Conceptual System Dynamics and Agent-Based Modelling Simulation of Interorganisational Fairness in Food Value Chains: Research Agenda and Case Studies

Seán McGarraghy, Gudrun Olafsdottir, Rossen Kazakov, Élise Huber, William Loveluck, Ingunn Y. Gudbrandsdottir, Lukáš Čechura, Gianandrea Esposito, Antonella Samoggia, Pierre-Marie Aubert, David Barling, Ivan Đurić, Tinoush J. Jaghdani, Maitri Thakur, Nína M. Saviolidis and Sigurdur G. Bogason
Additional contact information
Seán McGarraghy: School of Business, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
Gudrun Olafsdottir: Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 5, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland
Rossen Kazakov: Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 5, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland
Élise Huber: Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), 41 Rue Du Four, 75007 Paris, France
William Loveluck: Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), 41 Rue Du Four, 75007 Paris, France
Ingunn Y. Gudbrandsdottir: Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 5, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland
Lukáš Čechura: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic
Gianandrea Esposito: ART:ER—Attractiveness Research Territory, Via P. Gobetti, 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
Antonella Samoggia: Department of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 50, 40125 Bologna, Italy
Pierre-Marie Aubert: Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), 41 Rue Du Four, 75007 Paris, France
David Barling: Centre for Agriculture, Food and Environmental Management Research, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts AL10 9AB, UK
Ivan Đurić: Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), 06120 Halle, Germany
Tinoush J. Jaghdani: Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), 06120 Halle, Germany
Maitri Thakur: SINTEF Ocean, Postboks 4762, Torgard, N-7465 Trondheim, Norway
Nína M. Saviolidis: Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 5, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland
Sigurdur G. Bogason: Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 5, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-30

Abstract: System dynamics and agent-based simulation modelling approaches have a potential as tools to evaluate the impact of policy related decision making in food value chains. The context is that a food value chain involves flows of multiple products, financial flows and decision making among the food value chain players. Each decision may be viewed from the level of independent actors, each with their own motivations and agenda, but responding to externalities and to the behaviours of other actors. The focus is to show how simulation modelling can be applied to problems such as fairness and power asymmetries in European food value chains by evaluating the outcome of interventions in terms of relevant operational indicators of interorganisational fairness (e.g., profit distribution, market power, bargaining power). The main concepts of system dynamics and agent-based modelling are introduced and the applicability of a hybrid of these methods to food value chains is justified. This approach is outlined as a research agenda, and it is demonstrated how cognitive maps can help in the initial conceptual model building when implemented for specific food value chains studied in the EU Horizon 2020 VALUMICS project. The French wheat to bread chain has many characteristics of food value chains in general and is applied as an example to formulate a model that can be extended to capture the functioning of European FVCs. This work is to be further progressed in a subsequent stream of research for the other food value chain case studies with different governance modes and market organisation, in particular, farmed salmon to fillet, dairy cows to milk and raw tomato to processed tomato.

Keywords: food value chain; system dynamics; agent-based modelling; hybrid method; governance; interorganisational fairness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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