Applications of agent-based modelling and simulation in the agri-food supply chains

Agri-food supply chains (ASC) are an important application domain for Operational Research/Management Science. In particular, the use of agent-based simulation (ABS) has increased in ASC research in recent years. This paper reviews existing ASC research that use ABS. The review begins by analysing the characteristics of the models and modelling reported in the literature. It illustrates that existing modelling research features extensive use of: single echelon supply chains; cases from high and middle income countries; unprocessed food products, empirical (as opposed to hypothetical) data; decision-making related to production planning and investment; and the use of black box validation. The second part of the review uses bibliographic mapping to analyse areas in ASC research which are yet to be addressed using ABS. We find that areas such as collaboration and competition, buyer–seller relationships, and service are under-researched. In addition, key actors in ASC such as food processors, supermarkets and retailers have not been included in the ABS models reported. Furthermore, these models have yet to incorporate important supply chain management theories such as Transaction Cost Economics and Resource-Based View as part of their design

Collaborative, Distributed Simulations of Agri-Food Supply Chains. Analysis on How Linking Theory and Practice by Using Multi-agent Structures

Simulations help to understand and predict the behaviour of complex phenomena’s, likewise distributed socio-technical systems or how stakeholders interacts in complex domains. Such domains are normally based on networked based interaction, where information, product and decision flows comes in to play, especially under the well-known supply chains structures. Although tools exist to simulate supply chains, they do not adequately support multiple stakeholders to collaboratively create and explore a variety of decision-making scenarios. Hence, in order to provide a preliminary understanding on how these interaction affects stakeholders decision-making, this research presents an study, analysis and proposal development of robust platform to collaboratively build and simulate communication among supply chain. Since realistic supply chain behaviours are complex, a multi-agent approach was selected in order to represent such complexities in a standardised manner. The platform provides agent behaviours for common agent patterns. It provides extension hotspots to implement more specific agent behaviour for expert users (that requires programming). Therefore, as key contribution, technical aspects of the platform are presented, and also the role of multi-level supply chain scenario simulation is discussed and analysed, especially under de context of digital supply chain transformation in the agri-food context. Finally, we discuss lessons learned from early tests with the reference implementation of the platform

Applying System Analysis and System Dynamics Modelling In Complex Research Projects - The Case Of VALUMICS

VALUMICS is a Horizon 2020 project funded by the European Commission (2017-2021). The project structure is highly integrated and transdisciplinary, building on the expertise of over 30 specialists in various fields of research including knowledge integration through systems analysis and system dynamics modelling, food science, supply chain management, life cycle assessment, logistics, economics and social science. The aim of the project is to analyze the dynamics of food supply systems using a structural analysis including system analysis and perform system simulations using system dynamics. The VALUMICS research approach and the project design are explained and it is justified why system analysis is needed to obtain an understanding of the complex connections and interactions of the distinct parts of food systems. Patterns will be recognized and thus causes and effects of complex relations within the selected food supply system and networks will be identified. This understanding of the functioning of the system can in turn be used to identify policy interventions

System Dynamics Modelling and System Analysis Applied in Complex Research Projects - the Case of VALUMICS

VALUMICS is a Horizon 2020 project funded by the European Commission (2017-2021). The project structure is highly integrated and transdisciplinary, building on the expertise of over 30 specialists in various fields of research including knowledge integration through systems analysis and system dynamics modelling, food science, supply chain management, life cycle assessment, logistics, economics and social science. The aim of the project is to analyze the dynamics of food supply- and value chain systems using a structural analysis including system analysis and perform system simulations using system dynamics. The VALUMICS research approach and the project design are explained and it is justified why system analysis is needed to obtain an understanding of the complex connections and interactions of the distinct parts of food systems. Patterns will be recognized and thus causes and effects of complex relations within the selected food supply system and networks will be identified. This understanding of the functioning of the system can in turn be used to identify policy interventions

Collaborative, Distributed Simulations of Agri-Food Supply Chains : Analysis on How Linking Theory and Practice by Using Multi-agent Structures

Simulations help to understand and predict the behaviour of complex phenomena's, likewise distributed socio-technical systems or how stakeholders interacts in complex domains. Such domains are normally based on networked based interaction, where information, product and decision flows comes in to play, especially under the well-known supply chains structures. Although tools exist to simulate supply chains, they do not adequately support multiple stakeholders to collaboratively create and explore a variety of decision-making scenarios. Hence, in order to provide a preliminary understanding on how these interaction affects stakeholders decision-making, this research presents an study, analysis and proposal development of robust platform to collaboratively build and simulate communication among supply chain. Since realistic supply chain behaviours are complex, a multi-agent approach was selected in order to represent such complexities in a standardised manner. The platform provides agent behaviours for common agent patterns. It provides extension hotspots to implement more specific agent behaviour for expert users (that requires programming). Therefore, as key contribution, technical aspects of the platform are presented, and also the role of multi-level supply chain scenario simulation is discussed and analysed, especially under de context of digital supply chain transformation in the agri-food context. Finally, we discuss lessons learned from early tests with the reference implementation of the platform.Laboratorio de Investigación y Formación en Informática Avanzad

Supply Chain Network Design of Perishable Food in Surplus Periods

Research on the design of the perishable food supply chain network has increased in recent years. However, little attention has been given to those seasonal foods that generate periods of oversupply and, particularly, to their impact on the sustainability of small producers in developing countries. This research proposes and develops a multi-objective mixed linear programming model for perishable fruits in a south American country at oversupply periods. It minimizes losses and transportation costs and maximizes the inclusion of farmers. It considers four echelons of the supply chain: farms, collection centers, distribution centers and the demand, which is represented by the agroindustry, wholesalers, shopkeepers, and hypermarkets. The Epsilon constraint method is used to solve the multi-objective model. A set of Pareto optimal solutions helped evaluate tradeoffs between the three objectives and find the location of collection and distribution centers. The proposed generic mathematical model is applicable to any food supply chain, as it allows for the improvement of the established performance measures and the distribution flows for the different echelons. The model considers the losses in perishable food from the impacts caused by changes in temperature (T0) and humidity level (RH) at different thermal floors of mountain ranges

Climate-related land use policies in Brazil: How much has been achieved with economic incentives in agriculture?

Until 2019, the Brazilian federal government employed a number of policy measures to fulfill the pledge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from land use change and agriculture. While its forest law enforcement strategy was partially successful in combating illegal deforestation, the effectiveness of positive incentive measures in agriculture has been less clear. The reason is that emissions reduction from market-based incentives such as the Brazilian Low-Carbon Agriculture Plan cannot be easily verified with current remote sensing monitoring approaches. Farmers have adopted a large variety of integrated land-use systems of crop, livestock and forestry with highly diverse per-hectare carbon balances. Their responses to policy incentives were largely driven by cost and benefit considerations at the farm level and not necessarily aligned with federal environmental objectives. This article analyzes climate-related land-use policies in the state of Mato Grosso, where highly mechanized soybean–cotton and soybean–maize cropping systems prevail. We employ agent-based bioeconomic simulation together with life-cycle assessment to explicitly capture the heterogeneity of farm-level costs, benefits of adoption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Our analysis confirms previous assessments but suggests a smaller farmer policy response when measured as increase in area of integrated systems. In terms of net carbon balances, our simulation results indicate that mitigation effects at the farm level depended heavily on the exact type of livestock and grazing system. The available data were insufficient to rule out even adverse effects. The Brazilian experience thus offers lessons for other land-rich countries that build their climate mitigation policies on economic incentives in agriculture

Modelling Dairy Supply Chain in West Java using Agent-Based Simulation

This working paper describes a process to develop an agent-based simulation of dairy supply chain in Indonesia. The discussion begins by describing the situation in the case study area. Then we explain the assumptions used in to develop agent-based simulation in this study. The simulation experiments show that the agent-based simulation can produce outputs that resemble the patterns in the real-world data. This paper ends by discussing the conclusions and plan for further research

SUSTAINABLE VALUE OF RICE SUPPLY CHAIN: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW AND RESEARCH AGENDA

The rice supply chain is important to achieve food security. It has various perspectives, challenges or issues that causes a complex problem in supply chain system. The existing problem are related to food availability, inventory level, fragmented distribution, affordability of prices, accessibility, variation of business processes and the environmental impact from production and logistics system. Moreover integration framework in the dimension of sustainability is limited. The objective of this article is to identify current problems to construct the idea of supply chain integration and to build the formulation for improvement the value of rice supply chain. Fifty articles discuss rice supply chain. The remaining discuss on increasing rice productivity, inventory optimization, performance improvement, and traceability. The VOS viewer result showed that sustainability is connected to the supply chain at a distant position which indicates that sustainability has the opportunity to be studied wider range in future research. The gap analysis showed that the production increase is limited to agronomy innovation and didn’t consider sustainable characteristics input. The indirect innovations that use information technology for precision farming also had not been comprehensively collaborated. The production absorption had not been considered in inventory optimization and traceability system had not been developed for supply availability. The improvement activities to fill the gap will transform supply chain performance more efficient, responsive and minimum environmental impacts for the enhancement of the sustainability value of the rice supply chain. Keywords: gap analysis,  integration, rice supply chain, sustainability, production and logistics syste

SUSTAINABLE VALUE OF RICE SUPPLY CHAIN: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW AND RESEARCH AGENDA

The rice supply chain is important to achieve food security. It has various perspectives, challenges or issues that causes a complex problem in supply chain system. The existing problem are related to food availability, inventory level, fragmented distribution, affordability of prices, accessibility, variation of business processes and the environmental impact from production and logistics system. Moreover integration framework in the dimension of sustainability is limited. The objective of this article is to identify current problems to construct the idea of supply chain integration and to build the formulation for improvement the value of rice supply chain. Fifty articles discuss rice supply chain. The remaining discuss on increasing rice productivity, inventory optimization, performance improvement, and traceability. The VOS viewer result showed that sustainability is connected to the supply chain at a distant position which indicates that sustainability has the opportunity to be studied wider range in future research. The gap analysis showed that the production increase is limited to agronomy innovation and didn’t consider sustainable characteristics input. The indirect innovations that use information technology for precision farming also had not been comprehensively collaborated. The production absorption had not been considered in inventory optimization and traceability system had not been developed for supply availability. The improvement activities to fill the gap will transform supply chain performance more efficient, responsive and minimum environmental impacts for the enhancement of the sustainability value of the rice supply chain. Keywords: gap analysis,  integration, rice supply chain, sustainability, production and logistics syste