Artificial Intelligence and Reducing Food Waste during Harvest and Post-Harvest Processes

Abstract

As a result of the large population increase, there is an urgent need to reduce the waste in food production. The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) indicated that about one-third (1.7 billion tons) of food produced is wasted worldwide. The traditional strategies of harvesting and storing crops do not fully realize the desired goals of reducing crop waste. Artificial intelligence systems (i.e., agricultural robots, predictive models, automated picking, and sensors for storage control) assist in avoiding human errors and promote farmers making the appropriate decisions that reduce waste during harvest and post-harvest processes. This chapter summarizes many lines of research to get a comprehensive overview of the current use of artificial intelligence during harvest and post-harvest, as well as its effective role in reducing the waste in food production.