Bridging food security gaps in the European High North through the Internet of Food

Abstract

Food processing, storage, and distribution are at the centre of environmental damage. Food security gaps include failure to track the geographical origin of foods, food waste, food safety and the quality of food products. To achieve sustainability, changes are required in food supply chains and the entire food system. Consumers need information to make informed choices about what to eat. They need to know where food came from, the conditions under which it grew, and the food’s nutritional profile. The food industry has been slow to take advantage of the internet. However, with increasing interests in redistributed manufacturing, circumpolar regions such as the European High North will need to digitise. The Internet of Food (IoF) is an emerging trend. It will make food traceable, transparent, and trustworthy and empower consumers with more personalised food that caters precisely to individual food, diet, and health choices. It is therefore important to build an information infrastructure around the IoF. This chapter examines how food security gaps can be bridged by collating data that will help to leapfrog local foods into the digital era.