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2489. Preventing malnutrition: quantitative tools for decision-making in optimizing diets and interventions for regions with limited economic access to adequate diets
Invited abstract in session WB-13: Humanitarian Aid, stream Secure & Sustainable Food Supply.
Wednesday, 10:30-12:00Room: 15 (building: 116)
Authors (first author is the speaker)
| 1. | Marc Juanpera
|
| Department of Management, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya | |
| 2. | Pol Gil-Figuerola
|
| Department of Management, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya | |
| 3. | Melissa Koenen
|
| Zero Hunger Lab, Tilburg University | |
| 4. | Sabrina Kuri
|
| World Food Programme | |
| 5. | Claudia Damu
|
| World Food Programme | |
| 6. | Laia Ferrer-Martí
|
| Institute of Industrial and Control Engineering, Technical University of Catalonia |
Abstract
More than 3100 million people (42%) could not afford a healthy diet in 2021, resulting in malnutrition and immediate and long-term health issues. Regional and national governments can promote nutrition policies (e.g., subsidizing nutrient-rich products), often targeting vulnerable population groups (e.g., children under 5, pregnant or lactating women). Due to the different nutritional composition of the food items and the varying nutritional requirements of the population (with age and sex), selecting the overall best policy is not straightforward. This study combines bi-objective optimization and multi-criteria assessments, providing comprehensive quantitative tools to assist in defining diets and assessing the impact of interventions on the nutrition intake of the population. It defines three stages: 1) a bi-objective optimization model to compute Pareto-optimal solutions for daily diets concerning cost and nutritional adequacy; 2) a multi-criteria procedure to determine the best diet for each population group, considering economic, social (equity), and environmental factors (water and CO2 footprint); 3) a multi-criteria procedure to evaluate interventions and select the most effective based on economic, social, and institutional factors (promoting local economy). Regions of Cambodia experiencing barriers to adequate dietary access are selected as a case study. Results can aid decision-makers in identifying diets and interventions to improve the nutrition of the population.
Keywords
- Multi-Objective Decision Making
- Humanitarian Applications
- OR in Sustainability
Status: accepted
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