Design of agent-based model that simulates metacoupled food systems: Using avocado trade as an example

Today, food systems are often complicated with multiple types of ac-tors with thousands kilometers distance between them. This complexity makes it difficult to capture actors’ behavior and their socio-ecological impacts near and far. In this poster, we apply the metacoupling framework – an analytical tool for examining socioeconomic and environmental interactions within a cou-pled system, between distant coupled systems, and between adjacent coupled systems – to design an agent-based model (MetaABM) that represent the food systems of avocado trade and local food production and consumptions. The metacoupled avocado systems of South Africa and the Netherlands is used as a demonstration. With examples of simulation questions, we explore the possible applications of this model for assessing farm-level spillover effects, consumer feedback for sustainability, and power-laden value-chain network.