Call for Papers

Explanations on the conference topic

Innovations play a major role on the path to more sustainable agri-food systems. To meet the challenges of environmental and resource protection as well as the preservation of biodiversity, viable concepts are needed that help to build a more resilient agri-food system in times of climate change and other man-made crises.

The 64th Annual Conference of GEWISOLA offers space to engage with research dedicated to the development and testing of innovative technologies, products and processes in the agricultural and food sector, investigations for new operating and business models. The design and transformation of value chains should be considered from the perspective of different actors. Hence, innovations are understood broadly: They can take place at all levels of the agri-food system and combine technological with social, organisational and cultural new features. The call also includes papers that deal with questions of diffusion of innovations in the agricultural and food sector and address, for example, the role of niche innovations, knowledge transfer and consulting services.

In addition, contributions that look at innovative concepts from two other perspectives are welcome: First, the question arises how educational arrangements must be rethought and redesigned to effectively shape teaching and learning strategies as well as competence promotion in times of constant change and socio-technical change processes. This also includes diverse non-university educational concepts, programs and new qualification approaches. Second, new and creative ways of knowledge generation are needed for the development and investigation of socio-technical innovation processes. Therefore, contributions dealing with innovative research methods and designs to examine agri-food systems from a system perspective are also welcome.

Both theoretical-conceptual and empirical contributions on the following research areas are welcome:

1. Development, investigation and testing of innovative concepts for the agricultural and food economy

2. Dissemination of innovations in the agricultural and food industry

3. Innovative competence transfer and educational concepts for a sustainable agricultural and food industry

4. Innovative research methods for a sustainable agricultural and food industry