Modeling Barriers of Green Cold Chain Management in India

Abstract

In this twenty-first century, our country is still incurring significant post-harvest losses. Most of the cold storage facilities are based on conventional energy intensive process with outdated technologies. Improper storage and cold treatment infrastructure reduces the life and deteriorates the quality of perishable products. Supply chain practitioners adopted the green cold chain management practices to overcome numerous challenges associated with developing the cold chain network. Literature review reported that green cold chain management is under-developing phase in India, but these practices have gained huge popularity in the western world. The purpose of the paper is to identify necessary barriers, determine hierarchical and contextual relationships between variables influencing green cold chain practices in India. Here researcher used interpretive structural methodology that uses systematic application of some elementary notions of graph theory approach and Boolean algebra to construct directed graph. Further the dependence and driving power of variables are categorized using MICMAC analysis. The formulation of strategy considers barriers of green cold chain management, i.e.: (1) High capital costs of renewable projects, (2) Outdated technology, (3) Poor cold chain network, (4) Lack of skilled manpower, (5) Poor cold storage Infrastructure, (6) Cold chain sterilization with chemicals, (7) Lack of reverse logistics, (8) Lack of information system infrastructure, (9) Lack of government support, and (10) Non-recyclable packaging. The findings suggest that cold chain infrastructure and government support are key drivers of green cold chain practices.