From Farm to Fork: Enhancing Avocado Trade Transparency with IoT

The Smart Avocado project is an academic research initiative led by the University of Twente (Netherlands) at the ITC Faculty of Geoinformation Sciences and Earth Observation. This faculty is recognized as a world-leading institute in academic education, scientific research, and technological development in the fields of earth observation and geo-information. Funded by the Dutch Science Foundation (NWO), the project aims to enhance the understanding of avocado trade through innovative monitoring techniques. 

Mapping Avocado Journeys with Digital Matter Asset Tracking Devices 

The Smart Avocado project employs Digital Matter’s LoRaWAN and GSM tracking hardware along with the online tracker platform to monitor avocado trade. GPS-equipped avocado replicas are deployed in real avocado production sites across South Africa.  

These trackers transmit the exact geolocation of the replicas, allowing for the tracing of the fruit’s journey from production sites to packhouses, along country roads, onto cargo ships, and finally to local resellers in the Netherlands. This comprehensive tracking creates a high-resolution map of food flow and aids in assessing the environmental impact of avocado trade. 

Digital Matter devices were specifically selected and concealed within avocado replicas, enabling the transmission of location data over extended periods across various geographic locations. A critical consideration was the need for devices to be waterproof, as avocados are washed in packhouses during their journey. 

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Another critical requirement that underscored the success of this project was the need for real-time location updates without requiring physical access to the devices, exceptional battery life, and robust communication capabilities, even within environments such as cold storage rooms where avocados are kept. Additionally, the flexibility to adjust data point intervals remotely while maintaining long battery life enhances the adaptability of the devices to meet project requirements effectively. 

The implementation of Digital Matter tracking devices has provided essential tools for understanding the exact connections between production sites and the spatial and temporal journey of avocados. The project now tracks the route and time costs from farms to packhouses and records the subsequent routes from packhouses to other cities in South Africa.  

The data collected is pivotal for the Smart Avocado research goal, which focuses on improving monitoring methods for food flows. By enabling the tracking of food origins and trajectories, the project aims to enhance the understanding of the environmental impact of imported food, including water use and CO2 emissions. Ultimately, this initiative seeks to promote sustainable consumer behaviors and business models for a more sustainable food trade. 

The integration of Digital Matter devices has positioned the Smart Avocado project at the forefront of innovation in academic research and food monitoring. By leveraging the latest Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, the project not only enhances its understanding of the complexities of food trade monitoring but also establishes a competitive edge in developing effective solutions for sustainable food practices. 

To learn more about the Smart Avocado project and its initiatives, please visit www.utwente.nl/en/smartavocado.