Developing an Agent-Based Model to Mitigate Famine Risk in North Korea: Insights from the “Artificial North Korean Collective Farm” Model

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear author(s),

there are some inspiring insights thorough the manuscript and I tend to agree on its publication. However, there are few points that needs to be quickly addressed to improve its overall communication:

 

Title:

1/ communicate your discovery more clearly (please understand that our international audience out of east Asia is not familiar with Korean issues, be more explanatory)

 

Abstract:

2/ strictly follow the established schema of writing academic Abstract: A/ introduction (urgency and significance of the research hypothesis); B/ principles of the methods used + key results; C/ conclusions (commercial, social and environmental impacts)

3/ avoid words with multiple meanings (such as "Agent") and be more explanatory with rare terms (such as "Collective Farm"

4/ it is quite unclear what your motive is, what has been achieved, why it is urgent and what the significance is

 

Introduction:

5/ make sure that this chapter fully introduces any reader into to the topic (keep our global audience in mind), explain all the terms, units, abbreviations, Latin and Greek letters, and the whole context that is necessary for anyone (including experts from other disciplines) to understand the following chapters

6/ the polemic over the amount of data is irrelevant, a little data of reliable quality is more valuable than a flood of data that is not reviewable

7/ claims such as "Land degradation is a critical factor in North Korea's great famine" are not grounded (and hard to believe)

8/ go straight to the point and more in depth, write more technically (always provide corresponding numbers), significantly condensate all the text by reducing ballast phrases, cliché and arguments that are not grounded by corresponding evidence

9/ the research hypothesis is not clearly stated, condensate the research hypothesis into 1 short statement (or question) that will be subsequently confirmed or refuted (by corresponding methods), make sure the urgency and significance of the research hypothesis was justified (clarify why should our readers care)

 

Materials and Methods:

10/ delete all the encyclopedic data, present only the methods used (describe your methodology in enough detail so that every reader can repeat them  - and come to the same results)

 

Results:

11/ each Tab. and Fig. should be provided with caption that describes A/ what can be seen and B/ how is this relevant to the research hypothesis

12/ Fig. 3: make sure each chart is provided with X and Y units

13/ avoid data overkill, present only the most most important results

 

Discussion:

14/ show more self-criticism to your work (can all the data, methods and results be fully trusted? what are the weaknesses of the methods used? where do the main measurement inaccuracies arise? what are the limitations from a commercial point of view? are the lessons learned transferable to other fields?)

15/ propose some improvements (such as nutrient recovery techniques, methods to improve soil fertility etc.) and direction for future research 

16/ compare your results in more depth with the existing literature, identify the main deviations and try to explain the mechanisms by which they may have been caused

17/ reveal the main driving mechanisms of your results, provide deeper synthesis and reveal some more original/significant findings

 

Conclusions:

18/ do not repeat your methods and results again and again, please understand that the Conclusion chapter is not a summary of your work, present only original and significant revelations that have the potential to expand the horizon of human knowledge (higher level of generalization is mandatory - not only for Korea)

19/ clearly indicate whether the research hypotheses tends to be confirmed or not

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The study titled "The Artificial North Korean Collective Farm Agent-Based Model: To Mitigate the Risk of Land Degradation and Famine" presents an Agent-Based Model (ABM) to understand the complex process of land degradation and famine in North Korea's agriculture. The authors conceptualize North Korea's agriculture within the framework of "collective farms," which is the basic agricultural landscape unit in the country. The ABM is then developed to simulate the North Korean famine in the 1990s, and the study investigates how land degradation and declining food production lead to starvation and whether this risk could be mitigated by other alternatives.

One of the strengths of the study is its focus on North Korea, a country that has faced multiple food crises over the years, and its potential to inform policies not only in North Korea but also in other countries facing similar challenges. The study's use of an ABM is also a strength as it allows for a more nuanced understanding of the complex interactions that lead to famine, particularly the feedback loop between land degradation and declining food production.

The study's approach to conceptualizing North Korea's agriculture within the “collective farms” framework is also informative, providing readers with an understanding of the country's agricultural landscape unit. The paper is well-written and structured, and the authors acknowledge the limitations of their model, particularly the assumption of rational decision-making and the simplification of certain aspects of the system.

Overall, the study is a valuable contribution to the literature on famine and complex systems, particularly in the context of North Korea. The study's focus on "collective farms" and its use of an ABM provide essential insights into the complex interactions that lead to famine. However, the study's limitations highlight the need for further research to address the potential differences between North Korea and other countries and to inform policy in these countries.

-          However, one limitation of the study is its focus on the North Korean agricultural system and its potential applicability to other countries facing similar challenges. The authors do not address the potential differences between North Korea and other countries and how the model could inform policy in these countries.

-          The authors should focus more on the limitations of the study.

-          Moreover, Conclusion of the study should be rewritten, and the authors should give research findings in detail.

-          Further, the authors should spell out the implications of research for the respective economy as well as for other economies.

-          In the light of the limitations of the study, the author should spell out possible prospects of research.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

This paper examines the problems of land degradation and the risk of famine in North Korea using agent-based modeling or ABM. It shows that the modeling approach is useful for designing future risk alleviation strategies. I found this paper a very interesting piece. My suggestions for minor revisions are as follows.

First, the political context of this work is very unique. More discussion on the potential political disruption would be valuable as compared to environmental change.

Second, would these results also change from one sub-region of north Korea to another sub-region?

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The paper has been revised and improved after revision.