Supply chain modeling of perishable agricultural products

In the supply chain of agricultural products, due to their high perishability and significant waste, achieving profitability, maintaining product freshness, and reducing waste are among the main challenges. Aiming to improve the sustainability of such a chain, this research presents a multi-objective optimization model that simultaneously pursues three goals, maximizing profit, reducing waste, and increasing product freshness. To solve this model, the lexicographic goal programming approach and the ɛ constraint method have been used to enable prioritization of objectives and comprehensive analysis of multi-objective efficiency fronts. The proposed model was selected using field data from a farm in Khorasan Razavi Province as a representative of producers of perishable products, including tomato, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, and cauliflower, and analyzes different financing scenarios, economic, environmental and quality dimensions of the supply chain in an integrated manner. The results show that designing and implementing targeted financing programs can be effective in improving these goals and reducing environmental consequences caused by waste and chain inefficiency. Sensitivity analysis was also conducted for the selling price of tomatoes, and the impact of price changes on profitability, waste and product freshness was examined, showing that the selling price of tomatoes has a significant impact on supply chain profits, and price improvements can help increase profits, but at the same time may also lead to increased waste. Therefore, supply chain managers are advised to implement balanced strategies to manage waste and maintain product freshness to optimize this chain, especially in conditions of price fluctuations.