Perishable food distribution in the last mile: a multi-objective VRP model

The delivery of perishable food in mega cities is negatively affected by traffic congestion and long routes resulting into economic losses due to the perishability of fruit, high costs and tardy deliveries to business establishments located in districts. The perishable foods supply chains acting parties are compelled into making decisions on whether they must better their response time, maintain the quality or reduce their costs, in this sense, the necessity to establish models that contemplate various objectives arises. This article proposes a multi-objective model for the delivery within the last mile of a mega city exemplified in perishable fruits. Our proposal to manage perishability is that of continuous loss, to the extent that the amount of food that deteriorates it is proportional to the amount transported and to the time in which it is transported, which is also affected by the distance travelled, the average speed of travel, and the time spent at each stop, an approach not found in the literature review.