Minimizing post-harvest losses through digitally enabled supply chain visibility: a design science approach

Post-harvest losses are prevalent on the African continent, affecting the realization of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) one, which seeks to eliminate poverty and hunger. The issue of PHL is further exacerbated by the poor deployment of technology and insufficient access to market information. Technology interventions are crucial in addressing the issue of PHL, and the study seeks to contribute to the minimization of PHL in Africa through ICT-enabled supply chain visibility (SCV) using a design science approach. The study aims to expedite the sale of agri-food produce by farmers, thereby highlighting the crucial role of marketing to agri-food producers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The design science approach involves the development of a digital platform that provides real-time market information to farmers, enabling them to make informed decisions about the sale of their produce. The study's focus is on the African continent, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, where the agricultural infrastructure is poor and access to market information is limited. The study's objective is to develop a digital platform that provides supply chain visibility, enabling farmers to track the movement of their produce from the farm to the market. This will enable farmers to make informed decisions about the sale of their produce, thereby minimizing post-harvest losses. The study's methodology involves the development of a digital platform that provides real-time market information to farmers. The platform will be designed to provide farmers with information on market prices, demand, and supply, enabling them to make informed decisions about the sale of their produce. The study will also involve the collection of data on post-harvest losses in Africa, which will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the digital platform in minimizing PHL. The study's expected outcome is the development of a digital platform that provides supply chain visibility, enabling farmers to track the movement of their produce from the farm to the market. The platform will be designed to provide farmers with real-time market information, enabling them to make informed decisions about the sale of their produce. The study's outcome is expected to contribute to the minimization of post-harvest losses in Africa, thereby supporting the realization of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) one.