System of systems approach to policy development for global food security

A formal policy development framework, based on a system of systems (SoS) approach, is synthesized to systematically address, in an integrative and adaptive fashion, major global challenges, such as the current food and financial crises, and their interactions with other key natural, societal, and technological systems. A SoS approach seeks to respect the different value systems of multiple participants, to harness complexity through effective integration, and to engage the world of uncertainty and unpredictability with an adaptive response. Faced with the present global challenges, what is needed are strategic and operational methods which lead to ethical policies, enhance integrative and adaptive management practices, and are able to direct conflict resolution in a positive direction. Policy makers need tools to model and analyze complex systems which they are trying to responsibly govern, taking into account values and risks to design and evaluate different policies. A preliminary investigation into the global food system is undertaken to understand the SoS and to provide insights on how to carry out policy development using the proposed framework.