OTREC-RR-10-06

Bringing food products to the majority of US consumers generally involves frequent and lengthy trips from the food growers and producers through a distribution network to the institutional, grocery, and restaurant businesses. This research examines the environmental implications of the purchasing decisions made by intermediary food businesses. The project has two parts: 1) conducting an assessment of the current “food miles” of business supply chains including modes of transport and distance traveled; and 2) assessing the waste associated with the supply chains from a life cycle perspective, with a specific focus on the relationship between transportation mode and packaging. The research results can be used to develop purchasing and logistics strategies and models for supplier collaboration to reduce carbon foot print as well as overall transportation and waste costs.