The impact of dual sourcing on food supply chain networks: the case of Egyptian strawberries

Supply chain management for fresh produce differs significantly from that of other products. Similarly to other products, fresh produce quality plays a key role in consumer selection behavior. The key difference consists in the fact that, for fresh produce, quality varies over time and it is dramatically affected by storage conditions. Maintaining product quality along the distribution chain is therefore of utmost importance in these chains. Dual sourcing is a common practice adopted in supply chain management for enhancing sourcing flexibility and reducing transportation costs. This work investigates the impact of dual sourcing strategies on quality of fresh fruit traded in international food supply chains. By means of a discrete-event simulation model we investigate dual sourcing in the context of a prototype supply chain that mimics the structure and the operating conditions of a real supply chain.