Industry 4.0 technologies: principles and applications in agriculture and the food industry

Food Industry 4.0 denotes the applications of fourth industrial revolution technologies in the food sector, including agriculture and the food industry. This revolution is characterized by the fusion of digital, physical, and biological food sciences, enabling promising opportunities in the agri-food sector. Industry 4.0 enabling technologies, such as artificial intelligence, Big Data, smart sensors, 3D food printing, robotics, the Internet of Things, blockchain, and cloud computing are being increasingly harnessed to improve food quality, safety, traceability, and ultimately enhance food sustainability. Currently, such advanced technologies are more and more leveraged in agriculture to achieve precision agriculture and smart farming, while the implementation of recent technological innovations in the food industry is paving the way for the establishment of smart food factories.