A Compromise Programming Model for Perishable Food Logistics under Environmental Sustainability and Customer Satisfaction

摘要

Due to the perishable property of food, the requirements of high quality and delivery time in food logistics, which are directly related to customer satisfaction, are higher than the general logistics. Cold chain is the key solution to extend the shelf life and keep the quality. However, refrigeration equipment increases energy consumption, and the food miles in the cold chain system are always larger. Therefore, it faces the challenge of reducing the environmental impacts such as carbon footprints and fuel consumption. In this study, the multi-periods and multi-stages mathematical model for perishable food logistics to combine the concepts of environmental sustainability and customer satisfaction will be formulated. The properties of perishable food were investigated, and besides the traditional cost minimization objective, the emission for environment and maximum shelf life for service level will also be considered into the food logistic model. A food logistics network problem will be presented and formulate into a multi-objective integer compromise programming model. Moreover, the decisions for selecting the places of food processors, distribution centers, and retailers with the respective operation units were supported with maximum service level, minimum cost and emission. An illustrative problem, case study, will be used to demonstrate the results, and the sensitivity analysis will be done for comparing the impacts of environment and service factors.