What is Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm (MOEA)

The low price of coffee in the international markets has forced the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNCC) to look for cost-cutting opportunities. An alternative that has been considered is the reduction of the operating infrastructure by closing some of the FNCC-owned depots. This new proposal of the coffee supplier network is supported by (uncapacitated and capacitated) facility location models that minimize operating costs while maximizing service level (coverage). These bi-objective optimization models are solved by means of NSGA II, a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA). From a computational perspective, this chapter presents the multi-objective Java Genetic Algorithm (MO-JGA) framework, a new tool for the rapid development of MOEAs built on top of the Java Genetic Algorithm (JGA). We illustrate MO-JGA by implementing NSGA II-based solutions for the bi-objective location models.