CHANS-Net: The International Network of Research on Coupled Human and Natural Systems

Journal or Book Title: NATURE FOOD

Volume/Issue: 3

Year Published: 2022

To effectively address food security, we need tools that assess governance measures (for example, strategic storage reserves, cash transfers or trade regulations) ex ante. Simulation models can estimate the impact of such measures via scenarios with differently governed food systems. On the basis of a systematic review of 110 simulation studies published over 2000-2021, we examined how food security governance has been represented, and identified needs for future simulation model development. We found that studies commonly used agent-based, system dynamics, and computable general equilibrium models; tended to be production, trade or consumption centric; assessed the impact of a wide variety of mostly treasure- or authority-based measures; and applied diverse food security indicators, mostly of access or availability. We also identified blind spots (for example, simulation of nodal measures) and proposed how to address these blind spots (for example, telecoupling) and to make food security governance simulation studies fit for meta-analyses (for example, harmonizing food security indicators for comparison).Ex-ante assessments of the impacts of governance measures are key to achieving food security. A systematic review of 110 peer-reviewed studies based on simulation models and scenario analysis reveals how food security governance has been represented in this type of research and what measures hold the greatest promise for a food-secure future.

DOI: 10.1038/s43016-022-00571-2

Type of Publication: Review