EXTENDED DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS TILL 29 MAY:
Call for Papers for a workshop on
Climate Smart Agriculture: multi-disciplinary approaches now and in the future
during the
Global Cleaner Production & Sustainable Consumption Conference
Accelerating the Transition to Equitable Post Fossil-Carbon Societies
1 - 4 November 2015 | Sitges, Barcelona, Spain
Session chairs:
Dr Vincent Blok MBA, Wageningen University
Dr Thomas B. Long, Wageningen University
Dr Nicola Di Virgilio, Institute of Biometeorology (CNR-IBIMET)
Ingrid Coninx, Alterra
Dr Jean-Marc Touzard, French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA)
Dr Martin Lukac, University of Reading
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is a high profile concept, emerging as a key response to the challenges agriculture faces due to climate change. CSA involves alterations to production systems and value chains that improve food security and agricultural productivity, increase adaptive capacity and resilience, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions where possible (FAO, 2010).
Whilst CSA has gained momentum, as illustrated through commitments by actors such as the United Nations, African Union and the European Union, progress 'on-the-ground' is at an early stage (Ren, 2015). Ensuring a successful transition towards CSA will require unprecedented and coordinated joint scientific and policy effort, in both developed and developing country contexts.
Improving our knowledge of key factors around CSA is critical for its continued advance and the success of agriculture. However, CSA is a broad and multi-faceted issue (Bogdanski, 2012). Many barriers to change inhibit the development and implementation of CSA. Some examples include the slow adoption of technological innovations, regulatory and policy issues, lack of demand or the unequal distribution of benefits and costs across supply chains (Blok et al., 2015). These barriers to change can be found on both the supply and demand sides of agro-food chains. In common with the wider theme of sustainable production and consumption, many barriers and issues relate to a lack of connection between supply (production) and demand (consumption) (Stevens, 2010). As such, finding ways of linking and integrating consumption or user perspectives to production may enhance the CSA transition.
The challenges associated with CSA will require, among other aspects, integrated multi-disciplinary approaches, which build upon social, natural and technological sciences. The key questions we pose for this workshop include:
• What are the best methods for promoting CSA and what strategies exist for expanding or upscaling successful examples of CSA?
• What synergise and trade-offs can be identified within CSA? How can trade-offs be prioritised?
• How can socio-economic, political, ecological and technological approaches be combined and integrated to help overcome key barriers to CSA?
• What concepts, approaches or actions are available for the bridging production and consumption dimensions of agro-food supply chains for the advancement of CSA?
• How can costs and benefits of CSA be spread equally within supply chains?
• What successful examples exist of CSA innovation adoption and diffusion?
• What role should policy play in furthering CSA?
• What are the key topics and priorities for a successful near and long-term future research agenda?
In this context, we invite authors to prepare and submit extended abstracts by May 31, 2015 via the Global Conference website: http://www.cleanerproductionconference.com/
After your extended abstract has been reviewed you will be invited to develop a conference paper; these can be based upon empirical studies, conceptual contributions or 'state-of-the art' literature reviews on "multi-disciplinary approaches for CSA now and into the future".
The workshop will focus upon the identification of examples of multi-disciplinary approaches that lead or can potentially lead to the advancement of CSA as well as methods that have the potential for integrating consumption perspectives in agro-food production methods. In addition to highlighting ways of bridging disciplines and production and consumption for CSA, the workshop is designed seeks answers to the questions posed above, and to identify and expand upon key future research areas for CSA.
By taking part in the workshop, participants will explore the broad and cross-cutting nature of the concept, and gain an understanding of the need for multidisciplinary approaches. Due to the focus of the workshop, participants can expect to engage and collaborate with researchers from different backgrounds and perspectives. It is expected that this process will facilitate the sharing of ideas and highlight potential areas for future research collaboration. The session will also allow participants the opportunity to step out of their often highly focused niche areas of research and consider and debate the wider issues and themes within CSA; such an opportunity is seen as especially pertinent given the diverse, cross-cutting and multi-disciplinary nature of CSA research. The outcomes of this session will be used as a foundation for a call to the wider CSA community.
For more information about the workshop, questions and remarks, please feel free to contact Vincent Blok (vincent.blok@wur.nl) or Thomas B. Long (Thomas.long@wur.nl ).
Dr. Vincent Blok MBA
Assistant Professor in Responsible Innovation and Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Flagship manager Climate Smart Agriculture Booster (KiC Climate)
Wageningen University
Management Studies
Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN, Wageningen (Building 201)
De Leeuwenborch, Room 5060
P.O. Box 8130, 6700 EW, Wageningen
T: +31 (0) 317 483623
F: +31 (0) 317 485454
E-mail: vincent.blok@wur.nl
Website: www.vincentblok.nl
Website: www.csabooster.eu
Disclaimer: www.wur.nl/UK/disclaimer.htm