Reefer logistics and cool chain transport

Reefer logistics is an important part of the cool chain in which reefer containers are involved as the packaging for transporting perishable goods. Reefer logistics is challenging, as it deals with cost and time constraints as well as the product quality and sustainability requirements. In many situations, there is a trade-off between these factors (e.g., between transportation time and the quality of fresh products). Furthermore, considering the high value of reefers, the efficient logistics of is as important as the efficient cargo flows. This causes technical complications and the conflict of interests between actors, especially, between cargo owners (or shippers) and the asset owners (or transport/terminal operators). Improving the efficiency of reefer logistics calls for a thorough understanding of the trade-offs and complexities. This paper aims to help develop such an understanding using a systematic literature review and a socio-technical system analysis. The results can be used to provide managerial insights for actors involved in a cool chain to design tailored solutions for reefer

Quantitative models for reverse logistics

This article surveys the recently emerged field of reverse logistics. The management of return flows induced by the various forms of reuse of products and materials in industrial production processes has received growing attentio

Proactive environmental strategy in a supply chain context: The mediating role of investments

Abstract: There is a growing body of knowledge on the link between environmental management and supply chain management, but there is contradicting evidence on the impact of a proactive environmental strategy on environmental performance. Therefore, this paper investigates the impact of proactive environmental strategy on environmental performance as mediated by environmental investments. We also consider the antecedents of the adoption of proactive environmental strategy. We develop and test hypotheses, using data collected from 96 Turkish manufacturers through an online questionnaire. The model was tested using Partial Least Squares (PLS), a structural equation modelling method. The results show that a proactive environmental strategy leads to higher environmental investments; both internally and externally in collaboration with suppliers. Our findings support our hypothesis that environmental investments acts as a mediating variable between proactive environmental strategy and environmental performance. The results also show that customer pressure and, particularly, organizational commitment positively impact the extent to which firms adopt a proactive environmental strategy

Toward sustainable logistics

The fast evolution of sustainability leads to the development of a new fast-growing concept called sustainable logistics management. This research addresses recent business trends and challenges in logistics and their implications for sustainable logistics management. Additionally, we discuss policy and research developments in resource-efficient logistics and present several practice examples in sustainable logistics management from transportation business companies. The conducted research on relevant literature and sustainability reports of several leading logistics companies shows that the logistics sector is committed to sustainable development and continually looks for ways to be environmentally and socially responsible and more efficient right across the organizations

Secure borders and safe haven: the gendered politics of belonging beyond social cohesion.

This article focuses on contemporary gendered politics of migration and belonging in Britain. The article starts with an examination of migration and the construction of boundaries in Europe and, more specifically, the gendered implications of recent immigration policies (labour, family, asylum) and the gendered nature of the notion of ‘‘secure borders’’ as well as that of ‘‘safe haven’’ in the UK White Paper. In particular, we address and problematize notions of belonging and ‘‘social cohesion’’ which occupy a central conceptual plank in this construction and consider how this relates to wider debates in contemporary Britain. Our concluding remarks raise central issues of debate with which the struggles against racism and feminism should engage. We stress the importance of intersectionality to such an analysis

Accounting for uncertainty in eco-efficient agri-food supply chains: A case study for mushroom production planning

Due to the increasing awareness of climate change, depletion of natural resources, and increasing world population, companies in the agri-food sector need to redesign their existing supply chains and take into account both the economic and environmental impact of their operations. In practice not all the required information is available in advance due to various sources of uncertainty in agri-food supply chains. In this research a multi-objective two-stage stochastic programming model is proposed to analyse and evaluate the economic and environmental impacts to account for uncertainty in agri-food supply chains. A mushroom supply chain in the Netherlands is presented as an illustrative case study. Optimal production planning decisions calculated with a two-stage stochastic programming model are compared with the results of an equivalent deterministic model. The results of the optimizations show that accounting for stochasticity in important model parameters can reduce the difference between expected and realized economic performance by approximately 4% on average. Moreover, this paper demonstrates that including stochastic model parameters can reduce the environmental impact without compromising the current economic performance. Given the assumptions in the setup of the case study and the available information, it is concluded that applying a 2-stage stochastic programming approach for production planning decisions can lead to improved economic and environmental performance in an agri-food supply chain. New findings in real-life case studies are needed to get profound insights and understanding on the impact of uncertainty on production planning decisions in sustainable agri-food supply chains