Investigating the determinants of intention to use IoT for preventing food waste by UK food supply chain companies

Food companies are still unsure about using Internet of Things (IoT) based sensors and remain reluctant to adopt them for the purpose of food waste prevention. To address this problem, this study aims to examine the determinants of the intention to use IoT-based sensors for preventing food waste by the food supply chain companies in the UK.

This research develops a comprehensive Motivation–Opportunity–Ability–Trust (MOAT) model that extends and contextualises the original MOA model in the context of using IoT sensors in food supply chain companies for preventing food waste. The MOAT model is tested using data collected from a questionnaire survey with 315 senior managers in the UK food sector.

The findings show that opportunity and trust positively influence the managers’ behavioural intention to use IoT for food waste prevention and are therefore key determinants of IoT adoption for food waste prevention. Data analysis highlighted the role of trust as the underlying principle in food supply chains when adopting IoT sensors in all operational-level activities.

This study contextualises and extends the original MOA model into the MOAT framework to reflect the characteristics and applications of IoT in food waste prevention in food supply chains. The MOAT model provides a foundation for further research and practical strategies. This study makes valuable contributions to the theoretical development and practical understanding of the influence of ability, opportunity, motivation and trust on IoT sensor adoption for preventing food waste among food companies.