Towards a sustainable agro-logistics in developing countries

Integrating various aspects of sustainability

The development of an efficient logistics supply chain can only be achieved by integrating various aspects of sustainability, such as the reduction of waste and (greenhouse) emissions and increasing the effectivity of the supply chain in terms of cost-efficiency, transparency, speed and reliability.

Increasing the efficiency of the cocoa supply chain

The overall objective is to increase the efficiency of the cocoa supply chain in the San Pedro region by assessing its performance and identifying key challenges and bottlenecks at each segment of the cocoa supply chain, i.e. from the farmers to the port. The main research question is: To what extent can the logistics of cocoa supply chain and network in Côte d’Ivoire/San Pedro region be improved and optimized to become more sustainable and resilient in the future?

Proposing practical solutions

To answer this question, we first investigate the structure, configuration and functioning of the existing logistics supply chain and network. Second, the analysis will be oriented toward identifying the major’s bottlenecks and constraints and their main causes at different legs of the supply chain. Third, based on scenario analysis from the simulation model and the results obtained from in-depth empirical analysis, we propose practical solutions for improving the effectiveness and efficacity of the logistics of cocoa supply chain in Côte d’Ivoire that balances financial profitability and societal and environmental sustainability.

Authors

• Abdel el Makhloufi
• Miguel Mujica Mota
• Dick van Damme
• Victor Langenberg