Decision support for agri-food chains: A reverse engineering argumentation-based approach

•We present a real case study of an argumentation process in the agrifood domain.•We introduce viewpoints and goals in a backward chaining reasoning procedure.•We provide a logical framework in first order logic.•Specific recommended actions are computed depending on the considered concerns.•We present the case study evaluation process.

Evaluating food quality is a complex process since it relies on numerous criteria historically grouped into four main types: nutritional, sensorial, practical and hygienic qualities. They may be completed by other emerging preoccupations such as the environmental impact, economic phenomena, etc. However, all these aspects of quality and their various components are not always compatible and their simultaneous improvement is a problem that sometimes has no obvious solution, which corresponds to a real issue for decision making. This paper proposes a decision support method guided by the objectives defined for the end products of an agrifood chain. It is materialised by a backward chaining approach based on argumentation.