Operations research in agriculture: Better decisions for a scarce and uncertain world

Abstract

Operations Research/Management Science (OR/MS) can be described as the discipline of applying advanced analytical methods to help making better decisions and has been around in the agricultural and forestry management sectors since the fifties, approaching decision problems that range from more strategic sectorlevel planning to farm operation issues and integrated supply chain management. In this paper insights are given on the use of OR/MS in agriculture, illustrating them with cases drawn from the literature on this topic while keeping the descriptions accessible to uninitiated readers. The presence of OR/MS in Agriculture and Forest Management applications is already extensive but the potential for development is huge in times where resources are becoming increasingly scarce and more has to be done with less, in a sustainable way.