Food security outcomes in agricultural systems models: Current status and recommended improvements

Improvement of food security is a common objective for many agricultural systems analyses, but how food security has been conceptualized and evaluated within agricultural systems has not been systematically evaluated. We reviewed the literature on agricultural systems analyses of food security at th...

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Autores principales: Nicholson, Charles F., Stephens Emma C., Kopainsky, Birgit, Jones, Andrew D., Parsons, David, Garrett, James
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/114339
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author Nicholson, Charles F.
Stephens Emma C.
Kopainsky, Birgit
Jones, Andrew D.
Parsons, David
Garrett, James
author_browse Garrett, James
Jones, Andrew D.
Kopainsky, Birgit
Nicholson, Charles F.
Parsons, David
Stephens Emma C.
author_facet Nicholson, Charles F.
Stephens Emma C.
Kopainsky, Birgit
Jones, Andrew D.
Parsons, David
Garrett, James
author_sort Nicholson, Charles F.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Improvement of food security is a common objective for many agricultural systems analyses, but how food security has been conceptualized and evaluated within agricultural systems has not been systematically evaluated. We reviewed the literature on agricultural systems analyses of food security at the household- and regional-levels, finding that the primary focus is on only one dimension of food security—agricultural output as a proxy for food availability. Given that food security comprises availability, access, utilization and stability dimensions, improved practice would involve more effort to incorporate food access and stability indicators into agricultural systems models. The empirical evidence base for including food access indicators and their determinants within agricultural systems models requires further development through appropriate short and long-term investments in data collection and analysis. Assessment of the stability dimension of food security (through time) is also particularly under-represented in previous work and requires the development and application of appropriate dynamic models of agricultural systems that include food security indicators, coupled with more formalized treatment of robustness and adaptability at both the regional and household levels. We find that agricultural systems models often conflate analysis of food security covariates that have the potential to improve food security (like agricultural yields) with an assessment of food security itself. Agricultural systems modelers should exercise greater caution in referring to analyses of agricultural output and food availability as representing food security more generally.
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spelling CGSpace1143392025-11-11T19:01:25Z Food security outcomes in agricultural systems models: Current status and recommended improvements Nicholson, Charles F. Stephens Emma C. Kopainsky, Birgit Jones, Andrew D. Parsons, David Garrett, James food security farming systems food access stability seguridad alimentaria sistemas de explotación acceso a los alimentos Improvement of food security is a common objective for many agricultural systems analyses, but how food security has been conceptualized and evaluated within agricultural systems has not been systematically evaluated. We reviewed the literature on agricultural systems analyses of food security at the household- and regional-levels, finding that the primary focus is on only one dimension of food security—agricultural output as a proxy for food availability. Given that food security comprises availability, access, utilization and stability dimensions, improved practice would involve more effort to incorporate food access and stability indicators into agricultural systems models. The empirical evidence base for including food access indicators and their determinants within agricultural systems models requires further development through appropriate short and long-term investments in data collection and analysis. Assessment of the stability dimension of food security (through time) is also particularly under-represented in previous work and requires the development and application of appropriate dynamic models of agricultural systems that include food security indicators, coupled with more formalized treatment of robustness and adaptability at both the regional and household levels. We find that agricultural systems models often conflate analysis of food security covariates that have the potential to improve food security (like agricultural yields) with an assessment of food security itself. Agricultural systems modelers should exercise greater caution in referring to analyses of agricultural output and food availability as representing food security more generally. 2021-03 2021-07-20T10:55:25Z 2021-07-20T10:55:25Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/114339 en Open Access application/pdf Elsevier Nicholson, C.F.; Stephens E.C.; Kopainsky, B.; Jones, A.D.; Parsons, D.; Garrett, J. (2021) Food security outcomes in agricultural systems models: Current status and recommended improvements. Agricultural Systems 188: 103028. ISSN: 0308-521X
spellingShingle food security
farming systems
food access
stability
seguridad alimentaria
sistemas de explotación
acceso a los alimentos
Nicholson, Charles F.
Stephens Emma C.
Kopainsky, Birgit
Jones, Andrew D.
Parsons, David
Garrett, James
Food security outcomes in agricultural systems models: Current status and recommended improvements
title Food security outcomes in agricultural systems models: Current status and recommended improvements
title_full Food security outcomes in agricultural systems models: Current status and recommended improvements
title_fullStr Food security outcomes in agricultural systems models: Current status and recommended improvements
title_full_unstemmed Food security outcomes in agricultural systems models: Current status and recommended improvements
title_short Food security outcomes in agricultural systems models: Current status and recommended improvements
title_sort food security outcomes in agricultural systems models current status and recommended improvements
topic food security
farming systems
food access
stability
seguridad alimentaria
sistemas de explotación
acceso a los alimentos
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/114339
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