Strengthening Circular Agriculture through a B۲B Digital Platform for Waste Valuation and Supply Chain Transparency

Food loss and waste remain critical challenges worldwide, particularly in emerging economies where fragmented supply chains and weak institutional trust amplify inefficiencies. This study introduces a patent-oriented conceptual framework for a digital B۲B agricultural marketplace designed to reduce post-harvest losses, improve farmer resilience, and foster circular agriculture in Iran. The framework integrates smart supply-demand matching, escrow-secured payments, dispute resolution mechanisms, IoT-enabled logistics monitoring, and blockchain-based traceability. A simulation scenario applied to Fars Province demonstrated that the platform achieved ۸۸% matching accuracy, ۹۵% dispute-free acceptance, a two-day settlement time, and ۱۰۰% payment success. Economically, the system could prevent ۲۰,۰۰۰-۶۰,۰۰۰ tons of waste annually and recover USD ۱۳۸-۴۶۰ million in value while increasing average farmer income by ۱۷%. These findings highlight the transformative potential of localized digital marketplaces in strengthening institutional trust, enhancing transparency, and aligning agricultural supply chains with the principles of sustainable and circular development. This study provides a novel framework that can guide policymakers and practitioners in designing context-specific digital solutions for food waste reduction in emerging markets.

کلیدواژه ها:

Agricultural marketplace ، B۲B platform ، food waste reduction ، escrow payment ، supply chain transparency