adopted a systematic literature review to explore the factors affecting the adoption of emerging technologies to reduce food waste by SMEs in the food industry. The results from the study suggest that complexity, security, usability, cost, and flexibility are important technological factors that affect the adoption of emerging technologies. Furthermore, the results from the study suggest that organisation size and organisation resistance are important organisational factors affecting the adoption of emerging technologies to reduce food waste by SMEs in the food industry. Lastly, the results from the study suggest that IT policy and legislation are important environmental factors affecting this technology adoption. Further studies may consider adopting other research methods to explore factors affecting adopting emerging technologies in reducing food waste by SMEs in the food industry.