# A Biobjective Stochastic Model for Intermodal Supply Chains: Application to the Corn and Soybean Flows

## TL;DR

This paper proposes a biobjective stochastic model to optimize the intermodal supply chains for corn and soybean distribution in Europe and North Africa, considering uncertainties in demand and costs.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is a biobjective stochastic model integrating expected cost and CVAR constraints for intermodal supply chain optimization.

## Key findings

- The port of Itaqui is strategically important for supply-side operations.
- The port of Sines is identified as a key distribution hub for efficient intermodal networks.
- Stochastic modeling helps manage uncertainties in demand and transportation costs.

## Abstract

Recently, several unexpected events of various types
(geopolitical,
economic, health-related, and weather-related) have had a significant
global impact, affecting the lives of millions of people and businesses.
Disruptions in supply chains highlight the importance of planning
and managing them at various hierarchical levels of decision-making.
This paper presents and analyzes supply chain networks (SCNs) for
the distribution of soybean and corn in Europe and North Africa, considering
the uncertainty of demand and costs along intermodal routes. Transportation
and distribution costs for these commodities are minimized by considering
the uncertainty of demand and transportation costs. Starting from
a deterministic model to establish the SCN, uncertainty is then introduced
through stochastic modeling, with the optimization goals redefined
accordingly, more specifically in terms of expected cost (EC) and
conditional value at risk (CVAR) constraints. The solutions of the
bi-objective model, including equivalent average emissions CO2, highlight the strategic positions of the port of Itaqui
on the supply side and of the port of Sines as distribution hubs (transshipment)
in the design of the networks according to the different objectives.
The advantageous position of the port of Sines is analyzed in detail,
according to the strategic objective of designing a more efficient
intermodal SCN for the distribution of soybean and corn.