Unveiling One Health Interlinkages Through Systems Thinking in Black Soldier Fly and Vegetable Push–Pull Integration

Publication Type

Journal Article

Journal Name

Systems Research and Behavioral Science

Publication Date

1-1-2026

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture faces interconnected challenges including pest pressure, soil degradation and waste accumulation, requiring integrative approaches under the One Health (OH) framework. This study explored the synergies between vegetable-integrated push–pull (VIPP) systems and black soldier fly (BSF) farming for sustainable agroecosystem management. A systems thinking approach combining causal loop diagram (CLD) and network analysis (NA) was applied to map interactions among 77 determinants across plant, animal, human and environmental health subsystems. The analysis identified 43 reinforcing and 7 balancing feedback loops that regulate productivity, nutrient cycling and ecosystem stability. Soil fertility (betweenness = 2572.03; PageRank = 0.051) and crop damage emerged as structurally central variables linking productivity and pest dynamics, whereas BSF–VIPP adoption represented important intervention areas for future testing. Integrating BSF based waste valorisation and VIPP ecological pest management promotes circular nutrient flows, strengthens OH outcomes and provides a foundation for system dynamics modelling toward sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa.

Keywords

black soldier fly, circular bioeconomy, network analysis, One Health, push–pull technology, sustainable agriculture, systems thinking

Disciplines

Agronomy and Crop Sciences | Entomology | Environmental Sciences

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