Green Supplier Selection in the Agro-Food Industry with Contract Farming: A Multi-Objective Optimization Approach

Marco A. Miranda-Ackerman, Catherine Azzaro-Pantel, Alberto A. Aguilar-Lasserre, Alfredo Bueno-Solano and Karina C. Arredondo-Soto
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Marco A. Miranda-Ackerman: Facultad de Ciencias Químicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Tijuana, Baja California 22390, Mexico
Catherine Azzaro-Pantel: Laboratoire de Génie Chimique, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, 31432 Toulouse, France
Alberto A. Aguilar-Lasserre: Division of Research and Postgraduate Studies, Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico de Orizaba, Orizaba 94320, Veracruz, Mexico
Alfredo Bueno-Solano: Department of Industrial Engineering, Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora, Cd. Obregon 85000, Sonora, Mexico
Karina C. Arredondo-Soto: Facultad de Ciencias Químicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Tijuana, Baja California 22390, Mexico

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 24, 1-19

Abstract: An important contribution to the environmental impact of agro-food supply chains is related to the agricultural technology and practices used in the fields during raw material production. This problem can be framed from the point of view of the Focal Company (FC) as a raw material Green Supplier Selection Problem (GSSP). This paper describes an extension of the GSSP methodology that integrates life cycle assessment, environmental collaborations, and contract farming in order to gain social and environmental benefits. In this approach, risk and gains are shared by both parties, as well as information related to agricultural practices through which the FC can optimize global performance by deciding which suppliers to contract, capacity and which practices to use at each supplying field in order to optimize economic performance and environmental impact. The FC provides the knowledge and technology needed by the supplier to reach these objectives via a contract farming scheme. A case study is developed in order to illustrate and a step-by-step methodology is described. A multi-objective optimization strategy based on Genetic Algorithms linked to a MCDM approach to the solution selection step is proposed. Scenarios of optimization of the selection process are studied to demonstrate the potential improvement gains in performance.

Keywords: green supplier selection; contract farming; life cycle assessment; environmental collaboration; multi-objective optimization; agro-food supply chain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:24:p:7017-:d:295679

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