Agent-Based Modeling for the Estimation of Organizational Sustainability Indicators in Agri-Food SMEs

Sustainable business practices have become an increasing priority for a growing number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) around the world, as they promise profitability, resilience and positive social, political and environmental impacts. This paper proposes to contribute to the formalization of agent-based modeling (ABM) for the estimation of organizational sustainability indicators in agri-food SMEs. In this paper, the ABM paradigm is adopted to simulate and understand the transdisciplinary and complex nature of agri-food industrial systems. Three groups of agents were taken: factory, consumption and environmental. In addition, sustainability assessment was studied using advanced methods of systemic indicators, in order to obtain a manufacturing sustainability index resulting (MSIR). The results report that an eco-industrial agri-food system can be integrated under the concept of industrial symbiosis (IS). By expanding product categories, extending industrial chains, and establishing new chains through the utilization of waste and by-products, it is possible to develop an integrated symbiotic industrial ecosystem, thereby enhancing overall sustainability.