Review of food security simulation models in Nature Food | Asian Social Simulation Association

Review of food security simulation models in Nature Food

PhD candidate Aleid Teeuwen, Assistant Professor Dr. Yue Dou, and colleagues at NRS department, faculty ITC, University of Twente in the Netherlands has a review paper “A systematic review of the impact of food security governance measures as simulated in modelling studies” in Nature Food.

In this review, she compared 110 different simulation studies, only 24 looked at policy in the form of campaigns, education, and training. “It appears to be a blind spot for many policy researchers in the field of food security,” says Teeuwen, “And that’s a shame since more research into these forms of policy will allow us to better predict their impact.”

The review also found that models often focus on producers only, where the majority of the other stakeholders in food systems (e.g., consumers, value-chains) are overlooked. Furthermore, simulation models fail to investigate spatial and social targeted policies. These gaps form blind spots of ex ante policy assessment to formulating strategies that efficiently reach and support vulnerable populations. By highlighting these insights, Teeuwen, Dr. Dou, and their collaborators have ignited a vital discourse that holds the potential to reshape how we approach food security governance measures in simulation studies.