Coupling facility location models in the supply chain of perishable fruits

The problem of locating facilities in perishable agricultural food supply chains has not been widely addressed, especially not in urban areas. However, the subject has gotten more attention in recent years due to consumer concerns about food being fresh and healthy. Having reviewed the literature, the authors identified a lack of location models for mountainous urban areas in developing countries. This research proposes a mixed linear programming model for the localization of collection centers and companies processing perishable foods in mountainous regions, based on a multi-product and multi-echelon transport system. The model was evaluated through a case study of fresh fruits being delivered to Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, a developing country with a topography of mountain ranges. As transport and packaging allows the product to be influenced by the variations in altitude, the fruit is exposed to changes in temperature and relative humidity. This is linked to the perishability of the food and its quality at the moment of reaching the final consumer.