The international conference “Food in the Bio-based Economy; Sustainable Provision and Access” is organized by the Section Economics of Wageningen UR and focuses on the economic analysis of the relevant issues related to the sustainable food provision and access in the emerging bio-based Economy.

Theme and scope

Addressing global challenges such as climate change, population growth and particularly the increase in food demand involves biological sciences. This includes industrial biotechnology and agricultural technologies that increase efficiency and environmental sustainability in food production, and provide alternative sources for energy supply and biological solutions to improve health outcomes. The emerging bio-economy will be influenced by public policies, regulations, consumer attitudes and societal responses in general. Furthermore, resources are not equally distributed and accessible. Enhancing global food security remains a big challenge. Contrasting problems exist where in one part of the world we observe food waste and obesity, while poverty and undernourishment in other parts.

Objectives

This conference aims at bringing together frontier economic research on sustainable food production and consumption in the bio-based economy at local, regional and (inter)national levels. WUR invites theoretical and empirical contributions from different fields of economics that address the specific objectives of the conference.

Specific objectives of this conference are to:

• Contribute to the ongoing debate on global food security in the bio-based economy
• Generate insight in the development of the bio-based economy
• Bring together economists interested in research on sustainable food provision and access at multiple levels
• Strengthen the link between economic theory and empirical work on sustainable food production and consumption

Topics

WUR invites submissions on the following topics but not limited to:

• Sustainable intensification and the bio-economy
• Measurement of the bio-economy
• Innovation and technology transfer
• Climate change impacts
• Water management and soil conservation
• Food and fuel competition
• Consumer attitudes and behavior
• Regulations and policies
• Distribution, trade and market access
• Political economy of food supply

Special Issue

A special issue of the NJAS – Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences on the conference theme will be published under the Guest Editorship of the conference organizing committee. Papers submitted for this special issue will undergo the normal journal reviewing process. No additional publication fees will be charged. Authors whose papers are accepted for presentation at the conference are encouraged to submit their papers to the NJAS special issue.

For more information, to submit papers and to register, please visit the website.