From Our Print Edition

Each year, a whopping 931 million tons of food is lost or wasted. The bulk of that waste comes from households (61%) and foodservice (26%). But according to Jeff Bradshaw, vp of technology at global digital solutions company TELUS Agriculture, 13% comes from retail in high-income countries like the United States. While much of that food arrives at the store in good shape, 14% is lost between harvest and retail.

In an article first published by Forbes, Bradshaw says new smart tag technology that allows suppliers to monitor what was a major blind spot — the journey from farm or factory to store inside a delivery truck — could help spot temperature changes that accelerate deterioration and lead to rejection.

“Highly perishable products in particular are a significant contributor to overall global food waste,” wrote Bradshaw. “While it’s up to every consumer to help minimize our impact by only buying what they need and consuming what they buy, with cold chain management technology, it’s now possible to reduce the amount of food waste on a larger scale.”