Models & Tools
What are DELTA, iOTA & NZ Models?
SNi® has also developed three separate modelling approaches to test various scenarios for globally sustainable future food systems
The DELTA Model®
The Delta Model is a global food system mass balance that uses information about current production of major food items to predict the nutrition available to the average global citizen both now and in the future.
Click to access The DELTA Model®
The iOTA Model (in development)
The iOTA Model is an optimisation model for sustainable diets: how can diets shift to be affordable, nutritious, and minimise their environmental impact, while still being acceptable to the consumer?
The NZ Model (in development)
The NZ Model is a modelling tool for exploring future scenarios in the New Zealand food system. This interactive tool will allow food system decision makers to see the holistic impacts of proposed changes to our national and regional food systems, as well as testing their resilience to future disruption.
What is The DELTA Model®?
Features of the DELTA Model®
The DELTA Model® has several attractive features that make the tool broadly applicable:
Scenario Options
Scenario options contains high level scenario settings and enables the user to switch between predefined food system options
Primary Production
Primary production contains the annual production of each of the food product groups in millions of tonnes
Secondary Modifiers
Secondary modifiers contains a range of other model options for the user to select
What
The DELTA Model® is a global food system mass balance that uses information about current food production to predict the nutrition available to the average global citizen both now and in the future.
The model lets the user adjust the production of different food groups, the degree of food waste, and the global population to see the impact of these changes on human nutrition. The most recent version also calculates the cropland area required for food production.
Future versions of the model will include estimates of the impacts of food system scenarios on total land use, greenhouse gas emissions, and other resource constraints.
Why use The DELTA Model®
A challenge we face is our ability to sustainably nourish an increasing global population without exceeding the capacity of the planet. There are many different ways of approaching this challenge, and many suggestions for what the answer may be.
The DELTA Model® has been developed to help people explore this challenge themselves by manipulating the major components of the food system to see the impact on the supply of key nutrients.
How to use the DELTA Model®
The model is found by selecting the ‘Use DELTA’ button from the side menu. The side-panel on the left contains login info and FAQ’s.
Core Engine
Food production information is taken from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Food Balance Sheets and combined with food composition data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) FoodData Central. The core of DELTA is a model that allows the user to modify food production from the FAO food balance sheets and view the impact on the nutrition available to the average global citizen.
The DELTA Model® has been developed to help people explore this challenge themselves by manipulating the major components of the food system to see the impact on the supply of key nutrients.
The Delta Model generates viable outcomes from complex initial scenarios.
The DELTA Model® WORKSHOP: [free]
The DELTA Model® WORKSHOP has been authored by Dr Margaret Murray from Monash University. This workshop helps users explore the challenge of sustainably nourishing an increasing global population without exceeding the capacity of the planet.
There are many ways of approaching this challenge, and many suggestions for what the answer may be...
In this workshop, students can challenge themselves using the DELTA Model® to manipulate the major components of the food system and see the impact on the supply of key nutrients, worldwide.
How it works:
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- Book a 30min live demo with Dr Nick Smith. [free]
- Obtain login access to the Model
- DOWNLOAD THE WORKSHOP MATERIAL
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The DELTA Model®
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Design: Andrew Fletcher, Jeremy Hill, Simon Hunter, Warren McNabb
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Programming: Andrew Fletcher, Nick Smith, Joshua Ghezzi, Christopher Pearce
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Research and Nutrition: Lakshmi Acharya, Shalome Bassett, Natalie Russell, Caroline Gunn, Nick Smith, Warren McNabb
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Resources: We would like to thank shift n for permission to reproduce the global food system map.
The Riddet Institute | World Leading Research and Food Innovations
The DELTA Model® Data Sources
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Food Production: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Food Balance Sheets
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Food Composition: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) FoodData Central
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Demographics: UN FAO Annual Population and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) World Population Prospects
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Nutrition Requirements: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (2017) Dietary reference values for nutrients and UN FAO (2013) Dietary protein quality evaluation in human nutrition.
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In-home Losses: UN FAO (2011) – Global Food Losses and Food Waste