Programme
The summer school consists of several components.
- Lectures providing an introduction to modelling approaches at different spatial
scales that cover different domains of food security, such as micro scale household models of
smallholders, agent-based models incorporating social-ecological feedbacks, global vegetation
models, and models of nutrition security.
Sample topics include:- Natural aspects: Biogeochemical processes and relationships (including greenhouse gas emissions) related to production on land
- Social aspects: Modelling human decisions; food demand; from estimating production to estimating food security in smallholder agricultural systems
- Global models: MAgPIE (global land use allocation model), LPJmL (global vegetation model)
- Group work. This includes conceptualisation and programming exercises (in R) on the integration of different modelling approaches to advance knowledge on the gap between the micro and the macro scale, better consider different dimensions of food security, and some degree of interdisciplinary experimentation. This may include an analysis of empirical data on food security and its consideration in the assessment of interventions on the micro-scale; synergies/trade-offs between intensification, increased market orientation, poverty, food security and dietary diversity, or environmental and climate-related impacts.
- A poster session to introduce the course participants.
- Evening talks, cultural and social activities.