Energy, water, food nexus decision-making for sustainable food security

Natural resources and their constituting systems continue to experience stresses attributed to expanding anthropogenic activities. Economic expenditures on most sectors are heavily dependent on water, energy and food resources, the utilisation of which contributes to resource depletion and environmental burdens. The energy–water–food (EWF) nexus is a concept that harnesses the intrinsic relationships existing between resources and representative sub-systems in order to support efficient resources management, develop resilience and enhance environmental consciousness. While the EWF nexus framework can provide preliminary decision-making insights into resource sub-systems, it cannot alone address modern-day multidimensional resource problems and their related economic and environmental challenges. Food insecurity, a global challenge for mankind, is a result of various factors, of which is resource mismanagement. This chapter investigates the possibility of understanding and alleviating food insecurity by means of the EWF nexus approach. It highlights using case studies the possible analytical and modelling decision-making tools that enable the characterisation and analysis of resources systems across strategic, tactical and operational levels of decision-making in volatile and risky environments. Example of studies involve optimisation, machine learning and agent-based modelling, and illustrate the complementary nature of these tools within decision frameworks, and how they can be utilised to alleviate food insecurity and support sustainable and resilient resource management.