Game
Harvest Havoc: The Battle for Sustenance
This serious game asks players to role-play and it includes an asymmetric component as different countries have different resources and requirements to feed their population. The players can decide to cooperate to help the more vulnerable players and to solve potential global challenges.
The schedule for a game session is as follows:
- Preparing the game: 5 minutes
- Introduction and instructions: 5 minutes - Playing the game: 30 minutes
- Debriefing and Reflection: 10 minutes
For optimal gameplay, 3 to 6 players are required, accompanied by 1 facilitator and 3 observers. The observers will make pictures, collect quotes and data regarding the steps each player makes.
While the game was initially developed with policymakers in mind, it also offers valuable insights for other stakeholders within the food system. Larger food companies, for instance, stand to benefit from understanding the potential ramifications of external conflicts on their supply chains. By contemplating strategies for scenarios where ingredient sourcing becomes compromised, companies can proactively mitigate risks and ensure continuity in their food production processes.
Game challenge – welcome to the battle of sustenance !
Many nations heavily rely on imported food to enjoy a diverse range of options at relatively low prices. However, this dependence also exposes them to heightened vulnerability in times of conflicts abroad. Such conflicts have the potential to disrupt a country's production capabilities and impede transportation routes, thereby diminishing its food supply. Consequently, this directly influences global market offerings and prices. Given the abrupt onset of these challenges, it becomes imperative to formulate strategies aimed at mitigating their impact on food security.
To shed light on this critical issue, players are invited to govern a fictious country and safeguard the food security of their populace amid looming conflicts. Beyond this individual objective, players also have the opportunity to assist other nations in meeting their food requirements, recognizing that some countries may encounter greater challenges based on their unique characteristics.
Through gameplay, players will gain a deeper understanding of the different possible impacts of conflicts on food security and biodiversity. They will experience how instability can disproportionately affect less stable or resource-deficient countries, while also recognizing the indirect consequences on the wealthier nations, notably through migration patterns.
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