Modeling and Simulating the Italian Wheat Production System: A Parallel Agent-Based Model to Evaluate the Sustainability of Policies

Gianfranco Giulioni, Edmondo Di Giuseppe, Arianna Di Paola, Alessandro Ceccarelli

2025

Abstract

This work presents the modeling steps to build a tool for policymakers to orient policies toward more sustainable wheat production. Starting from a sample survey of Italian farms, we identify, with the help of clustering techniques, the farm types present in the sample. The clustering phase reveals a significant heterogeneity among farms that we handle building an agent-based model. Sampling from the clusters allows for including a number of farms comparable to those operating in Italy in the agent-based model. Moreover, we build a mathematical programming model with which farms (i.e., agents) decide the target production level and the mix of inputs needed to obtain such production. Considered inputs are 1) the use of fertilizers, 2) the use of herbicides, and 3) the use of pesticides. Policies are introduced as incentives or deterrents, driving production decisions and the input mix choice towards more sustainable production.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Giulioni G., Di Giuseppe E., Di Paola A. and Ceccarelli A. (2025). Modeling and Simulating the Italian Wheat Production System: A Parallel Agent-Based Model to Evaluate the Sustainability of Policies. In Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications - Volume 1: SIMULTECH; ISBN 978-989-758-759-7, SciTePress, pages 337-343. DOI: 10.5220/0013568000003970

in Bibtex Style

@conference{simultech25,
author={Gianfranco Giulioni and Edmondo Di Giuseppe and Arianna Di Paola and Alessandro Ceccarelli},
title={Modeling and Simulating the Italian Wheat Production System: A Parallel Agent-Based Model to Evaluate the Sustainability of Policies},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications - Volume 1: SIMULTECH},
year={2025},
pages={337-343},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0013568000003970},
isbn={978-989-758-759-7},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications - Volume 1: SIMULTECH
TI - Modeling and Simulating the Italian Wheat Production System: A Parallel Agent-Based Model to Evaluate the Sustainability of Policies
SN - 978-989-758-759-7
AU - Giulioni G.
AU - Di Giuseppe E.
AU - Di Paola A.
AU - Ceccarelli A.
PY - 2025
SP - 337
EP - 343
DO - 10.5220/0013568000003970
PB - SciTePress