Evaluating Scenarios for Upgrading Sustainability of the Meat Supply Chain

This paper proposes a multi-agent simulation that incorporates the characteristics of pork supply chain actors. The purpose is to support policy makers and supply chain actors in designing long term strategies towards sustainability. The agents represent diverse types of producers, consumers and intermediate supply chain actors. Through brand positioning, societal pressure and opinion dynamics, patterns of sustainable meat production and distribution emerge. The model is applied in four realistic scenarios, implementing business models and interventions grounded in empirical research on meat supply chains. Outcomes differ greatly across scenarios with respect to consumption of sustainable meat and producer welfare. The market oriented scenarios result in a faster transition towards sustainability. The simulation offers insights into the effects of interactions between consumer demand, societal pressure, brand positioning, and investments by producers.