Sustainable Freight Village Concepts for Agricultural Products Logistics - A Knowledge Management-oriented Study

Abstract

Freight villages (FVs) are logistics phenomenon with broad economic, environmental, and social consequences. This research extends sustainability in the context of FVs to twofold meanings. This includes the sustainable development of FVs, and the sustainability contributions they created. China has showed a more recent but quicker story in developing FVs. Nevertheless, a number of problems and limits exist. Taking China as research background, this research consists of theoretical explorations, status quo analysis, and practical applications in agricultural products logistics (APL). This research proposes that knowledge management (KM) is the most desirable option to reach sustainable values of FVs. The status quo analysis examines the adaption of FVs to China s current logistics situation. It identifies several orientations for the next development step of FVs. To cope with the pervasive problems during FV planning stage, this research adopts sense-making KM approach to guide a systematic planning process including sense making, knowledge creation, and decision making. In order to achieve a high sustainability rating, this research uses KM cycle model to generate synergies among major stakeholders of FVs. Moreover, it proposes a roadmap for organizing KM process so as to build sustainability capability. Three key elements for the roadmap are identified: human ability, stakeholder engagement, and information system. This research focuses on the application of sustainable FV concepts for agricultural products logistics (APL). It deals with issues affecting city logistics and agricultural products (agri-products) supply in China. This can make best use of FV functions from a sustainability perspective. Agri-FV is proposed to bring professional logistics facilities and services, efficient distribution of agri-products, and information-based operations. An integrated APL system is structured consisting of farmers cooperatives, chain stores, and agri-FVs. In this system, agri-FV plays an important role in levering sustainability outcomes. Furthermore, KM approaches are applied to agri-FV project planning and operations, meanwhile considering the characteristics of agri-products and APL.