Loïc Sauvée, Professor of Management Sciences Head of Research unit InTerACT
Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle, France

Mariantonietta Fiore, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Department of Economics, 
Rector's Delegate of International Relations  University of Foggia, Italy

Direct questions and inquiries about the Symposium to: academic@ifama.org.

FOCUS

Production Evolution and Transformation — A collaboration among stakeholders working across multiple sectors is needed to transform agriculture that combines innovation, science and technology.

• Will technology achieve its promise to transform food supply chains and farming?

Economic Competitiveness — To strengthen the global food web, stakeholders need to be equipped at many levels, working across different sectors.

• Can ESG be aligned with sustainability of the food business?
• How can we give smallholder farmers better access to resources, finances, cooperatives, and associations?

Sustainability through Legislation — Regulation plays a key role in promoting and enforcing sustainable practices in agriculture.

• Who should lead change? 
• What role should governments, universities, corporations, and consumers play as agents of disruption in the existing systems?

Societal Impacts — Food is central to our cultural identity. However, as the global population increases access to nutritious food is not equitable, leading to food scarcity in some regions, and food waste and an obesity epidemic in others.

• Can we create a better society through better food?
• How do we balance the needs for abundant food, nutrition, human health, with diminishing planetary resources?

HOT TOPICS

• Will Technology achieve its promise to transform food supply chains and farming?
• What are the economics of sustainability?
• What metrics can be used to measure sustainability?
• What are some of the new trends of digital sustainability in agrifood businesses?
• ESG and the creation of value in agrifood sectors: what opportunities and challenges for corporations?
• What role should governments, universities, corporations, and consumers play as agents of disruption in order to accelerate widespread adoption of sustainable agriculture?
• Can market-oriented agricultural advisory services (MOAAS) help clients adapt to the factors impacting on agricultural markets, from climate change to modern retail?
• How does food impact personal wellbeing and quality of life? Measuring the dimensions of agriculture and consumption on health.
• Could Blockchain Technology bridge trust traceability and transparency in a circular food chain?

• Agribusiness strategies to optimize value chain management.
• Linkages between agribusiness strategies and technological usage.
• Customer orientation and marketing in agribusiness.
• Commodity price volatility and availability.
• Food, health, security, and safety issues.
• Agribusiness education in the 21st century.
• Conservation, circular and regenerative agriculture
• European Green Deal: opportunities for agribusiness management
• Entrepreneurship in agribusiness innovation.
• Food loss and waste: new business strategies to prevent and limit loss.
• Attracting the next generation of young professionals to the agribusiness sector
• Access to finance, farmers cooperatives, and associations for small holder farmers
• Knowledge transfer and talent development to low-skilled labor force
• Digital sustainability in ag business. How to combine digitalization trends in agrifood sectors while addressing sustainability
• Geopolitical environment and agribusiness strategies: uncertainties in geopolitics affect market trends, closing some avenues while opening some new (and maybe unexpected) ones for business.
• Education challenges and the European Green Deal: opportunities for agribusiness management
• Conservation agriculture/regenerative agriculture: what opportunities, what threats for agribusiness firms?
• ESG in an European context, as a creation of value: at what costs / benefits? Crossed views from managers and academics 

TIMELINE

01 October 2023 Open to accept submissions
30 December 2023 Deadline for full-papers for 2024 Best Paper Competition
09 January 2024 Deadline for extended abstracts, full papers, and teaching cases
February 2024 Authors will be informed of the result of the double-blind peer review
17–20 June 2024 IFAMA 2024 World Conference in Almería, Spain (The Symposium occurs on 17–18 June)

FORMAT

Extended abstracts of 5–7 pages must be written in English and structured as follows:

• Problem definition, context, and relevance of a paper. Provide references to key literature
• Methodology
• Implications for policymakers and/or food and agribusiness firms
• Key findings
• Conclusions
• References — A maximum of five literature references may be added at the end of the abstract text.

Full papers and teaching cases of up to 9,000 words – to report completed research.

Poster papers of up to 2,000 words – to propose a research idea, seek research collaboration, present a literature review, describe a research design, or report work-in-progress.

Download the Call for Papers    Please submit all papers, abstracts and cases here: Submittable Portal

BEST PAPER COMPETITION

Every year IFAMA selects two award-winning papers or teaching cases. To participate you must submit a full paper by December 30, 2023. If it is accepted for presentation at the 2024 Conference (announcements April 15–20, 2024) you have until May 15, 2024 to submit the final version.

Best Paper Chair: Ram Acharya, Professor, New Mexico State University, USA. Questions? Contact:  acharyar@nmsu.edu.

Download Best Paper Guidelines

CASE CONFERENCE & TEACHING CASES

The International Food and Agribusiness Management Association is committed to developing and showcasing best practice in case study writing, teaching, and learning to promote problem-solving and knowledge transfer skills in the next generation of agri-food management talent.

The Case Conference track of IFAMA’s academic Symposium is directed at a broad audience of professionals who are interested in developing effective food and agribusiness related cases and using them as learning tools, as well as for those interested in the specific case topics discussed. The Teaching Case Workshop also includes “featured cases” that are structured to provide constructive feedback to the case writers on their cases and discussion leadership skills. By modeling the case discussion process, we hope to encourage others to write cases or use cases (and the case discussion method) in their classes. IFAMA will showcases the best teaching case studies and awards recognizes the Best Teaching Case.

Co-Chairs:
Bernardo Piazzardi, Executive Director at MBA in Agribusiness Universidad Austral, Argentina. Questions? Contact: BPiazzardi@austral.edu.ar
Susana Falcão, Executive Director, Fondation Ondjyla, Switzerland

Download Call for Teaching Cases

PRACTITIONER DISCUSSION SESSIONS

Practitioners who would like to host and facilitate a discussion around a topical issue during the conference are invited to submit an abstract of approximately 500 words no later than January 31, 2024. The abstract should include:

• Industry background
• Presentation objectives
• Problems addressed

Results in terms of contribution to the practice of (continuous) innovation management. If your abstract is accepted you will be asked to submit a PowerPoint/Poster presentation, before April 30, 2024.

Please send abstracts for practitioners to Symposium Chairs at academic@ifama.org.