Modeling agricultural systems and policies to advance sustainability: a review

Details

Supervisors

Baret, Philippe

Faculty

Faculté des bioingénieurs

Degree label

Master [120] : bioingénieur en sciences agronomiques, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

Agriculture significantly impacts global sustainability challenges, necessitating effective policymaking to steer agricultural practices towards greater sustainability. Given the complexity of the agricultural system, mathematical models represent a powerful tool for supporting agricultural policymaking. This master's thesis provides a comprehensive overview of policy-oriented macro-level models, identifying their characteristics, effectiveness at integrating sustainability themes, and the actors involved in their development and funding. After a PRISMA-based systematized review of 1064 articles from the Scopus database and prominent institutional websites, this study analyzes 75 macro-level models. These models are analyzed for their ability to incorporate sustainability across different dimensions—environmental, economic, social, and governance, based on the Planetary Boundaries and SAFA frameworks. The findings reveal significant diversity among the models, with integrated bio-economic models, structural simulation models and calibrating optimization models demonstrating superior performance in integrating sustainability themes. In contrast, computable general equilibrium (CGE), econometric, and spatial equilibrium models exhibit lower integration capabilities. This disparity is influenced by both technical factors, such as data availability and the complexity of modeling processes, and agenda-driven priorities that may focus attention toward specific themes. The development of these models is driven by actors from public research institutions, independent centers, and universities. Notable contributors are institutions like the ERS of the USDA, INRAE of France, and the JRC of the EU. Funding is primarily sourced from public institutions. Both model development and funding predominantly originates from OECD countries. This Master's thesis highlights the need for strategic advancements in policy-oriented macro-level models to enhance the integration of sustainability themes. Recommendations include addressing data limitations, enhancing model connectivity, and fostering international collaborations to improve model interoperability and stakeholder engagement. The study advocates focusing on high-performing model classes to inspire broader improvements across all models, ultimately supporting more effective and sustainable agricultural policymaking.