Testing the data platforms required for the 21st century food system using an industry ecosystem approach

Wayne Martindale; Linh Duong; Tom Æ Hollands; Mark Swainson

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137871

Testing the data platforms required for the 21st century food system using an industry ecosystem approach

Sci Total Environ. 2020 Jul 1:724:137871. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137871. Epub 2020 Mar 16.

Authors

Wayne Martindale¹, Linh Duong², Tom Æ Hollands², Mark Swainson²

Affiliations

¹ Food Insights and Sustainability, National Centre for Food Manufacturing, University of Lincoln, Holbeach Campus, Park Road, Holbeach PE12 7PT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Electronic address: wmartindale@lincoln.ac.uk.
² Food Insights and Sustainability, National Centre for Food Manufacturing, University of Lincoln, Holbeach Campus, Park Road, Holbeach PE12 7PT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

PMID: 32240862
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137871

Abstract

Testing the planning of resource utilisation across food supply chains provides sustainability and security reporting that can resonate with consumer requirements. The research reported here demonstrates this approach for fast throughput convenience foods that have short shelf life and whose product development must be agile enough to meet changing consumer demand. The higher-level outputs of these conditions are the responsible reporting of nutritional, greenhouse gas emission and packaging impact assessments. Together with the food safety requirements of this food category, it means that manufacturing operations are in some of the most challenging arenas for sustainability assessment. The analysis presented here shows that food production systems can no longer focus on one or two core conditions, such as food safety or quality. This is a strategy of least resistance that has previously worked but it continues to displace risks elsewhere within the food and beverage meta-system, rather than attempting to reconcile complexities and address intra-system root causes. By taking a holistic view the food ecosystem approach can inter-connect requirements using digital and externally linked platforms that will fundamentally change the way future food systems operate. The integration and streaming of these platforms are only achieved through innovation, with the end-user providing development and balance in emergent business ecosystems.

Keywords: Beverage; Food; Sustainability in supply chains.