Multi-objective optimization for the integrated supply and production planning in olive oil industry

Sustainable agriculture, among other things, implies encouraging a diverse and decentralized system of family farms rather than corporate concentration. The challenge is to find a way to organize coalitions improving the food system. The case study that inspired this work originates from Istria, a Croatian region with 25 olive oil producers and about 5,000 mostly small farmers growing and harvesting olives. To account for all the objectives of the agri-food supply chain participants, this work aims to set up a model for its integrated optimization, give its mathematical formulation and suggest a method for solving the problem

Multi-objective optimization for the integrated supply and production planning in olive oil industry

Sustainable agriculture, among other things, implies encouraging a diverse and decentralized system of family farms rather than corporate concentration. The challenge is to find a way to organize coalitions improving the food system. The case study that inspired this work originates from Istria, a Croatian region with 25 olive oil producers and about 5,000 mostly small farmers growing and harvesting olives. To account for all the objectives of the agri-food supply chain participants, this work aims to set up a model for its integrated optimization, give its mathematical formulation and suggest a method for solving the problem

Hybrid Modelling for Vineyard Harvesting Operations

Hiring workers under seasonal recruiting contracts causes significant variation of workers skills in the vineyards. This leads to inconsistent workers performance, reduction in harvesting efficiency, and increasing in grape losses rates. The objective of this research is to investigate how the variation in workers experience could impact vineyard harvesting productivity and operational cost. The complexity of the problem means that it is difficult to analyze the system parameters and their relationships using individual analytical model. Hence, a hybrid model integrating discrete event simulation (DES) and agent based modeling (ABM) is developed and applied on a vineyard to achieve research objective. DES models harvesting operation and simulates process performance, while ABM addresses the seasonal workers heterogeneous characteristics, particularly experience variations and disparity of working days in the vineyard. The model is used to evaluate two seasonal recruiting policies against vineyard productivity, grape losses quantities, and total operational cost

Have policy distortion spilled overacross wine markets ? : evidence from the french wine sector

This paper investigates cross-market effects of policy instruments that were implemented in the table and quality wine market as one of the pillars of market intervention in Europe’s Common Market Organisation (CMO) for wine. We explore two hypotheses regarding the spill-over of distillation policy distortions and quality downgrading. Empirical evidence from France, the largest producer of quality wines in Europe, provides support for the hypothesis that distillation policy distortions in the quality wine market have spilledover to the table wine market. As predicted by our second hypothesis, we find evidence for quality downgrading, a phenomenon that has so far received little attention in the wine economics literature.Common market organization for wine, distillation, spill-over effects, quality downgrading, France, heterogeneous panel

Seasonal recruiting policies for table grape packing operations: A hybrid simulation modelling study

The packing process is a critical post-harvesting activity in table grape industry. Workers in packing stations are hired under seasonal contracts because of product seasonality and operations labor intensity. Seasonal workers, however, are usually characterized by inconsistent performance, high turnover and experience variation which leads to low productivity and high waste. Few mathematical models were used for evaluating fresh products packing operations, but in a deterministic nature which hinders the complexity and dynamics of the business processes. Hence, a hybrid Discrete Event Simulation (DES) and Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) are employed to evaluate a set of seasonal recruiting policies in a large grape packing station. The paper aims to investigate the impact of workers experience on packing operations efficiency. The model outcomes demonstrate the improvement in operations efficiency and total running cost (about 20% savings) that can be achieved when applying optimal recruiting policies that reduce labors variations

Hybrid modeling for vineyard harvesting operations

Hiring workers under seasonal recruiting contracts causes significant variation of workers skills in the vineyards. This leads to inconsistent workers performance, reduction in harvesting efficiency, and increasing in grape losses rates. The objective of this research is to investigate how the variation in workers experience could impact vineyard harvesting productivity and operational cost. The complexity of the problem means that it is difficult to analyze the system parameters and their relationships using individual analytical model. Hence, a hybrid model integrating discrete event simulation (DES) and agent based modeling (ABM) is developed and applied on a vineyard to achieve research objective. DES models harvesting operation and simulates process performance, while ABM addresses the seasonal workers heterogeneous characteristics, particularly experience variations and disparity of working days in the vineyard. The model is used to evaluate two seasonal recruiting policies against vineyard productivity, grape losses quantities, and total operational cost

Optimizing planning decisions in the fruit supply chain

La agro-indústria xilena ha experimentat un augment constant d'exportacions de fruita processada en la darrera dècada, arribant a un augment del 107% en volum total i 185% en valor. Aquest creixement significa que la cadena de subministrament de fruita fresca, ja sigui per a conserva, deshidratats, congelat i fresc de fruites o sucs, requereix suport per fer gestió cada vegada més eficient. Fins ara, alguns problemes relacionades directament amb la necessitat de millorar la competitivitat del sector no han estat encara tractats. En els últims anys els costos de producció han augmentat degut principalment a l'escassetat de mà d'obra i la mala qualitat de la fruita fresca. Això fa que millorar l'eficiència de cadena de subministrament i per tant la competitivitat agroindústria, requereixi de noves eines que serveixin de suport a la presa de decisions a la cadena de subministrament de fruita fresca. En aquest context, l'objectiu general d'aquesta recerca era desenvolupar un conjunt d'eines per donar suport a les decisions tàctiques de la cadena de subministrament de la fruita i millorar la gestió de compres, de les cambres frigorífiques i el transport. Tres importants contribucions es fan en aquest treball de recerca. La primera d'elles té a veure amb l'estat de l'art de les cadenes de subministrament, revisant els models d'optimització aplicats a les cadenes de subministrament de fruita fresca. La segona consisteix a proporcionar quatre eines per recolzar les decisions tàctiques de les cadenes de subministrament de fruita fresca, en concret, tres models matemàtics per a l'optimització de les decisions que donen suport a la selecció de productors i la compra de fruita fresca, el seu posterior emmagatzematge i transport i la proposta d'un model per a la gestió de cambres frigorífiques. Una tercera aportació és la proposta d'un sistema de suport a la presa de decisió (DSS), permeti la transparència del coneixement dels models anteriors al sector per al seu us pràctic. Destacar el valor addicional del treball a l'haver aplicat els models a casos reals. Així, tots el models proposats van ser validats amb l'ajut de l'agroindústria de la regió centre-sud de Xile que tenien problemes amb la seva cadena de subministrament.The Chilean agro-industry has experienced a steady increase of industrialized fruit exports over the last decade, reaching a total volume increase of 107% and 185% in value. This growth means that the fresh fruit supply chain, either for preserved, frozen, dehydrated, fresh fruit or juices, requires support in order to make management increasingly more efficient. So far, some problems directly related to the need to improve the sector´s competitiveness have not yet been addressed. In the last few years production costs have risen mainly due to labor shortage and poor quality of raw material (fresh fruit). That is why, improving the supply chain efficiency and thus the agro-industry competitiveness, particularly in the center-south region of the country, requires new tools that could support decisions making regarding the fresh fruit supply chain. Within this context, the general objective of this research was to develop a set of tools aiming to support tactical decisions that could enhance management of fresh fruit purchasing, cold storage, transport, and opening of cold chambers. Three important contributions are made in this research study. The first one has to do with the state-ofthe- art of supply chains management, by reviewing optimization models applied to fresh fruit supply chains. The second one consists in providing four tools to support tactical decisions regarding fresh fruit supply chains, specifically, three mathematical models for the optimization of decisions that support the selection of growers and the purchasing of fresh fruit, their subsequent storage and transportation, and the proposal of a mathematical model for cold storage management. The third contribution is the proposal of a Decision Support System (DSS), which aids in decisions about growers selection and purchasing of fresh fruit, as well as its subsequent storage and transportation. Finally, there is an important additional contribution that involves the application of the models to real cases. All models proposed were created and validated with the support of agro-industries from the centersouth region of the country having problems with their supply chain, which were addressed in this research study

Hybrid Simulation-based Planning Framework for Agri-Fresh Produce Supply Chain

The ever-increasing demand for fresh and healthy products raises the economic importance of managing Agri-Fresh Produce Supply Chain (AFPSC) effectively. However, the literature review has indicated that many challenges undermine efficient planning for AFPSCs. Stringent regulations on production and logistics activities, production seasonality and high yield variations (quantity and quality), and products vulnerability to multiple natural stresses, alongside with their critical shelf life, impact the planning process. This calls for developing smart planning and decision-support tools which provides higher efficiency for such challenges. Modelling and simulation (M&S) approaches for AFPSC planning problems have a proven record in offering safe and economical solutions. Increase in problem complexity has urged the use of hybrid solutions that integrate different approaches to provide better understanding of the system dynamism in an environment characterised by multi-firm and multi-dimensional relationships. The proposed hybrid simulation-based planning framework for AFPSCs has addressed internal decision-making mechanisms, rules and control procedures to support strategic, tactical and operational planning decisions. An exploratory study has been conducted using semi-structured interviews with twelve managers from different agri-fresh produce organisations. The aim of this study is to understand management practices regarding planning and to gain insights on current challenges. Discussions with managers on planning issues such as resources constraints, outsourcing, capacity, product sensitivity, quality, and lead times have formed the foundation of process mapping. As a result, conceptual modelling process is then used to model supply chain planning activities. These conceptual models are inclusive and reflective to system complexity and decision sensitivity. Verification of logic and accuracy of the conceptual models has been done by few directors in AFPSC before developing a hybrid simulation model. Hybridisation of Discrete Event Simulation (DES), System Dynamics (SD), and Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) has offered flexibility and precision in modelling this complex supply chain. DES provides operational models that include different entities of AFPSC, and SD minds investments decisions according to supply and demand implications, while ABM is concerned with modelling variations of human behaviour and experience. The proposed framework has been validated using Table Grapes Supply Chain (TGSC) case study. Decision makers have appreciated the level of details included in the solution at different planning levels (i.e., operational, tactical and strategic). Results show that around 58% of wasted products can be saved if correct hiring policy is adopted in the management of seasonal labourer recruitment. This would also factor in more than 25% improved profits at packing house entity. Moreover, an anticipation of different supply and demand scenarios demonstrated that inefficiency of internal business processes might undermine the whole business from gaining benefits of market growth opportunities

Gestão da água e das águas residuais para uma viticultura e enologia sustentáveis no sul de Portugal - Revisão

Assessing sustainability of the wine industry requires improved characterization of its environmental impacts, namely in terms of water use. Therefore, quantification of water inputs and wastewater (WW) outputs is needed to highlight inefficiencies in wine production and related consequences for the environment. Water use and WW generation in irrigated viticulture and oenology remains insufficiently quantified for dry Mediterranean regions (e.g. South Portugal). This paper is focused on wine production under warm and dry climate conditions in the winegrowing region of Alentejo (South Portugal). This region experiences increasingly dry conditions, while the irrigated area keeps expanding, which puts exacerbates the pressure on existing local and regional water resources. Additionally, more erratic variation in climate conditions and the tendency for increasingly extreme climate events (e.g. heat waves) pose more challenges to Alentejo’s wine sector. We conclude that quantitative information on water use and management is not always easy to obtain or access, which hinders improved strategies and/or policies for water use at farm, winery and region-level. Up-to-date statistics and robust metrics can help to better characterize water use and WW flows for Alentejo’s wine region, while optimizing management in vineyards and wineries, in companies and region-wide. The paper is focused on a “Farm-Winery" scenario, which is the most common in South Portugal's wine sectorA avaliação da sustentabilidade da indústria vitivinícola requer uma caracterização detalhada do seu impacto ambiental, nomeadamente ao nível do factor água. A quantificação detalhada dos consumos de água e das águas residuais produzidas (WW) é crucial para identificação de ineficiências na indústria da vinha e do vinho. A utilização da água e a gestão dos efluentes em viticultura regada e na adega permanecem pouco quantificados nas regiões mediterrânicas. O presente trabalho centra-se na produção de vinho em condições de clima quente e seco, tomando como exemplo a região vitivinícola do Alentejo (Sul de Portugal). A região está sujeita a situações de seca mais frequentes e severas, enquanto a área regada continua em expansão, o que pressiona os recursos hídricos locais e regionais. Além disso, as condições climáticas altamente variáveis e a maior tendência para eventos climáticos extremos (e.g. ondas de calor) colocam desafios ao setor vitivinícola no Sul de Portugal. Concluímos que a informação quantitativa relativa ao uso e gestão de água não está sempre facilmente disponível, limitando a otimização de estratégias e/ou políticas para o uso da água ao nível da vinha, da adega e da região. Dados atualizados e indicadores robustos podem ajudar a caracterizar melhor o uso de água e a geração de água residual na região vitivinícola do Alentejo, otimizando a gestão na vinha e na adega, ao nível da empresa e da região. O artigo centra-se num cenário de produtor-engarrafador (“Farm-Winery”), que é o mais comum no setor vitivinícola no Sul de Portugalinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio