American consumers’ growing taste for locally produced food has resulted in the proliferation of farmers’ markets in the U.S. While benefits abound, the very success of these markets has created an inefficient network; farmers drive long distances with small cargos multiple times each week....

In response to consumers’ increasing concerns about food safety, both supply chain operators and public authorities have developed, in the last decade, labelling schemes to provide markets with more information. Although some level of traceability is necessary to provide consumers with...