Logistics Best Practices for Regional Food Systems: A Review

Anuj Mittal,Caroline Krejci,Teri Craven

doi:10.3390/su10010168

Anuj Mittal, Caroline Krejci + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su10010168

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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.

Highlights

The global food supply system provides consumers with convenient and consistent access to an extraordinary variety of food, irrespective of season or locale
The analysis performed in this paper aims to increase researchers’ awareness of the existing work on regional food supply chains (RFSCs) logistics, the unmet needs of practitioners, and topics that are not yet well understood and have not been fully explored, Sustainability 2018, 10, 168 which may yield insights into potential future directions for RFSC research
This paper presented a structured review of the literature on logistics management in RFSCs

Summary

Introduction

The global food supply system provides consumers with convenient and consistent access to an extraordinary variety of food, irrespective of season or locale. Despite these benefits, consumers are increasingly seeking alternatives to the global system. Some regionally-produced food is sold directly to consumers through farmers’ markets, but most is distributed to consumers through retailers. Many consumers value the ability to have face-to-face interactions with the farmers who produce their food. Such interactions facilitate transparency and trust-based relationships between producers and consumers [6,7]

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