# Food System Digitalization as a Means to Promote Food and Nutrition Security in the Barents Region
## 4 Transforming the Food System through Digitalization to Promote Food and Nutrition Security  
Agriculture, rural livelihoods, sustainable management of natural resources and food security are connected within the development and climate change challenges of the twenty-first century [24]. The impact of food processing on the climate is well established and it will be necessary that value addition to traditional foods in the region be well managed throughout the value chain. Food processing contributes to climate change, eutrophication (the process by which there is a gradual increase in the concentration of phosphorus, nitrogen, and other plant nutrients in an aging aquatic ecosystem such as a lake), acid rain, and the depletion of biodiversity. Each of these parameters can be monitored with digital accuracy by sensors. The efficient processing of traditional and local foods incorporating digitalization in the value chain will be important for keeping the global temperature at 1.5 to 2 \({}^{\circ}\)C above the pre-industrial level. Several researchers have shown that food processing, which often involves water and energy expenditures, needs to be climate smart [52; 53; 54]. Since the Barents region and other parts of the world at higher latitudes are witnessing the effects of climate change to a greater degree than elsewhere, climate-smart agriculture and digitalization of the food system can also be part of the solution. Industry 4.0 is transforming products, the operations of companies, and how their production is managed. This is a giant leap for manufacturing innovation that employs smart devices that take control of machines on the shop floor, communicating autonomously \"device-to-device\" to manage manufacturing operations and their distribution. \"The entire manufacturing value chain is transformed by industry 4.0 and they can be monitored from concept to completion and beyond\" [55]. Small and medium-based food enterprises can benefit from Industry 4.0 especially when industrial symbiosis is adopted as a way of promoting sustainability in the region. The management of a business enterprise is now able to access important information in real-time as they are able to monitor the productivity and efficiency of both employees and machinery. Another critical benefit this new technology delivers is a consistent feedback flow between companies and their customers, in which products could be improved or highly influenced by the end-user, transforming how products are designed and produced [56]. \"The fusion of 'Big data', the 'Internet of Things', and advanced analytics is providing manufacturers with unprecedented insights into manufacturing performance, customer behaviour, and new product development\" [57]. Other enabling tools, such as cloud computing and cyber physical systems, have also been introduced as digital enablers in manufacturing. For example, cyber physical systems research can increase food consumption efficiency and the overall food production capability through precision agriculture, intelligent water management, and more efficient food distribution [58]. Automation, intelligence, and collaborations are also relevant with particular reference to smart manufacturing, smart products/services, and smart cities. Blockchain technology creates a shared, distributed ledger of transactions over a decentralized peer-to-peer network. As an emerging technology, its suitability needs to be examined against the use cases requirements [59; 60]. In the food sector, it makes it possible to track the source of various food items starting from the farm to supermarket shelves. By creating a blockchain network, contaminated products can be traced to their sources faster. Some of the uses of blockchain that will improve business include reducing carbon footprints, the security of the Internet of Things, contract fraud reduction, secure real-time payment, supply chain efficiency, clarity in business agreements and transactions, increased traceability, and improved customer experience.