Artificial Intelligence and the Food Value Chain

This chapter examines opportunities for the application of artificial intelligence in the food value chain to enhance the sustainability of food production, aggregation, processing, and distribution. We focus on opportunities which lead to a more environmentally conscious and socially responsible food value chain. We contribute to the literature, in particular, by not only examining single stages of the value chain, but also the value chain as a whole. Based on an analysis of the literature, the chapter shows the potential benefits of applying artificial intelligence to resource optimization and the reduction of fertilizer and drug use. Furthermore, this chapter highlights how the application of artificial intelligence can make food processing and distribution more efficient and reduce food waste and loss. The findings show that most of the outlined benefits relate to the constant monitoring and data analysis of crops, livestock, and processed products, as well as transportation and storage conditions. However, some also include the analysis of weather data, customer behavior, and other various data which may play an important role.