Food Waste Management with Technological Platforms: Evidence from Indian Food Supply Chains

Abstract

Feeding the people sustainably continues to be a challenge in the present times. Enormous amounts of food wastage aggravate this problem. In developing countries, food wastage primarily occurs within the supply chain. Lack of technological infrastructure in these countries causes significant post-harvest loss. While research shows that developments in food supply chains can reduce food wastage, no systematic research has been done so far to show the possible relationship between the use of technology and food loss. This paper attempts to address this gap by studying the supply chains of different food processing organizations in India to assess the role of technological platforms in reducing food wastage in supply chains. Using a qualitative inductive methodology, the author identified the technological platforms that can address food wastage. Then, using multiple case-study analysis, the supply chains of sample firms were evaluated. The author assessed the food loss in these supply chains through comparative analysis to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of selected technological platforms. This study provides managers in the food industry with insights to prevent food loss, as well as some policy implications for developing economies. Overall, this paper throws light on the issue of food wastage and the possible means for its prevention.