Design of an empirical agent-based model to explore rural household food security within a developing country context

Samantha Dobbie; Stefano Balbi

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-47253-9_7

Design of an empirical agent-based model to explore rural household food security within a developing country context

Samantha Dobbie^*
, Stefano Balbi

^*Corresponding author for this work

Life and Environmental Sciences

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

Food security is an unresolved issue, especially so among developing countries. Models of food security usually focus on the farming components (availability) and neglect to fully incorporate its multi-dimensional nature: including access, utilization and stability (of food). This article proposes the design of an empirical agent-based model representing Malawian smallholders, which operationalizes the FAO framework on food security at the household level. While the general structure can be customized and replicated for other contexts, the agents’ characterization is based on national survey data. Preliminary results suggest that non-agricultural workers are more food secure. However important feedbacks with the natural (ecosystem services) and the economic system (local/international market) are foreseen but not fully implemented.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Advances in Social Simulation 2015
Editors	Gert de Roo, Lex Hoogduin, Charlotte Hemelrijk, Andreas Flache, Rineke Verbrugge, Wander Jager
Publisher	Springer Verlag
Pages	81-94
Number of pages	14
ISBN (Print)	9783319472522
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47253-9_7
Publication status	Published - 2017
Event	11th Conference of the European Social Simulation Association, ESSA 2015 - Groningen, Netherlands Duration: 14 Sept 2015 → 18 Sept 2015

Publication series

Name	Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing
Volume	528
ISSN (Print)	2194-5357

Conference

Conference	11th Conference of the European Social Simulation Association, ESSA 2015
Country/Territory	Netherlands
City	Groningen
Period	14/09/15 → 18/09/15

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Springer International Publishing AG 2017.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 2 Zero Hunger

Keywords

Agent based
Farming households
Food security
Social-ecological systems

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Control and Systems Engineering
General Computer Science

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-319-47253-9_7

Cite this

Dobbie, S., & Balbi, S. (2017). Design of an empirical agent-based model to explore rural household food security within a developing country context. In G. de Roo, L. Hoogduin, C. Hemelrijk, A. Flache, R. Verbrugge, & W. Jager (Eds.), Advances in Social Simulation 2015 (pp. 81-94). (Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing; Vol. 528). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47253-9_7

Dobbie, Samantha ; Balbi, Stefano. / Design of an empirical agent-based model to explore rural household food security within a developing country context. Advances in Social Simulation 2015. editor / Gert de Roo ; Lex Hoogduin ; Charlotte Hemelrijk ; Andreas Flache ; Rineke Verbrugge ; Wander Jager. Springer Verlag, 2017. pp. 81-94 (Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing).

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title = "Design of an empirical agent-based model to explore rural household food security within a developing country context",

abstract = "Food security is an unresolved issue, especially so among developing countries. Models of food security usually focus on the farming components (availability) and neglect to fully incorporate its multi-dimensional nature: including access, utilization and stability (of food). This article proposes the design of an empirical agent-based model representing Malawian smallholders, which operationalizes the FAO framework on food security at the household level. While the general structure can be customized and replicated for other contexts, the agents{\textquoteright} characterization is based on national survey data. Preliminary results suggest that non-agricultural workers are more food secure. However important feedbacks with the natural (ecosystem services) and the economic system (local/international market) are foreseen but not fully implemented.",

keywords = "Agent based, Farming households, Food security, Social-ecological systems",

author = "Samantha Dobbie and Stefano Balbi",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Springer International Publishing AG 2017.; 11th Conference of the European Social Simulation Association, ESSA 2015 ; Conference date: 14-09-2015 Through 18-09-2015",

year = "2017",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-319-47253-9\_7",

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series = "Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing",

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Dobbie, S & Balbi, S 2017, Design of an empirical agent-based model to explore rural household food security within a developing country context. in G de Roo, L Hoogduin, C Hemelrijk, A Flache, R Verbrugge & W Jager (eds), Advances in Social Simulation 2015. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol. 528, Springer Verlag, pp. 81-94, 11th Conference of the European Social Simulation Association, ESSA 2015, Groningen, Netherlands, 14/09/15. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47253-9_7

Design of an empirical agent-based model to explore rural household food security within a developing country context. / Dobbie, Samantha; Balbi, Stefano.
Advances in Social Simulation 2015. ed. / Gert de Roo; Lex Hoogduin; Charlotte Hemelrijk; Andreas Flache; Rineke Verbrugge; Wander Jager. Springer Verlag, 2017. p. 81-94 (Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing; Vol. 528).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

TY - GEN

T1 - Design of an empirical agent-based model to explore rural household food security within a developing country context

AU - Dobbie, Samantha

AU - Balbi, Stefano

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Springer International Publishing AG 2017.

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Food security is an unresolved issue, especially so among developing countries. Models of food security usually focus on the farming components (availability) and neglect to fully incorporate its multi-dimensional nature: including access, utilization and stability (of food). This article proposes the design of an empirical agent-based model representing Malawian smallholders, which operationalizes the FAO framework on food security at the household level. While the general structure can be customized and replicated for other contexts, the agents’ characterization is based on national survey data. Preliminary results suggest that non-agricultural workers are more food secure. However important feedbacks with the natural (ecosystem services) and the economic system (local/international market) are foreseen but not fully implemented.

AB - Food security is an unresolved issue, especially so among developing countries. Models of food security usually focus on the farming components (availability) and neglect to fully incorporate its multi-dimensional nature: including access, utilization and stability (of food). This article proposes the design of an empirical agent-based model representing Malawian smallholders, which operationalizes the FAO framework on food security at the household level. While the general structure can be customized and replicated for other contexts, the agents’ characterization is based on national survey data. Preliminary results suggest that non-agricultural workers are more food secure. However important feedbacks with the natural (ecosystem services) and the economic system (local/international market) are foreseen but not fully implemented.

KW - Agent based

KW - Farming households

KW - Food security

KW - Social-ecological systems

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85016131853

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DO - 10.1007/978-3-319-47253-9_7

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AN - SCOPUS:85016131853

SN - 9783319472522

T3 - Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing

SP - 81

EP - 94

BT - Advances in Social Simulation 2015

A2 - de Roo, Gert

A2 - Hoogduin, Lex

A2 - Hemelrijk, Charlotte

A2 - Flache, Andreas

A2 - Verbrugge, Rineke

A2 - Jager, Wander

PB - Springer Verlag

T2 - 11th Conference of the European Social Simulation Association, ESSA 2015

Y2 - 14 September 2015 through 18 September 2015

ER -

Design of an empirical agent-based model to explore rural household food security within a developing country context

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this