Systemic Analysis of Food Supply and Distribution Systems in City-Region Systems—An Examination of FAO’s Policy Guidelines towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems

Abstract

Abstract:The world is continuously transforming to supply growing cities and urbanization processes are still driving important changes in our current food systems. Future sustainability constraints are emphasizing that Food Supply and Distribution Systems (FSDS) are deeply embedded in city-region systems with specific technical and socio-ecological characteristics. This paper aims to provide a systemic understanding on FSDS focusing the integration of urban and rural structures considering the system biophysical boundaries and societal targets. A qualitative framework model, based on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)'s FSDS literature, has been developed by using Systems Thinking (ST) and System Dynamics (SD) approaches. The model analysis suggested that to increase sustainability and resilience of food systems large emphasis has to be maintained on: (i) estimation of local territorial carrying capacities; (ii) land use planning to enhance connections among rural supplies and city needs; (iii) city policies, to regulate emergent market size and local scale of production; (iv) technological efficiency at farm, distribution and market levels; (v) urban, peri-urban and rural functional linkages that considers social metabolic balances; (vi) rural development as a core point for building sustainable food systems and counteracting the urbanization growth. These key areas are relevant to test new paths of cities-regions reconfiguration towards the transition to resilient agri-food systems.

Can Agro-Industrial By-Products Rich in Polyphenols be Advantageously Used in the Feeding and Nutrition of Dairy Small Ruminants?

“…These methods allow one to increase the complexity of understanding by describing the system and highlighting the feedback loops that connect the most important variables and elements in order to determine possible future behaviors and effects. Causal diagrams have already been applied in agriculture and food systems to highlight sustainable links and suggest alternative policies [146][147][148]. A big picture of the by-products in agricultural and livestock systems is summarized using a causal loop diagram in Figure 4.…”

Scenarios of Sustainable Fishing in the Zapatosa Marsh (Colombia) Simulated with a System Dynamics Model

“…A "+" sign means that if one variable increases, so does the subsequent one, whereas a "−" sign means that if one variable increases, the subsequent one decreases. There are two kinds of loops that are studied on the basis of their characteristics: (1) Reinforcing (R; from positive polarity), self-reinforcing loops (when multiplication of signs results equal to +), implying that when these loops are the only ones operating in the system or are the dominant ones, the system grows exponentially; (2) Balancing (B; from negative polarity), self-correcting loops which counteract change (when multiplication of signs results equal to -) [24].…”

Roadmapping to Enhance Local Food Supply: Case Study of a City-Region in Austria

“…To increase the sustainability and resilience of food systems, knowledge about territorial food carrying capacities should exist [29]. Therefore, we calculated the food self-sufficiency rates for seven food items: (1) vegetables, (2) fruits, (3) wheat, (4) milk, (5) meat, (6) eggs and (7) fish.…”