Food Hubs in Australia: Benefits, Challenges and Potential IT Contributions

Food Hubs have been developed to promote sustainability practices in managing regional distribution of fresh produce in a number of countries including the United States and Australia. They have the potential to support the resilience and sustainability of regional food supply chains by improving the local economy, environmental condition, and community well-being. However, despite the potential benefits, Food Hubs face many challenges that threaten their long-term survival. Currently, limited research has been conducted to investigate benefits and challenges of Food Hubs and how Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which is known as one of the key enablers to facilitate sustainable practices, can help address the challenges. In this research-in-progress paper, we present preliminary findings from an on-going research project that seeks to explore benefits and challenges experienced by Australian Food Hubs and the role of ICT in supporting their operations and growth. Our study enhances the understanding of the contributions of Food Hubs to sustainability and the roles of ICT in supporting sustainability practices.