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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Arijit DeORCiD, Dr Barbara ToccoORCiD, Professor Matthew GortonORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Food hubs serve as platforms that aggregate products from small-scale food producers and facilitate their delivery to final consumers, which can enhance their profit margins and foster local economic development. However, the logistics involved in operating food hubs can be particularly costly. The research aims to show the possibilities of improving the environmental and operational efficiency of food hubs by developing a new mathematical model. A Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model addresses the ‘producer-to-hub-to-customer’ transport problem, drawing on comprehensive real-world data. Computational experiments demonstrate that enhancing cooperation among producers when delivering goods to the hub can lead to a reduction in logistics costs and carbon emissions. To bolster environmental outcomes, the study presents empirical evidence indicating that transitioning from conventional to electric vehicles can reduce transport costs by nearly one-third and diminish carbon emissions by as much as 70%.
Author(s): De A, Tocco B, Gorton M
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
Year: 2025
Volume: 146
Print publication date: 01/09/2025
Online publication date: 09/06/2025
Acceptance date: 02/06/2025
Date deposited: 16/06/2025
ISSN (print): 1361-9209
ISSN (electronic): 1879-2340
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2025.104855
DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2025.104855
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