Linking food security indicators with a minimalistic, mechanistic model of migration

Abstract:

Many metrics to quantity food security have been developed over recent decades to serve a range of social, policy, economic, and humanitarian objectives. A new emerging use for these food-security indicators is within quantitative models of human migration. Yet the integration of food security as a factor influencing migration requires nuanced consideration, as both food security and migration are multi-faceted. Here we employ a minimalistic migration model that includes only distance, social ties, and the environment to understand the complex interplay between these variables. We explore, in particular, how scale and the various dimensions of food security influence transient migration dynamics, including gradual changes and shocks.