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Agri-food businesses wanted for food waste reduction study

A project which aims to save 1.8 million tons of fresh food waste per year by using the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data is looking for agri-food SMEs to take part in a pilot study.

    Shelves of fresh food
    REAMIT focuses on fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, which are wasted in the largest quantities

    Improving Resource Efficiency of Agribusiness supply chains by Minimising waste using Big Data and Internet of Things sensors (REAMIT) is a project funded by Interreg North-West Europe.

    Businesses which deal with the transportation and / or storage of fresh food, such as delivery companies, restaurants and farmers, will have the opportunity to fit a range of sensors to their trucks which will monitor and record food quality and signal potential issues.

    Using these analytics, owners of food at risk of becoming waste will be provided with options to minimise food waste via a smartphone app, such as redistribution to nearby customers.

    With around 35% of waste occurring when food travels across supply chains, the €4.8m REAMIT project is being run across North-West Europe and focuses on fruits, vegetables, meat and fish as these are wasted in large quantities.

    It aims to save 1.8 million tons of food waste, or €3 billion per year, in the region, and avoid 5.5 million tons per year of CO2 emissions.

    As communication lead in the project, Nottingham Business School (NBS), part of Nottingham Trent University, is holding an event for agribusinesses to find out about the project and how it can benefit them financially and socially.

    Professor Usha Ramanathan, Professor of Sustainability and Supply Chains at NBS, said: “Companies taking part will be supplied with their data to make informed decisions on their processes, leading to potential financial savings improved carbon footprint.

    “As well building networks within the food supply chain industry, delegates will hear from international speakers on the latest challenges in reducing food waste and the importance of IoT and Big Data technologies in the food chain.”

    The REAMIT Networking Symposium 2020 takes place in Nottingham on 9 January 2020. It is aimed at agribusiness stakeholders, IoT practitioners, academics and those from agri-food supply chains.

    For further information visit the REAMIT website or contact via email or Tel: +44 (0)115 848 3065

    • Notes for editors

      Press enquiries please contact Helen Breese, Public Relations Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8751, or via email.

      REAMIT

      REAMIT (Improving Resource Efficiency of Agribusiness supply chains by Minimizing waste using Big data and IoT sensors) is led by the University of Bedfordshire with a consortium of French, British, Irish, German and Dutch partners, due to the quantity of existing interconnected food supply chains and the major food waste in these countries. For further information, visit the website

      Nottingham Business School

      Nottingham Business School is internationally recognised as a business school which combines academic excellence with impact on business and society. It creates globally responsible leaders through ethical, responsible and sustainable management education.

      NBS subjects are ranked in the top 15 in the Guardian’s 2020 league tables. NBS is amongst the top 20 for both graduate level employability (DLHE) and for student satisfaction (NSS) and as part of NTU holds the TEF Gold award.

      It holds international AASCB and EQUIS accreditation. NBS has held 4* overall QS Stars rating since 2013, with 5* in five categories for the quality of its curriculum, teaching, research, business connectivity and international links.

      It is ranked in the top 95 of the Financial Times European Business School Ranking 2018 and its MSc in Management has also been ranked by the Financial Times as the 97th best Masters in Management in the world (MiM).

      NBS is a PRME Champion, a status given to institutions which have contributed to thought and action leadership on responsible management education in the context of the United Nations sustainable development agenda.

      It was recently re-accredited for the Small Business Charter (SBC) for the next five years, a mark of support for businesses and SMEs, engagement with the local economy and entrepreneurship education.

      NBS provides a transformational experience for its students through personalised and experiential learning. Each student has their learning experience tailored to their aspirations through academic and industry mentors, analytics, and a comprehensive range of personal development and experiential learning opportunities.

    Published on 10 December 2019
    • Category: Business; Press office; Research; Nottingham Business School