Logistics Best Practices for Regional Food Systems: A Review

Anuj Mittal, Caroline C. Krejci and Teri J. Craven
Additional contact information
Anuj Mittal: Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Iowa State University, 3004 Black Engineering Building, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Caroline C. Krejci: Department of Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, Box 19017, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
Teri J. Craven: Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Iowa State University, 3004 Black Engineering Building, Ames, IA 50011, USA

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-44

Abstract: The modern industrial food supply system faces many major environmental and social sustainability challenges. Regional food systems, in which consumers prefer geographically proximate food producers, offer a response to these challenges. However, the costs associated with distributing food from many small-scale producers to consumers have been a major barrier to long-term regional food system success. Logistics best practices from conventional supply chains have the potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of regional food supply chains (RFSCs). This paper provides a structured and in-depth review of the existing literature on RFSC logistics, including recommended and implemented best practices. The purpose of the review is to provide RFSC researchers and practitioners with convenient access to valuable information and knowledge derived from years of experimentation and research. This information will help to inform practitioners’ implementation decisions and to increase researchers’ awareness of the existing work on RFSC logistics, the unmet needs of practitioners, and topics that have not been fully explored, yielding insights into potential future directions for RFSC research. The overarching aim of the paper is to facilitate improvements in RFSC logistics, thereby improving regional food system viability.

Keywords: logistics; supply chain management; regional food systems; food hubs; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (17)

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