The Future of Food: Environmental Lessons from E‑Commerce

Our food system is experiencing dramatic changes as the expansion of e-commerce, introduction of new products, and innovations in supply chain structures all pose to transform how we buy, sell, and distribute food. However, the environmental impacts of these transformations remain unclear. This feat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science & technology 2020-12, Vol.54 (23), p.14776-14784
Main Authors: Gee, Isabella M, Heard, Brent R, Webber, Michael E, Miller, Shelie A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Commerce
Delivery services
Electronic commerce
Environmental impact
Food
Food Supply
Food waste
Logistics
Pressing
Refuse Disposal
Rural areas
Supply chains
Tradeoffs
Transportation
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Summary:Our food system is experiencing dramatic changes as the expansion of e-commerce, introduction of new products, and innovations in supply chain structures all pose to transform how we buy, sell, and distribute food. However, the environmental impacts of these transformations remain unclear. This feature reviews existing literature on environmental implications of e-commerce, discusses relevant trade-offs, and identifies pressing gaps in research. Some trade-offs discussed are those between centralized and decentralized delivery service types, those unique to a rural landscape, and those within the interplay of transportation and consumer behavior. The impacts of fulfillment centers, of refrigerated logistics, of e-commerce on consumer shopping and food waste habits, and of e-commerce services in rural regions are identified as pressing knowledge gaps.
ISSN:0013-936X
1520-5851
DOI:10.1021/acs.est.0c01731