Modeling of Production Chains in the Food Industry from the Perspective of System Dynamics for Decision Making: A Mapping Review

Abstract

Food production is a cornerstone for the social and economic development of nations. Hence, it is acknowledged that food production chains face significant challenges due to increasing demand and external factors that can impact them. It is recognized that food production is not an isolated system but somewhat interconnected and highly complex. Therefore, system dynamics as a modeling method has gained recognition in academic and business circles for its ability to model systems and facilitate decision-making in food production. Given this recognition, this article aimed to identify and analyze research trends in modeling food production chains through system dynamics, with a particular focus on decision making. A mapping review was conducted to achieve this objective based on the search and selection from the SCOPUS database. The search and application of exclusion criteria yielded a sample of 38 documents. The results revealed an increasing trend in the number of documents published per year and the notable geographical diversity of the research. Three predominant groupings of the literature were identified: 1) sustainability and resource efficiency of supply chains, 2) interaction between water, energy, and food systems, and 3) application of system dynamics to the food industry. The mapping review identified the need to expand the methodology to a broader variety of problems within food production chains and the integration of multidisciplinary perspectives. This would allow a deeper understanding of the interactions between different systems and the influence of external factors.