There are many nations in the world with the vision to end hunger, achieve food security and promote sustainable agriculture. This is because food security will help citizens have adequate access to sufficient and affordable food.
Besides, the food industry has always dealt with items that are highly perishable and therefore depend on a sustainable and efficient transportation and logistics process to ensure that foods are delivered in their best form.
Hence, what are some of the ways that the transportation industry can aid the food industry? We have highlighted some of them below:
* Minimising the risk of contamination:
Food is an easily-contaminated good that can attract toxic elements such as bacteria and fungi. Workers in the transportation industry must therefore ensure that a high standard of hygiene and cleanliness is adhered to in transporting any food material.
* Reducing food loss:
A large percentage of food items such as vegetables, fruits and processed foods such as bread and milk are susceptible to decay. To combat this, the transport and logistic industry should ensure swift delivery of food items to avoid food loss and wastage.
* Preserving Quality:
The quality of food is crucial to achieving food security and the transport and logistics industry must work with farmers to ensure that food quality is preserved. This may mean paying attention to preservation processes and the handling of the food materials as well as ensuring that the products reach their consumers within the stipulated time.
* Risk of damages:
Food items such as eggs, tomatoes, vegetables and milk risk damage while they are transported. The utmost care and attention should be paid to the transportation process to diminish the risk of food loss.
* Minimising logistics cost:
The cost of transportation is often a burden for farmers who want to offer high-quality food materials at reasonable costs whilst breaking even. Sometimes, this leads to over-priced goods in the market or even low-quality items while farmers bear the loss. The transportation industry can offer innovative solutions that’d benefit both sides, that is the food industry and the transportation industry.
* Innovation in transportation:
While this may seem like a burden that the food industry has to bear, it reveals a gap in the transportation industry and a problem that can be solved by simple innovations. Emerging food delivery platforms is a good example of such an innovation and more can be done to aid the relief of the burden.
