The agriculture and food sector is faced with numerous economic, environmental and social demands, some of which conflict with one another. Models relating to the agricultural sector cannot take adequate account of the trade-offs of these demands. At the same time, agricultural policy’s room for manoeuvre in terms of these needs is limited if there are no corresponding changes in consumer eating habits. The ‘SWISSfoodSys’ model was therefore created to assess and optimise the sustainability of food systems. The model can simulate both the food supply for short-term crisis scenarios as well as the transformation into potential future food systems. In the first phase of construction, the model is restructured and its content expanded based on a previous model (Green DSS-ESSA). In terms of methodology, the model corresponds to a recursive-dynamic linear optimisation model. It is planned to expand the model in several stages. The aim is that modelling sustainable cultivation and production processes, eating habits and food-policy instruments will help determine the most suitable strategies for achieving sustainable food systems. To analyse the complex interrelationships, there will also be links with other models in which specific aspects are modelled more precisely.
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