Structures and Systems that Promote Nutrition Security and Climate Adaptation in Puerto Rico: Results from Community-Based System Dynamics

This study aimed to develop a shared understanding about the drivers of nutrition security in Puerto Rico (PR) from the collective perspective of multi-sector stakeholders in the agri-food, environmental, and the health/disease systems. A participatory community-based system dynamics approach (group model building) engaged stakeholders during one four-hour workshop March 2023 (followed by two 2.5-hour member checking sessions). San Juan, PR. Stakeholders (n=22) in PR representing the agri-food, environmental and health/disease systems from multiple sectors (commercial food retail & technology, food production, public servants, academia, and civil society) participated in the workshop. Stakeholders collectively framed nutrition security as an outcome of six interconnected subsystems exacerbated by climate change: 1) governance and public policy; 2) demographic change and rural disinvestment; 3) climate change and adaptive capacity; 4) local food production economy; 5) food culture; 6) nutrition security and health. Stakeholders identified leverage points mostly focused on strengthening information flow within and across subsystems and expanding cross-sectoral collaboration (systems structures and elements). We identified three paradigms that have the potential to transform the system structure and function: ecological conscience, traditional and healthy food culture, and social cohesion. These findings deepened the collective understanding of systemic interdependencies that drive nutrition security as stakeholders identified locally feasible leverage points.