The purpose of my study is to examine the interactions within a food system and between
that system and its socioecological environment in order to reveal management or policy
strategies that strengthen food security conditions. Using Jamaica as a case study my
interdisciplinary project developed and tested a computer model, QnD:Jamaica, that fuses
technology with lessons from complex systems theory in order to promote adaptive management
of food systems. An iterative collaborative design process based on soft systems approaches was
employed during model design. The problem situation as understood by key stakeholders was
investigated through informal strategic dialogues. These qualitative descriptions were
conceptualized by a formal framework to identify a limited number of quantifiable parameters
and drivers of interest for the scenario model. The model incorporates ecosystem and
sociopolitical issues into a user-friendly framework to analyze the spatially explicit dynamics of
food, money and people in terms of their effects on food security conditions. Illustrative
scenario simulations were performed and the implications for systemic features were explored.
The results of my study provide insight into conceptualizing food systems in general and the 13
Jamaican food system specifically. My thesis serves as an explicit example of integrated soft
research methods and analytical tool development and will guide future modeling efforts.