Optimization of Storage Centers of Jatropha Curcas in Manabí Ecuador

Abstract

The present work aims to provide an optimization model as a selection criterion for the approval of future storage centers of Jatropha Curcas in rural areas of Manabí. Fieldwork was carried out to establish and characterize the local supply chain. The data was complemented with a Geographic Information System (GIS) to define the objective function that determines the benefit associated with the production of Jatropha oil. The supply chain was optimized maximizing the benefits; a sensitivity analysis was added to find a decision criterion that determines the acceptance of future storage centers. Empirically implemented storage centers in existence cannot be eliminated or displaced due to social and economic implications, for this reason this centers were established as a baseline for the mathematical modeling. The location of the storage centers and the amount of Jatropha collected are strategic variables that determine the decision criteria of each zone. The results show that when the collection values were more dispersed, the acceptance criteria to evaluate the future centers of storage were stricter. Additionally, it was identified that transportation cost of the Jatropha seed is linked to the main productive activity of the farmers, which is corn production.