An application of machine learning to classify food waste interventions from a food supply chain perspective

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the efficacy of machine learning (ML) in managing natural language processing tasks, specifically by developing two ML models to systematically classify a substantial number of food waste interventions.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review was undertaken to gather global food waste interventions. Subsequently, two ML models were designed and trained to classify these interventions into predefined supply chain-related groups and intervention types. To demonstrate the use of the models, a meta-analysis was performed to uncover patterns amongst the interventions.

Findings

The performance of the two classification models underscores the capabilities of ML in natural language processing, significantly enhancing the efficiency of text classification. This facilitated the rapid and effective classification of a large dataset consisting of 2,469 food waste interventions into six distinct types and assigning them to seven involved supply chain stakeholder groups. The meta-analysis reveals the most dominant intervention types and the strategies most widely adopted: 672 interventions are related to “Process and Operations Optimisation”, 457 to “Awareness and Behaviour Interventions” and 403 to “Technological and Engineering Solutions”. Prominent stakeholder groups, including “Processing and Manufacturing”, “Retail” “Government and Local Authorities” and “NGOs, Charitable Organisations and Research and Advocacy Groups”, are actively involved in over a thousand interventions each.

Originality/value

This study bridges a notable gap in food waste intervention research, a domain previously characterised by fragmentation and incomprehensive classification of the full range of interventions along the whole food supply chain. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to systematically classify a broad spectrum of food waste interventions while demonstrating ML capabilities. The study provides a clear, systematic framework for interventions to reduce food waste, offering valuable insight for practitioners in the food system, policymakers and consumers. Additionally, it lays the foundation for future in-depth research in the food waste reduction domain.

Citation

Zou, Q., Bezuidenhout, C.N. and Ishrat, I. (2024), "An application of machine learning to classify food waste interventions from a food supply chain perspective", British Food Journal, Vol. 126 No. 9, pp. 3550-3565. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-02-2024-0135