- Author CRCNA and research partners
- Publish date 1 July 2026
- Type Report
- Documents
- Horticulture
- Supply chain development
Summary
This impact evaluation summarises the outcomes of CRCNA project: A.3.1718083 Smart Supply Chains (mango industry) project, which developed and tested innovative technologies to improve food quality, traceability and transparency across northern Australia’s horticulture supply chains. Using the mango industry as a demonstration case, the project combined quality assessment sensors, smart logistics tracking and blockchain technology to provide secure, real-time product information from paddock to retailer.
The assessment highlights how the project improved supply chain efficiency, reduced duplication in data management, strengthened product integrity and enhanced consumer confidence through verifiable provenance information. It also explores the broader potential for digital traceability technologies to support premium export markets, reduce waste and improve competitiveness across northern Australia’s agricultural sector. The report outlines project impacts to date and the future opportunities for wider adoption of smart supply chain technologies across horticultural and food industries.
Projects
Smart supply chains
The Smart Supply Chains project developed and tested innovative technologies to improve food quality, traceability and transparency across northern Australia’s horticulture supply chains. Using the mango industry as a case study, researchers worked with industry partners to combine quality assessment sensors, smart logistics tracking and blockchain technology to create a secure, real-time system that tracked produce from paddock to retailer. The project demonstrated how digital technologies can provide objective measures of fruit quality, shelf life and handling conditions while improving the flow of information between growers, transport operators, retailers and consumers. The resulting platform increased traceability, reduced duplication of data collection and supported more efficient supply chain management. By helping producers meet growing consumer and retailer expectations around food safety, provenance and product integrity, the project strengthened the competitiveness of northern Australian produce. The technologies developed also have potential applications across other horticultural and food industries, creating opportunities for wider adoption and future export market growth.