Food supply system dynamics in the Galapagos Islands: agriculture, livestock and imports

A critical analysis of the Galápagos Islands' food supply system reveals that without intervention, 95% of agricultural food will be imported by 2037, up from 75% in 2017. This shift is driven by rapid population growth—fueled by tourism—and a decline in local agricultural production, which already lags behind mainland Ecuador's consumption levels. Using system dynamics modeling with secondary data, researchers projected future scenarios to highlight the unsustainable trajectory of food dependence. The study underscores the urgent need for policy reforms to bolster local agriculture and align tourism growth with sustainable subsistence strategies.

Sampedro, C., Pizzitutti, F., Quiroga, D., Walsh, S. J., & Mena, C. F. (2018). Food supply system dynamics in the Galapagos Islands: agriculture, livestock and imports. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 35(3), 234–248. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1742170518000534