“A multi-tier sustainable food supplier selection model under uncertainty”

Abstract

Supplier selection in food supply chains (FSCs) is not much explored due to the inherent difficulties, complexities and nature of food industry. Food security and quality are top row topics in today’s world health scenario. During sudden food crisis, it needs extra attention where producers, suppliers, and stakeholders play the most vital roles. This paper puts forward a two-phase sustainable multi-tier supplier selection model for FSC based on an integrated decision analysis under multi-criteria perspectives considering sustainability criteria, suppliers and sub-suppliers. In the first phase, the model estimates supplier selection criteria weights using a combined version of step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) and level based weight assessment (LBWA) in conjunction with D-numbers. In the second phase, Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking according to the COmpromise Solution (MARCOS)-D method is applied to obtain a ranking pre-order of different tier suppliers. Moreover, several sensitivity analyses are carried out in order to examine model reliability. To check application practicability, the proposed model is implemented in a case study of WineSol Corporation in Spain. The proposed model is expected to serve as a kickoff point for developing advanced decision-making models for effectually address multi-tier supplier selection problems under uncertain environment.