A Review of Emerging Information and Communication Technologies for Smart and Future Horticultural Supply Chain

Abstract

Fruits, and vegetables (FVs) are an important element of a human’s healthy
diet since they include essential minerals and vitamins. The WHO recommends that 400 grams of FVs be ingested daily in the human diet to reduce
the risk of chronic disorders. However, according to the UN, almost half of
all FVs produced globally are thrown out each year. It is vital to use modern
technology, particularly information and communication technology (ICT), to
decrease food waste and ensure food safety from farm to fork. The aim of this
study is to review the current status of trending ICT implementation in the horticultural supply chain (HSC) and propose recommendations to both researchers
as well as practitioners. This study uses a systematic literature review (SLR)
technique, and a novel framework is created for this purpose. Articles published in this area between January 1, 2011, and October 31, 2022, are considered for evaluation. After applying filtering criteria, the final eligible 39
articles were thoroughly reviewed and analyzed. The gap in the adoption of
ICTs in HSC, and vegetables are less researched, and objective such as food
security are not explored, which are key findings of this research work