Overcoming barriers to implement digital technologies to achieve sustainable production and consumption in the food sector: A circular economy perspective

Food security and waste minimisation are the main concerns for the management of food supply chains (FSC), as >33 % of global food production is wasted or lost due to mismanagement. Stakeholders must address the ongoing issues, such as resource scarcity, climate change, waste creation etc. to create an environment conducive to sustainable production and consumption (SPC) and to promote economic sustainability. Resource efficiency and waste minimization are necessary for SPC in the FSC. Technologies from the Industry 4.0 era have demonstrated their ability to address these problems effectively. However, there are barriers to the adoption of digital technology because of internal or external issues. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the challenges faced by the food industry while applying digital technology to attain SPC. The current study has adopted an integrated methodology of Best-Worst-Method (BWM)-Level Based Weight Assessment (LBWA) and Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) methods to analyse the barriers in implementing digital technologies to achieve SPC in FSC. Strategic measures to overcome these barriers are suggested. The BWM-LBWA-CoCoSo technique is used for the first time in this study to evaluate the barriers and determine the most effective strategies. According to the BWM-LBWA research, “organisational barriers” are the main impediment to the adoption of digital technology for SPC in the FSC. According to CoCoSo findings, the best way to overcome the major barriers is to “focus on improving commitment from senior management towards SPC.” The study gives decision-makers information about the major barriers in utilizing advanced digital technology to achieve SPC in FSC.