A dynamic goal programming model for planning food self-sufficiency in the Middle East

This paper proposes a dynamic goal programming model as a framework for planning joint investment in agriculture to achieve self-sufficiency in food production in the MiddleEast. The goals of the model are the forecasted demand of each type of food. The constraint of the model is the input-output relationship governing the agriculture production and the food industry technology. The issue of equitable allocation of returns to participants in the joint investments isaddressed as well. Equitable divisions of profits and equitable assessment of costs of collaborating investors are developed through an associated characteristics function game. An example is given to demonstrate the feasibility of the model and the possibility of achieving food self-sufficiency in the Middle East.