Background
Out of the total existing water on earth’s surface 97% is ocean water, 2.5% is entrapped in glaciers and ice and only 0.5% is accessible as freshwater (Mullen, 2012). From the abstracted freshwater about 70% is used for irrigation, 19% is used for manufacturing purposes and the 11% left is consumed for domestic usage (Luckmann, Grethe, McDonald, Orlov, & Siddig, 2014). With respect to manufacturing, water is extensively used in the food industry (Poretti, 1990). In more detail, it is estimated that food and drink industries consumption of water in 2010 was between 185.5-195.7% (Bromley-Challenor, Kowalski, Barnard, & Lynn, 2013) as shown in Table 1. With the rising world population, which is set to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 (United Nations, 2017), an increasing amount of freshwater will be needed for drinking, food production, hygiene and sanitation. This increases pressure on water resources and exposes the food industry vulnerability to water scarcity.
Problem Overview and Scope of Work
Water is an essential resource for food and drink sector as it is embedded within the food product, is needed for processing or for cleaning purposes (Casani, Rouhany, & Knøchel, 2005). This sector considers water efficiency and sustainability as the topmost priority in decision-making processes for Food Supply Chain (FSC) stakeholders (Jagtap, 2019; Jagtap, & Rahimifard, 2018). To meet both demand and supply for freshwater, a well-aware and responsive water management system is required. Only through communication, collaboration, and collective actions of all the stakeholders within the FSC, water efficient practices can be implemented (Skouteris et al. 2018; Webb, Skouteris, & Rahimifard, 2018). Hence, a real-time water consumption tracking system is needed through which a detailed information on water usage activities can be monitored to identify wastage and find the opportunities to reduce the consumption.
Table 1. Food and drink sector water use
| Food and Drink Industry | Total Water Use (million m3/annum) |
| 2007 | 2010 |
| Food and Drink Manufacturing | 230.9 (56.1%) | 185.5-195.7 (53.4%) |
| Retail | 10.1 (2.5%) | 6.9-10.1 (2.0-2.8%) |
| Wholesale | 1.6 (0.4%) | 1.1-1.7 (0.3-0.5%) |
| Hospitality and Food Service | 169.0 (41.1%) | 153.7-158.8 (44.3 -43.3%) |
Source: (Bromley-Challenor, et al., 2013)
The Internet of Things (IoT) is accepted as one of the most important areas of future technology and is gaining careful attention from a wide range of industries (Lee & Lee, 2015). The IoT concept, which aims to support the transparency and visibility, could be utilized to provide detailed information on water consumption in FSC through smart sensors and meters from each machine component to whole of the supply chain (Jagtap, et al., 2021a; Jagtap, Garcia-Garcia, & Rahimifard, 2021b). Thus, real-time water consumption data from food manufacturing processes can be gathered seamlessly and then analyzed, to increase water-aware decision-making.
This paper provides an understanding of water efficient practices that are undertaken through the application of IoT and addresses the benefits of adopting such management practices. Furthermore, a framework is introduced to support the incorporation of collected water data into an FSC's planning tools and information technology platforms. The final goal of the framework is to highlight how decision-making processes based on such data could support and enhance water efficiency and thereby increase the effectiveness of FSC. Finally, the case study results back the adoption of IoT in value-based manner and water management practices that are more in line with FSC development.