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Chinese Journal of Management Science ›› 2023, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (9): 52-61.doi: 10.16381/j.cnki.issn1003-207x.2021.0364

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Optimal Strategies and Coordination of Three-echelon Cold Chain of Fresh Products Considering Freshness-keeping and Carbon Abatement

Xue-li MA1(),Ying ZHAO1,Qing-guo BAI2,Hong-guang BO3   

  1. 1.School of Economics and Management, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
    2.School of Management, Qufu Normal University, Rizhao 276826, China
    3.School of Economics and Management, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
  • Received:2021-02-24 Revised:2021-06-28 Online:2023-09-20 Published:2023-09-19

Abstract:

Driven by both carbon policy and consumer environmental awareness, the large amount of carbon emissions generated while keeping deteriorating products fresh has attracted attention. Especially when competing internationally, both freshness and environmental friendliness have significant effects on the market demand of fresh products. The third-part logistics service provider (TPLSP) has been playing an increasingly important role in freshness-keeping and carbon abatement in fresh products’ cold chain. Then, when the TPLSP’s freshness-keeping effort and carbon abatement level jointly affect the freshness and environmental friendliness of fresh products, how should TPLSP make reasonable decisions to improve the economic and environmental benefits of the cold chain? To solve this problem, the optimal strategies and coordination of a three-echelon cold chain for fresh products with non-fixed shelf life composed of supplier, TPLSP and retailer are studied.First, two game models are established to analyze the impact of the introduction of carbon abatement technologies in TPLSP on cold chain decision-making and performance. Second, the system’s decision-making and performance are compared under the decentralized and decision-making models are centralized when TPLSP introduced carbon abatement technology, and the impact of some key factors is analyzed, such as carbon trading price, freshness preference and consumer environmental awareness on system decisions and performance. Finally, based on field research, some numerical experiments are designed and implemented to verify the correctness and practicability of the proposed theoretical model.Some key findings are proposed. First, TPLSP’s adoption of carbon abatement technology can increase the environmental friendliness of fresh products, increase sales and economic benefits of the cold chain. Second, the government should guide consumers to increase their environmental awareness, especially for fresh products with a higher preference for freshness, which will help improve both the environmental and economic benefits of the cold chain. Third, although the increase in carbon trading prices will help improve the environmental friendliness of fresh products, it will also reduce the sales of fresh products. Fourth, fresh product’s freshness and environmental friendliness will remain unchanged under centralized and decentralized decision-making, but decentralized decision-making will cause distortion of product sales, which will damage the economic benefits of the supply chain. Finally, the wholesale price and two-part tariff contracts can realize the Pareto improvement of each member's expected profit.From the practical perspective, this study can not only provide theoretical basis and decision-making reference for TPLSP, but also provide guidance for the government to reasonably formulate carbon subsidy policies and guiding measures, to improve both fresh products’ environmental friendliness and cold chain member’s economic benefits.

Key words: freshness-keeping effort, carbon abatement, fresh product, supply chain coordination

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