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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Ajinkya TanksaleORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
To address the UN’s zero hunger goal (SDG 2), scattered and isolated initiatives by nonprofit organizations towards operating foodbanks are generally ineffective in developing countries where the foodbank ecosystem is at a preliminary stage. Establishing an integrated system comprising entities such as donors, foodbanks, food recovery and redistribution agencies (FRRA), and beneficiaries can be quite complex due to an underlying hierarchy, scale of operation, types of donors, and the severity of food insecurity of the beneficiaries. In this work, we present a strategic mixed-integer programming model to design an integrated foodbank network towards achieving an efficient, effective, and equitable food distribution mechanism for food-insecure beneficiaries while accounting for their age profile and nutritional requirements. We ensure cost-efficiency by minimizing the total system cost, effectiveness by discouraging food waste and unmet demand via charging penalties, and equity by adopting five variants of an egalitarian approach. We conduct a case study with a mix of real and realistically estimated data to design a foodbank network in Delhi (India) and present detailed analyses with insights for the practitioners. Specifically, the effects of foodbanks’ initial capacities, budget and strategic-to-operational cost constraints on the solution are identified. Among important observations, our analyses highlight when initiatives for collecting more ready-to-eat foods might be taken to relieve the pressure on the integrated system, and also help in identifying the conditions when investment in capacity building serves the beneficiaries’ interests better than direct spending.
Author(s): Tanksale A, Dalal J, Dubey N
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: International Journal of Production Economics
Year: 2024
Volume: 277
Print publication date: 01/11/2024
Online publication date: 31/08/2024
Acceptance date: 26/08/2024
Date deposited: 02/09/2024
ISSN (print): 0925-5273
Publisher: Elsevier BV
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2024.109385
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpe.2024.109385
Data Access Statement: Data will be made available on request.
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