Mathematical modeling of food and agriculture distribution

The food industry has grown from a local industry into a global industry with the birth of technology. Products are delivered via trucking, water, rail, air, or some combination. The distribution of products in a supply chain is a difficult problem to solve, and perishable products bring additional complexity. While technology exists to slow down the deterioration rate of foods, products need to be delivered urgently to fulfill customer demands satisfactorily, with the expected quality. Most of the literature focuses on minimizing the time these products spend in the supply chain, as well as considering the measurement of perishability in various ways. This chapter covers the mathematical models that have been developed in the areas of routing, network design, and distribution with respect to the food distribution network.