The Digital Innovations Transforming the Global Food System
New technologies are helping solve urgent sustainability challenges. Explore how your company can be part of the solution.
Supporting farmers digitally
Creating end-to-end value chain data transparency
Reducing waste and enabling circularity
Nudging consumer behaviour
Crop
Raw
Processing
Distrubition
Retail
Consumption
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Air pollution excl GHGs
Water ecosystems impacts
Deforestation and habitat/biodiversity loss
Food/materials waste
Wastewater generation
Improper disposal of waste/hazmats
Toxic food
Access to nutritious food
Insufficient wages
Slavery/child labor
Poor labor conditions
Discrimination/inequality
Corruption
Weak ESG reporting
Poor data privacy
Inhumane animal farming
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DIGITAL ENABLERS
Digital platform for market access & co-innovation
Sharing information via digital platforms will facilitate access to markets and co-innovation among farmers. The increasing penetration of mobile devices and better telecom infrastructure are enabling these digital platforms.
AI for personalized advice
Farmers can receive personalized advice through AI tools that analyze their data to provide tailored insights.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
Wefarm
A farmer-to-farmer digital network connecting farmers to solve problems, share ideas, and spread innovation.
Farmer's Business Network
An independent agricultural tech and commerce platform and farmer-to-farmer network that helps its members make confident decisions about their farms.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
The market is not yet saturated with platforms, nor is there a single dominant player, but there is high scalability potential. Large players in the food sector should consider partnering with existing platforms or building their own to leverage their scale and existing know-how and resources, concentrating efforts on emerging economies with similar conditions. Solutions could include a holistic digital platform, providing direct access to buyers and a wide range of reputable input providers to improve margins and quality of inputs, or a personalized advice platform leveraging farm data.
DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
Environmental
Social
Governance
ESG IMPACT ACROSS THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Farmers could easily connect with one another, share insights, and gain access to buyers and input providers, creating a local and global community to more efficiently provide essential support.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPING MARKET
Farming networks
Farmers could easily connect with one another, share insights, and gain access to buyers and input providers,
creating a local and global community to more efficiently provide essential support.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPING MARKET
Phone, tablet, and desktop-based applications provide a platform for users to access information and connect
Digital Apps and Platform
Waste
Degradation
Pollution
Diversity, Equality,
& Inclusion
Workforce
Human Health
Standards of Practice
Corporate Governance
Regenerative agriculture
Farming became beneficial for the environment and increased farmer income at the same time, using technology that helps farmers understand how and why to implement regenerative practices.
IMAGINE IF ...
GLOBAL MARKET
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Farming became beneficial for the environment and increased farmer income at the same time, using technology that helps farmers understand how and why to implement regenerative practices.
IMAGINE IF ...
GLOBAL MARKET
DIGITAL ENABLERS
Digital platforms
Digital platforms can facilitate information sharing about regenerative agricultural practices and provide access to carbon marketplaces.
The Internet of Things (IoT)
Data collection technologies such as IoT, sensors, and satellite imagery could be used to capture historical farm data and verify the impact from regenerative practices.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
EarthOptics
Developing a cloud-based machine learning platform that provides insights on soil and ground management.
Terramera
Provides plant intelligence using green chemistry, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to develop safer, more effective plant-based replacements for synthetic chemical pesticides and fertilizers to improve soil health.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
A number of initiatives need to be pursued in tandem to advance regenerative agriculture, including the establishment of a universally agreed-upon carbon sequestration framework and measurement standard, which would facilitate monetization of carbon sequestration. That would pave the way for a viable and attractive opportunity to establish a farmer-focused regenerative platform supported by knowledge and easy-to-use technology. Players also need to come together to raise public awareness on the benefits of regenerative agriculture, possibly through improved branding and a premium pricing strategy that allows consumers to purposefully support ecological practices.
Artificial intelligence
Farmers could use AI to predict expected carbon capture and calculate the ROI. Verification providers could use AI and extensive farm data to model and verify regenerative practices.
Every farmer had access to the capital they needed, and investors and insurers could clearly understand the status of
a farm and its practices. That would enable them to offer more tailored insurance and directed investment, boosting a farm’s output and sustainability.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPING MARKET
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Farmer finance
Every farmer had access to the capital they needed, and investors and insurers could clearly understand the status of a farm and its practices. That would enable them to offer more tailored insurance and directed investment, boosting a farm’s output and sustainability.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPING MARKET
DIGITAL ENABLERS
Advanced analytics
Big Data and analytics powered by machine learning can take in vast amounts of data and identify likely measures of success for farmers.
IIoT sensors and edge devices
Connected devices and massive real-time data streams, including satellite imagery, can help insurers accurately predict potential losses and alert customers of potential losses before they occur.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
Gramcover
An insurtech marketplace for farmers in rural India focused on the development and brokerage of rural insurance products. Its goal is to reduce costs and increase penetration by leveraging technology such as APIs and digital platforms.
Apollo Agriculture
Helps small-scale farmers access markets, financing, and inputs by harnessing agronomic machine learning, remote sensing, and mobile phones to deliver a customized credit solution.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
Although the technology-led insurance and loan market is evolving quickly, insurance and finance providers are still using existing models of assessment and debating technology effectiveness. That creates opportunities for further experimentation, such as digital tools to verify and assess risk. Enhanced data collection techniques can be used to create risk profiles that help farmers gain credit and insurance, particularly in developing markets. This will require widespread adoption from relevant stakeholders, such as insurance and finance providers.
Cloud technology
Data security and ease of sharing are critical to effective communication between farmers and their insurers and creditors.
Farmers could use an exact digital replica of their farm as a platform for digital experimentation and optimization,
supported by a real-time flow of information.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPED MARKET
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Digital twin of farms
Farmers could use an exact digital replica of their farm as a platform for digital experimentation and optimization, supported by a real-time flow of information.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPED MARKET
DIGITAL ENABLERS
Big Data
Effective digital twinning will depend on applying analytics and machine learning to vast amounts of data to derive insights quickly and accurately.
IoT sensors and edge devices
These technologies allow farmers to collect real-time farm information and feed it into a digital twin model to extract precise recommendations.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
Connecterra
Optimizes the dairy farm industry through AI and machine learning that turns raw data into insights. The company also manufactures wearable devices to monitor dairy cows’ health in real time.
Farmers Edge
Digitizes farms with proprietary technological innovations that include connected field sensors, cloud-based software, and services.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
It remains early days for digital twinning in agriculture, with plenty of white space still to explore, but specific solutions are emerging, such as within the dairy industry. Progress is being made in other industries, but its applicability to agriculture needs to be further refined and proven.
Satellite imaging
When combined with remote sensing such as IoT, imaging can build a highly accurate data-based farm profile.
Augmented and virtual reality
Using AR/VR allows users to easily understand huge volumes of data captured in an intuitive way, enabling faster decisions and actions.
Precision agriculture
Farmers around the globe could have access to precision agriculture technology, allowing them to use only the exact amount of input required, while reducing harm to the environment.
IMAGINE IF ...
GLOBAL MARKET
DIGITAL ENABLERS
Artificial intelligence
AI can provide farmers with accurate data-driven recommendations on critical actions, such as optimized seed planting.
IoT sensors and edge devices
Farmers can collect real-time information such as moisture, nutrient, and soil quality, and feed that data into tools that respond with tailored recommendations.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
Aerobotics
Provides data-driven insights on tree and fruit crops enabled by drone imagery and artificial intelligence.
Sentera
Provides decision support and insights to growers, advisors, and enterprise customers using machine learning and data science tools, including data from drones and IoT sensors.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
Precision agriculture has been shown to work in developed markets, and there is opportunity to expand in developing markets. As a first move, companies must provide connection, knowledge, and technology to small-holder farmers. Business model innovation, such as precision-farming-as-a-service, would be needed to reduce the barrier to access. Another example could be the establishment of platforms that help communities share high-tech resources.
Precision agriculture
Farmers around the globe could have access to precision agriculture technology, allowing them to use only the exact amount of input required, while reducing harm to the environment.
IMAGINE IF ...
GLOBAL MARKET
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Satellite imaging
Drones and satellites can be used for comprehensive field-mapping to monitor weeds, crop diseases, and other critical factors that can be difficult to assess on large-scale farms.
Allows interaction with data and processes to gain insight and guide action
Augmented Reality and VR
Digital twin of farms
Using visual or chemical signals to inform decisions
Sensing and Imaging
Leveraging large volumes
of data to inform decisions
Big Data Analytics
Applying low latency networks to improve signal reaction times and enable real-time distributed data transfers
5G
Computerized recreations of physical assets or contained systems to simulate and model scenarios, enabling the controlling of the physical infrastructure
Digital Twins
Intelligent algorithms that can predict future activities using past data or mimic human activities to control processes
AI Machine Learning
Farming networks
Using scalable and remote computing power to drive efficiency and performance
Cloud Computing
Using controllable or autonomous devices to replace human operators
Drones and Robotics
Integrating computing power into remote and distributed equipment to measure and control activities
Internet of Things
Digital ledger technologies enable traceable and reliable data
Blockchain
Using technology to remove physically or digitally repetitive tasks from human completion
Automation
Farming networks
Enabling regenerative agriculture
Product sustainability score
Plastic waste
Alternative agriculture
Food could be produced a few miles from each consumer. AI-powered alternative agriculture, such as vertical farms and hydroponics, could become widespread, highly productive, and ever-more efficient and economical.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPED MARKET
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Food could be produced a few miles from each consumer. AI-powered alternative agriculture, such as vertical farms and hydroponics, could become widespread, highly productive, and ever more efficient and economical.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPED MARKET
DIGITAL ENABLERS
Artificial intelligence
Once information is gathered, it is fed into AI-powered analytics systems which then provide recommendations or adjustments when control systems are interconnected.
Internet of Things (IoT)
IoT sensors track all aspects of production, from water usage to humidity, to ensure these highly controlled environments run effectively.
Cloud technology
Provides centralized data storage for all IoT-gathered data.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
Plenty
Deploys robots and AI to bring fresh, pesticide-free produce to customers via indoor farming.
N.Thing
Developed the world’s first modular vertical farm, the Planty Cube, which uses IoT and data to provide optimized environments. The company provides hydroponic kits and web-connected modular containers for vertical farming.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
Technological advancement is accelerating alternative agriculture in developed markets, but initial investment and cost of production remain high. Expansion of IoT and other efforts to accelerate scaling can help, as will promoting alternative agriculture in regions sensitive to supply chain shocks. Shorter farm-to-fork journeys can reduce food waste and other environmental impacts. Retailers should increase sourcing from vertically farmed produce, and promote its benefits to consumers, who are showing greater acceptance of alternative farming methods.
Traceability across supply chain
There were full supply chain traceability from farm to fork, enabling consumers to understand where their food came from (all sources), when it was created, how it was distributed, and by whom.
IMAGINE IF ...
GLOBAL MARKET
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There were full supply chain traceability from farm to fork, enabling consumers to understand where their food came from (all sources), when it was created, how it was distributed, and by whom.
IMAGINE IF ...
GLOBAL MARKET
DIGITAL ENABLERS
RFID technology
Upgrading from regular barcodes and QR codes to RFID tags allows quicker scanning, greater security, and higher data capture compared to traditional approaches.
Blockchain
Certification and tracking will help to authenticate products and reduce fake, substandard, and mislabeled food entering the supply chain.
Cloud technology
As supply chains increasingly expand and interconnect, cloud platforms can enable standardization and centralized data sharing.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
iFoodDS
Provides food supply chain safety, traceability, and quality solutions for farmers, shippers, distributors, and retailers.
FoodLogiQ
Provides farm-to-fork food traceability, specializing in supplier management, food safety compliance, quality incident, and whole chain traceability.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
The early success of traceability solutions demonstrated their viability, but alignment of upstream stakeholder incentives is a priority, one that might be addressed with innovative business models to improve communication and data sharing. It’s also imperative to scale and properly deploy technology across the supply chain, which depends in part on influencing consumer demand; use of consumer apps indicates a shift is already underway.
Common data definitions
There were a single standardized reporting framework for all ESG metrics across the food industry, so investors and other stakeholders had a transparent, easy-to-understand overview of sustainability performance.
IMAGINE IF ...
GLOBAL MARKET
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Common data definitions
There were a single standardized reporting framework for all ESG metrics across the food industry, so investors and other stakeholders had a transparent, easy-to-understand overview of sustainability performance.
IMAGINE IF ...
GLOBAL MARKET
DIGITAL ENABLERS
Cloud technology
Enables players across the value chain to access, share, and compare data, using APIs to align on definitions.
Digital platforms and apps
Provides users easy access to critical tools supported by open APIs.
Advanced analytics
Big data analytics can help harmonize different data sets—for instance, through discrepancy analysis and identification of outliers.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
Turnkey Group
Allows companies to collect, monitor, and report on ESG (environmental, social, and governance) data in a transparent, consistent, and comparative manner mapped to multiple frameworks and ESG regulatory requirements.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
The existence of multiple sustainability frameworks has led to fragmentation and difficulty in standardized reporting. Achieving consensus on sustainability metrics remains a key hurdle in the food industry. But significant efforts have been made in the last three years, in particular among the large multinationals and NGOs who have endeavored to use diplomacy between stakeholders and competitors. Most recently, we have seen efforts to harmonize ISSB and GSSB reporting frameworks. Technology solutions have been lacking but could be pivotal in harmonization efforts.
Incorporation of social metrics
All social impacts of food production across the supply chain were gathered and shared to provide authenticated measures of the full social impacts of food production.
IMAGINE IF ...
GLOBAL MARKET
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Incorporation of social metrics
All social impacts of food production across the supply chain were gathered and shared to provide authenticated measures of the full social impacts of food production.
IMAGINE IF ...
GLOBAL MARKET
DIGITAL ENABLERS
Digital platforms and apps
Apps could enable the anonymous sharing and reporting of workplace violations through a grievance mechanism platform.
AI, IoT & Drones
AI could be used to create farm risk profiles. IoT and drones could be used to capture social metrics, such as the presence of child labor.
Cloud technology
Cloud technology could help solutions scale, and enable data to be easily accessible yet secure and certified, to encourage multiple firms to provide sensitive social data.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
Ulula
Enables leaders in agriculture and other industries to predict and prevent environmental, social, and governance risks by turning mobile crowdsourced data from stakeholders into actionable intelligence.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
The gathering of social metrics lags that of environmental metrics; the full negative and positive social impacts of a good are often not fully accounted for. It will be critical to understand where technology is best placed, across the supply chain and in differing markets, to accurately gather social data. Digital technologies could enable both the capturing and sharing of key data, through either self-reporting or auditing by stakeholders such as NGOs. A self-reporting app could, for example, allow farmers to report workplace incidents and violations to relevant authorities.
Adaptive, efficient, and resilient supply network
The entire food supply chain could quickly adapt to the external environment as a connected system, optimizing production output and reducing waste.
IMAGINE IF ...
GLOBAL MARKET
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Adaptive, efficient, and resilient supply network
The entire food supply chain could quickly adapt to the external environment as a connected system, optimizing production output and reducing waste.
IMAGINE IF ...
GLOBAL MARKET
DIGITAL ENABLERS
Cloud technology
Provides an easily accessible, central location for supply chain stakeholders to input real-time data.
IoT
Enhances supply chain visibility by capturing a range of external and internal data, which can then be fed into demand prediction models.
Autonomous and smart warehousing
Autonomous planning and warehouse control systems support an adaptive supply chain by taking in all relevant data and adjusting storage, supply, and fulfilment locations.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
PredictHQ
Provides smart demand forecasting models through a system that aggregates and verifies millions of demand causal factors and ranks them by predicted impact so teams can make better decisions faster.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
There is significant opportunity for technology to support the advancement of connected and adaptive supply chains globally, reducing food waste through better planning and adaptation to changing environmental factors, as well as fluctuating consumer needs. Existing technology solutions can be leveraged in proportion to each market’s needs and capabilities, such as using basic cloud technology to support the digitalization of upstream stakeholders in the developing market, to better connect them to the rest of the supply chain.
Milk Moovement
Provides actionable intelligence across the dairy supply chain through a cloud-based ERP platform that tracks milk pickups and monitors milk production; can identify process improvements, monitor performance, and maximize profitability.
Food waste reduction at retail
Food prices could be dynamically adjusted in real time based on food perishability, minimizing waste while making food more affordable.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPED MARKET
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Food waste reduction at retail
Food prices could be dynamically adjusted in real time based on food perishability, minimizing waste while making food more affordable.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPED MARKET
DIGITAL ENABLERS
RFID and sensor technology
Smart tags on packages can monitor shelf life and allow the history of the good to be better tracked and shown.
Advanced analytics and AI
Prices could be adjusted by analyzing a range of data points, including more accurate readings of the perishability of foods.
Cloud technology
Provides an easily accessible, sharable location for supply chain stakeholders to input data, particularly between processing, distribution, and retail stages.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
Wasteless
Helps supermarkets slash food waste with its machine learning–based markdown optimization solution, enabling grocers to offer consumers better pricing based on a product's expiration date and perishability.
Innoscentia
Has developed a sensing technology for meat packages that can reveal the actual status of the packaged product, potentially replacing conventional date labeling.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
Food waste is both ecologically and monetarily costly for retailers. However, there are restricted opportunities for new initiatives in the downstream optimization space, especially in the developed world. Waste could be reduced through technological innovation, such smart markdowns, and there are strong incentives for both the retailer and consumer to pursue investment in smart markdowns, using RFID and advanced analytic technology. Smart packaging, while environmentally impactful, presents a limited opportunity given the challenges associated with scaling it.
Food waste reduction at home
Consumers could be alerted about the foods that are about to expire at home so they can be aware of what to use up, helping to reduce a major source of food waste in developed countries.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPED MARKET
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Food waste reduction at home
Consumers could be alerted about the foods that are about to expire at home so they can be aware of what to use up, helping to reduce a major source of food waste in developed countries.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPED MARKET
DIGITAL ENABLERS
Digital platforms to inform consumers
By connecting to consumers’ purchasing data, platforms could provide easily accessible, real-time information about perishing food goods, helping consumers reduce food waste at home.
Advanced analytics and AI
Products can be tracked at the point of purchase, and that data can be fed back to consumer apps to enable recommendations on reducing food waste.
IoT
Smart refrigerators can scan the contents of the fridge and send perishability information to other devices, such as consumer platforms mentioned above.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
Too Good To Go
Developed an app for fighting food waste by connecting customers to restaurants and stores that have unsold food surplus.
Olio
Their app enables neighbors to list and post photos of unwanted food so it can be shared, not discarded.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
Retailers have an active role to play in helping consumers make better decisions through the use of third-party or homegrown apps that forge tighter connections between retailers and their customers. For example, retailers could offer instant grocery delivery, reducing the need to overstock the refrigerator. Post-purchase, retailers could alert consumers about food that is about to expire through a digital platform that tracks purchase history.
Plastics reduction, recycling, and reuse
Plastic could be easily recycled or reused in a convenient way that delivers value to everyone.
IMAGINE IF ...
GLOBAL MARKET
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Plastics reduction, recycling, and reuse
Plastic could be easily recycled or reused in a convenient way that delivers value to everyone.
IMAGINE IF ...
GLOBAL MARKET
DIGITAL ENABLERS
Digital platforms to communicate recycling options
Dedicated platforms could inform consumers about their closest recycling center or connect them with other reuse options, allowing them to play an active role in the circular economy.
AI-based imaging to recognise and sort plastics
to be recycled
The ability to automatically recognize and sort recyclable plastics more efficiently than humans can do so will help reduce the high volume of plastic waste.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
Algramo
The company’s smart packaging solutions provide consumers with a refill-on-the-go approach to replenishing detergents without the need for single-use packaging, opting instead for reusable containers.
GreyParrot
Provides AI-based waste recognition software to power next-generation smart systems that will monitor and sort waste at scale, including plastics.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
Improving the efficiency of recycling continues to present opportunities, but a larger impact awaits if consumers can be encouraged to alter their behaviors and “reduce, recycle, reuse.” Investment in technology that improves plastic waste circulation at the consumer level, such as RFID and digital platforms, supported by retailers and end-of-life stakeholders, would be a major step forward. By facilitating changes in consumer behavior and aligning incentives through consumer apps plastic waste can be significantly reduced.
Alternative proteins
Alternative proteins truly rivaled animal meat in flavor, texture, and price, thereby meeting the world’s protein needs
without animal agriculture.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPED MARKET
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Alternative proteins
Alternative proteins truly rivaled animal meat in flavor, texture, and price, thereby meeting the world’s protein needs
without animal agriculture
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPED MARKET
DIGITAL ENABLERS
3D printing
This robotics technology is now being applied to replicate the structure and texture of meat using plant-based materials.
.
IoT and sensor technology
Monitoring the growing and development environment of alternative proteins helps ensure they are produced efficiently and with optimal quality and quantity.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
Aspire Food Group
Uses advanced technologies (including IoT and complex modeling) to farm insects that have a protein quality similar to meat but an environmental footprint more like that of plants.
Redefine Meat
Uses 3D printing technology, meat digital modeling, and food formulations to produce animal-free meat.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
Alternative proteins have the potential to disrupt not only the production of meat but the entire meat supply chain. Current players are using data, machine learning, and other advanced technologies in an effort to produce these proteins at scale. Demand should increase as companies develop more natural and realistic products that satisfy consumer preferences. There are also possibilities in using digital tools such as loyalty programs and gamification to reach new consumer audiences and help shape consumer behavior for further adoption.
Advanced analytics and AI
AI can reveal the molecular structure of various proteins and the chemical interactions that transform raw material into delicious food.
Product sustainability score
Consumers had an easy and consistent way to access a food sustainability score for products on their mobile devices,
so they were continually encouraged to adopt sustainability-enhancing behaviors.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPED MARKET
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Product sustainability score
Consumers had an easy and consistent way to access a food sustainability score for products on their mobile devices,
so they were continually encouraged to adopt sustainability-enhancing behaviors.
IMAGINE IF ...
DEVELOPED MARKET
DIGITAL ENABLERS
Digital platforms
Provide sustainability information to consumers in a way that is easily digestible and conveniently delivered.
Blockchain and RFID technology
Smart tags will allow the history of a product to be better tracked and communicated, which, when coupled with blockchain, will provide a certified and easily trackable identifier for each good.
IoT and sensor technology
A uniform approach to data collection using IoT technology will allow for easier standardization of sustainability metrics.
EXAMPLE INNOVATORS
Provenance
The company’s software enables brands to communicate social and environmental impact information to shoppers online and in-store in a credible way, supported by supply chain data and third-party validation.
Yayzy
Tracks the climate impact of consumer purchases in real time and allows users to offset their carbon footprints through matching deductions from their bank accounts.
NEXT STEPS TO DRIVE DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
Consumers face a challenge when trying to assess the sustainability of a food product, in part because labeling standards vary. Consider the development of, or investment in, a cross-brand, customer-centric mobile app that provides clear sustainability information. Such a platform would need to be cross-retail and would need to chart a path toward an all-encompassing unique standardized score. To win consumer adoption, it will need to be easy to use and provide some form of incentivization, such as allowing consumers to share their sustainability scores with others.
Food/materials waste
Wastewater generation
Improper disposal of waste/hazmats
Water ecosystems impacts
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Air pollution excl GHGs
Discrimination/inequality
Insufficient wages
Poor labor conditions
Inhumane animal farming
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Water ecosystems impacts
Deforestation and habitat/biodiversity loss
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Insufficient wages
Poor labor conditions
Weak ESG reporting
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Food/materials waste
Wastewater generation
Improper disposal of waste/hazmats
Water ecosystems impacts
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Air pollution excl GHGs
Discrimination/inequality
Insufficient wages
Slavery/child labor
Poor labor conditions
Corruption
Weak ESG reporting
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Food/materials waste
Wastewater generation
Water ecosystems impacts
Deforestation and habitat/biodiversity loss
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Air pollution excl GHGs
Insufficient wages
Poor labor conditions
Inhumane animal farming
Weak ESG reporting
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Food/materials waste
Wastewater generation
Water ecosystems impacts
Deforestation and habitat/biodiversity loss
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Air pollution excl GHGs
Insufficient wages
Poor labor conditions
Inhumane animal farming
Weak ESG reporting
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Food/materials waste
Wastewater generation
Improper disposal of waste/hazmats
Water ecosystems impacts
Deforestation and habitat/biodiversity loss
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Air pollution excl GHGs
Slavery/child labor
Poor labor conditions
Toxic food
Access to nutritious food
Weak ESG reporting
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Food/materials waste
Wastewater generation
Improper disposal of waste/hazmats
Water ecosystems impacts
Deforestation and habitat/biodiversity loss
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Air pollution excl GHGs
Insufficient wages
Slavery/child labor
Poor labor conditions
Toxic food
Inhumane animal farming
Corruption
Weak ESG reporting
Food/materials waste
Wastewater generation
Improper disposal of waste/hazmats
Water ecosystems impacts
Deforestation and habitat/biodiversity loss
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Air pollution excl GHGs
Discrimination/inequality
Insufficient wages
Slavery/child labor
Poor labor conditions
Toxic food
Inhumane animal farming
Corruption
Weak ESG reporting
Discrimination/inequality
Insufficient wages
Slavery/child labor
Poor labor conditions
Corruption
Weak ESG reporting
Food/materials waste
Wastewater generation
Water ecosystems impacts
Deforestation and habitat/biodiversity loss
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Air pollution excl GHGs
Corruption
Weak ESG reporting
Food/materials waste
Improper disposal of waste/hazmats
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Access to nutritious food
Food/materials waste
Improper disposal of waste/hazmats
Water ecosystems impacts
Deforestation and habitat/biodiversity loss
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Air pollution excl GHGs
Access to nutritious food
Food/materials waste
Improper disposal of waste/hazmats
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Toxic food
Food/materials waste
Wastewater generation
Improper disposal of waste/hazmats
Water ecosystems impacts
Deforestation and habitat/biodiversity loss
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Air pollution excl GHGs
Poor labor conditions
Toxic food
Access to nutritious food
Inhumane animal farming
Weak ESG reporting
Food/materials waste
Wastewater generation
Improper disposal of waste/hazmats
Water ecosystems impacts
Deforestation and habitat/biodiversity loss
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Air pollution excl GHGs
Discrimination/inequality
Insufficient wages
Slavery/child labor
Poor labor conditions
Inhumane animal farming
Corruption
Weak ESG reporting
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Augmented Reality and VR
Sensing and Imaging
Big Data Analytics
5G
Digital Twins
AI Machine Learning
Digital Apps and Platform
Cloud Computing
Drones and Robotics
Internet of Things
Blockchain
Automation
Severity of the externality:
Globally, a third of food is lost and wasted.
In emerging countries, 40% of losses occur at post-harvest and processing levels while in industrialized countries, more than 40% of losses happen at retail and consumer levels.
High
Digital twin of farms
Regenerative agriculture
Traceability across supply chain
Product sustainability score
Alternative proteins
Food waste reduction at retail
Alternative agriculture
Digital twin of farms
Farmer finance
Common data definitions
Food waste reduction at home
Food waste reduction at retail
Alternative proteins
Food waste reduction at home
Incorporation of social metrics
Alternative agriculture
Food waste reduction at retail
Traceability across supply chain
Precision agriculture
Regenerative agriculture
Adaptive, efficient, and resilient
supply network
Plastics reduction, recycling, and reuse
Alternative proteins
Plastics reduction, recycling, and reuse
Food waste reduction at home
Incorporation of social metrics
Farming networks
Regenerative agriculture
Common data definitions
Food waste reduction at retail
Adaptive, efficient, and resilient
supply network
Incorporation of social metrics
Traceability across supply chain
Common data definitions
Alternative agriculture
Farmer finance
Alternative proteins
Incorporation of social metrics
Alternative proteins
Food waste reduction at home
Adaptive, efficient, and resilient
supply network
Incorporation of social metrics
Alternative agriculture
Precision agriculture
Regenerative agriculture
Farmer finance
Digital twin of farms
Product sustainability score
Product sustainability score
Traceability across supply chain
Click each + to explore how digital technologies are transforming the food supply chain across four “investible themes.”
Severity:
“Human activities accelerate the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), putting the earth at risk of becoming unhabitable.
31% of human-caused GHG emissions originate from the world's agri-food system, mostly within upstream activities, with deforestation as the largest source of agri-food GHG emissions. For example, when land is converted to cropland or pasture, CO2 is released, and the soil has far less capacity to store carbon.“ (Fact 2 FAO 2021)
High
Severity:
“Human activities accelerate the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), putting the earth at risk of becoming unhabitable.
While GHG emissions mostly originate from upstream agricultural activities within the food value chain, such as deforestation, retailers are also emitting a great amount of GHG emissions. The average grocery store annually emits the equivalent CO2 emissions of 635 passenger cars, mostly derived from energy consumption and leaked refrigerants. Further downstream, food rotting in landfills results in methane gas emission, a GHG 23 times more potent than CO2.“ (Fact 4 Ecovadis, Fact 7, Ratio Institute)
Medium
Severity:
"Marine Pollution and water degradation, through chemicals and plastics, severely harm the marine ecosystem while risking seafood consumers' health.
Agriculture represents 78% of the global ocean and freshwater eutrophication through pollution of waterways with agrochemical."
(Fact 4 UN, Fact 5 OurWorldInData)
High
Severity:
"Alongside deforestation and overgrazing, pesticides use is a key driver behind soil erosion, which negatively impacts the food and water we consume, the local ecosystem, and soil productivity.
More than 75% of the land has substantially degraded globally. At the current trajectory, 95% of the Earth's land areas could become degraded by 2050."
(Fact 5, National Geographic 2018)
High
Severity:
"Alongside deforestation and overgrazing, pesticides use is a key driver behind soil erosion, which negatively impacts the food and water we consume, the local ecosystem, and soil productivity.
More than 75% of the land has substantially degraded globally. At the current trajectory, 95% of the Earth's land areas could become degraded by 2050."
(Fact 5, National Geographic 2018)
Low
Severity:
“The food value chain, especially land-use change, livestock, and agricultural waste burning, is one of the leading sources of toxic ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5), leading to over 890,000 premature death per year."
(Fact 5, Forbes)
Medium
Severity:
"Agriculture accounts for 70% of all freshwater withdrawals, mainly through irrigation and other upstream activities.
A further 20% is used in the production and processing industries.
Heavy water withdrawals lead to increased water scarcity in many parts of the world. Up to 80% of illnesses in the developing world are linked to inadequate water and sanitation.” (Fact 3 Worldbank, Fact 4 Gov of Canada 2017, Fact 6 Icheme)"
Medium
Severity:
"Agriculture accounts for 70% of all freshwater withdrawals, mainly through irrigation and other upstream activities. For beverages, for example, it takes 170 to 310 litres of water to produce half a litre of soda, mostly deriving from fields where the ingredients are made.
Heavy water withdrawals lead to increased water scarcity in many parts of the world. Up to 80% of illnesses in emerging countries are linked to inadequate water and sanitation.”
(Fact 3 Worldbank, Fact 4 Gov of Canada 2017, Fact 5 NyTimes)"
High
Severity:
"The food value chain is the key driver behind biodiversity loss - agriculture alone threatens 24,000 of the 28,000 (86%) species at risk of extinction, mainly through deforestation. Land-use change from rainforests to cropland or pasture leads to serious habitat destruction. Around 80% of global deforestation results from agricultural production."
(Fact 2 UN, Fact 4 Greenpeace)
High
Severity:
"Globally, a third of food is lost and wasted. In emerging countries, 40% of losses occur at post-harvest and processing levels while in industrialized countries, more than 40% of losses happen at retail and consumer levels.“
(Fact 3 UNep, Fact 5 UN)
High
Severity:
"Wastewater is accumulated from food production, such as manure & slaughterhouse wastewaters, leading to the destruction of natural habitats, and food & waterborne diseases.
Only 8% of the wastewater generated in low-income countries get treatment, as opposed to 70% in high-income countries."
(Fact 2 UN, Fact 3 CT DEEP)
High
Severity:
"Plastic waste makes up 80% of all marine debris, mostly derived from packaging. Plastic waste generated at the farm level is still significant.
Plastic mulching for example, is the most common agriplastic, representing 40% of the agriplastic market, and challenging to recycle when contaminated with soil."
(Fact 5 EIA, Fact 7 IUCN)
Medium
Severity:
" While plastic makes up 80% of all marine debris, half of the global plastic production is for single-use applications, and only 14% of plastic packaging is collected for recycling. 94% of unrecycled waste in retail stores was made of packaging materials, creating a significant environmental impact."
(Fact 2 Ecovadis, Fact 6 WEF, Fact 7 IUCN)
High
Severity:
"Globally, unsafe food causes 600 million foodborne diseases and 420,000 deaths every year. In the US alone, it is estimated that foodborne diseases sicken 48 million people, cause 128,000 hospitalizations, and kill 3,000 people every year."
(Fact 1 EcoVadis, Fact 3 Who)
High
Severity:
"Nearly 690 million people are still hungry, grown by almost 60 million in five years. In the US, according to a 2017 study, nearly 18% of the population had limited access to a supermarket or grocery store, mostly in low-income areas."
(Fact 4 FAO, Fact 5 Department of Agriculture)
High
Severity:
"The consumption of excessively processed food is causing harm. Researchers observed an overall decrease in heart health for every 5% increase in calories from ultra-processed foods." (Fact 2, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Medium
Severity:
"Across both developed and emerging markets, a significant percentage of agriculture workers are poor. Nearly 80% of rural farmers in developing countries earn less than USD1.25 per day. In the US, 50% of farmworkers are paid less than minimum wage." (Fact 7, RelifWeb)
High
Severity:
"While farmers have it worse, retail workers are also likely to live in poverty. In 2018, 10.1% of retail workers lived in poverty, almost double of all workers." (Fact 6, Cenus)
Medium
Severity:
"Agriculture is one of the three most dangerous sectors. In emerging countries for example, strong exposure to toxic fumes from pesticides and the lack of protective equipment use can lead to severe health problems.
In the UK, agriculture has the worst rate of fatal worker injury rate, with the annual average rate over the last five years around 20 times as high as the all-industry rate.”
(Fact 4 HSE UK, Fact 5 Who, Fact 6 ILO)
High
Severity:
"In both developing and developed world, agriculture has the highest share of child labourers. Worldwide 60% of all child labourers aged 5-17 years work in agriculture, representing over 98 million children. Further, an estimated 24.9 million people worldwide are the victims of some form of forced labour."
(Fact 3&4 ILO, Fact 5 EcoVadis)
High
Severity:
"In emerging countries, despite comprising around 43% of the smallholder agricultural labour force, women produce around 20-30% less than men, and only
10-20% of women are landholders.
(Fact 2 National Geographic, Fact 5 Oxfam)
High
Severity:
"In general merchandise, women hold more than 80% of the cashier jobs, which is the lowest-paid job. In the beverage industry, women make up less than 20% of managers, while representing half of the workforce." (Fact 6, In These Times)
Medium
Severity:
"Corruption and bribery occur throughout the food supply chain. In emerging countries, corruption is more likely to be related to land administration and bribery, impacting land title and tenure, credit availability, quality of supplies, and water allocation. This furthers poverty and hunger."
(Fact 1 Transparency International)
Medium
Severity:
"Both consumers and investors are increasingly paying attention to sustainability reporting. ESG investing relies on granular ESG data available in a standardised format, which often is not so readily available. Even for the 90% of the largest organisation who produce CSR reports, only a minority of them are validated by third parties "
(Fact 4 FT, Fact 5 BRCGS, Fact 6 HBR)
Medium
Severity:
"Both consumers and investors are increasingly paying attention to sustainability reporting. ESG investing relies on granular ESG data available in a standardised format, which often is not so readily available. There is an estimated 600 ESG standards globally."
(Fact 4 FT, Fact 5 BRCGS, Fact 7 EY)
Low
Severity:
"Every hour, some 1,000,000 chickens, 14,000 pigs, and 4,000 cows are slaughtered for human consumption in the United States." (Fact 3, Animal Welfare Institute))
Medium
Severity:
"Around two-thirds of farm animals are factory farmed worldwide every year. In the US, 99% of all farm animals are born and raised on factory farms."(Fact 1 Sentience Institute 2017, Fact 2 CIFW)
High
Severity:
"Every hour, some 1,000,000 chickens, 14,000 pigs, and 4,000 cows are slaughtered for human consumption
in the United States."
(Fact 3, Animal Welfare Institute)
Medium
Supporting farmers digitally
Creating end-to-end value chain data transparency
Reducing waste and enabling circularity
Nudging consumer behavior
Regenerative agriculture
Farming networks
Farmer finance
Digital twin of farms
Alternative agriculture
Traceability across supply chain
Severity:
"Landfills can cause leachate leakage through precipitation and surface runoff, contaminating water resources.
1/3 of food is wasted globally, some of which are dumped in the ocean. While food is biodegradable, pesticides can bioaccumulate, increasing the levels of toxicity in Marine life"
(Fact 1 Wikipedia, Fact 7, UNEP)
Low
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Supporting farmers digitally
Creating end-to-end value chain data transparency
Reducing waste and enabling circularity
Nudging consumer behavior
BACK TO FULL MAP
Direct impact
Indirect impact
Water ecosystems impacts
Deforestation and habitat/biodiversity loss
GHG emissions
Water pollution/degradation
Land pollution/erosion
Insufficient wages
Poor labor conditions
Weak ESG reporting
Allows interaction with data and processes to gain insight and guide action
Augmented Reality and VR
Using visual or chemical signals to inform decisions
Sensing and Imaging
Leveraging large volumes of data to inform decisions
Big Data Analytics
Applying low latency networks to improve signal reaction times and enable real-time distributed data transfers
5G
Computerized recreations of physical assets or contained systems to simulate and model scenarios, enabling the controlling of the physical infrastructure
Digital Twins
Intelligent algorithms that can predict future activities using past data or mimic human activities to control processes
AI Machine Learning
Phone, tablet, and desktop-based applications provide a platform for users to access information and connect
Digital Apps and Platform
Using scalable and remote computing power to drive efficiency and performance
Cloud Computing
Using controllable or autonomous devices to replace human operators
Drones and Robotics
Integrating computing power into remote and distributed equipment to measure and control activities
Internet of Things
Digital ledger technologies enable traceable and reliable data
Blockchain
Using technology to remove physically or digitally repetitive tasks from human completion
Automation
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