MASSAI : Multi-agent system for simulating sustainable agricultural intensification of smallholder farms in Africa
Material type:
ArticleLanguage: English Publication details: Netherlands : Elsevier B.V., 2023.ISSN: - 2215-0161 (Online)
| Item type | Current library | Collection | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Article | CIMMYT Knowledge Center: John Woolston Library | Reprints Collection | Available |
Peer review
Open Access
The research and development needed to achieve sustainability of African smallholder agricultural and natural systems has led to a wide array of theoretical frameworks for conceptualising socioecological processes and functions. However, there are few analytical tools for spatio-temporal empirical approaches to implement use cases, which is a prerequisite to understand the performance of smallholder farms in the real world. This study builds a multi-agent system (MAS) to operationalise the Sustainable Agricultural Intensification (SAI) theoretical framework (MASSAI). This is an essential tool for spatio-temporal simulation of farm productivity to evaluate sustainability trends into the future at fine scale of a managed plot. MASSAI evaluates dynamic nutrient transfer using smallholder nutrient monitoring functions which have been calibrated with parameters from Malawi and the region. It integrates two modules: the Environmental (EM) and Behavioural (BM) ones. •The EM assess dynamic natural nutrient inputs (sedimentation and atmospheric deposition) and outputs (leaching, erosion and gaseous loses) as a product of bioclimatic factors and land use activities. •An integrated BM assess the impact of farmer decisions which influence farm-level inputs (fertilizer, manure, biological N fixation) and outputs (crop yields and associated grain). •A use case of input subsidies, common in Africa, markedly influence fertilizer access and the impact of different policy scenarios on decision-making, crop productivity, and nutrient balance are simulated. This is of use for empirical analysis smallholder's sustainability trajectories given the pro-poor development policy support.
Text in English
Mponela, P. : No CIMMYT Affiliation
Snapp, S.S. : No CIMMYT Affiliation
Climate adaptation & mitigation Nutrition, health & food security Poverty reduction, livelihoods & jobs Mixed Farming Systems Resilient Agrifood Systems CGIAR Trust Fund Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD)
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