Analysis of the competition between land, energy and food using the TERRA module of WILIAM System Dynamics IAM

Abstract

Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) are computational tools used to explore energy futures and sustainable transitions. This paper presents the WILIAM-TERRA model, a novel platform for analyzing the interactions between land, food, energy and the environment. WILIAM-TERRA is integrated in the Within Limits Integrated Assessment Model (WILIAM), a new open-source model that has been designed to address several limitations of existing IAMs. WILIAM-TERRA explores the energy transitions, both from the point of view of the sinks (climate change) and from the point of view of the resources (biofuels, forests and solar electricity). Additionally, is focuses on the ecological transition of the food system including dietary changes, sustainable agriculture and regional food exchanges. These features provide a broader scope than the traditional emissions-based approach of most IAMs, enabling a more systemic analysis. Some results of the interaction of diet policies with forest and cropland expansion, of the effect of wood extraction in forests integrity and of the carbon capture in grasslands have been presented. These results represent only a small sample of what can be analysed with WILIAM-TERRA and should be further explored in the future.