The seminar will explore consumption behavior and food chain dynamics as the result of the capabilities, strategies and environment of stakeholders in the food chain, including consumers. Consumption dynamics mostly refer to food transition with a rising intake of meat, sugar, fats and processed food in some regions and consumers’ groups, but also patterns of resistance in others. These go hand-in-hand with concentration trends in distribution, vertical integration and innovations in logistics, quality and labelling at various levels, as they may be promoted by SMEs as well as corporations. Particular attention will be paid to the issue of how public and private strategies and governance can gear these dynamics towards increased food security and sustainability by changing the stakeholders’ range of options in terms of the diversity and affordability of proposed food items and formats. Food security is considered through the traditional dimensions of availability, access and quality (including nutritional balance), while food sustainability encompasses the limitation of negative impacts on the environment (depletion of natural resources, health, employment and income.

Theme

The seminar will explore consumption behavior and food chain dynamics as the result of the capabilities, strategies and environment of stakeholders in the food chain, including consumers. Consumption dynamics mostly refer to food transition with a rising intake of meat, sugar, fats and processed food in some regions and consumers’ groups, but also patterns of resistance in others. These go hand-in-hand with concentration trends in distribution, vertical integration and innovations in logistics, quality and labelling at various levels, as they may be promoted by SMEs as well as corporations. Particular attention will be paid to the issue of how public and private strategies and governance can gear these dynamics towards increased food security and sustainability by changing the stakeholders’ range of options in terms of the diversity and affordability of proposed food items and formats. Food security is considered through the traditional dimensions of availability, access and quality (including nutritional balance), while food sustainability encompasses the limitation of negative impacts on the environment (depletion of natural resources, health, employment and income.

Background

It is now widely accepted that the increase in food production alone is not sufficient to ensure adequate food security, especially in developing regions. Furthermore, there are increasing concerns relating to the inadequate nutritional status due to imbalance and a lack of diversity in people’s diets in developed as well as developing and emerging economies, which is giving rise to the triple burden of malnutrition: the co-existence of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and overnutrition, and immense social and economic costs. The relationship between consumption patterns and the depletion of natural resources is another matter for concern, in particular with regard to meat and fats (which are also singled out in terms of nutritional impacts).

Consumer behavior is influenced not only by the individuals’ socio-economic profiles and the information available, but also by their modes of access to various food sources. Conversely, food suppliers’ strategies are influenced not only by economic motives but also by the feedback they receive from consumers and the civil society. The development of agri-business as well as ICTs may favor information transfer and investment in logistics, but their economic and social impacts are, as yet, little documented. Likewise, the circular and bio-economies may take a variety of forms, with varying economic and social impacts.

Objectives

The seminar will help assess the conditions for more mutually beneficial incentives and interactions between the different stakeholders in the chains, including consumers, leading to more sustainable mechanisms of food provisioning and consumption. It will shed light on the “missing middle” between food consumption and production, which is more often invisible and unsupported rather than missing. It will also explore new insights in the fields of economics of organizations, industrial economics (including value chain studies), circular economy, rural and economic sociology, marketing and management research. Finally, it will help develop collaboration opportunities between universities and research groups involved in these areas of research and teaching.

Topics

The seminar will be based on oral presentations in plenary sessions by invited speakers and in parallel workgroups. Expected topics to be covered by the papers include the following items. They can be proposed as special sessions:

• The influence of foodscapes on consumption patterns and food security and nutrition.
• The impact of environmental and social responsibility strategies on sustainable development in food systems.
• Logistics in global food value chains and sustainability.
• The relation between food chain structure and sustainability: short versus long food chains, new roles for food chain intermediaries, impacts of the circular economy.
• Large multinational agribusiness firms and global food value chains.
• The evolution of private and public institutions and their governance of food safety and sustainability.
• The social, economic and health impacts of agri-business on food chains in developing economies.
• The social and economic impacts of ICTs on food chains.
• The contribution of the analysis of food systems as commons.
• The evaluation of current governance and performance indicators for food security and sustainability....

Call for Papers

The seminar invites an international scientific audience of economists and management specialists working in the fields of food consumption, food industries and food security. Participants who would like to present a paper are requested to send a full text, between 6,000 and 8,500 words (Times New Roman font size 12, double spacing), January 15, 2019, through www.eeeaexxxx. The paper should include an abstract (maximum of 150 words), objectives, research questions, theoretical framework, methodology and results. People submitting papers will be involved in the reviewing process. Authors of accepted papers will be notified by February 28, 2019. The official language of the seminar is English. The organizers will explore options of publications of a selection of papers in special issues of journals in agricultural economics

Call for Posters

A special session will be organized for posters. Participants who would like to present a paper are requested to send an abstract of a maximum of 150 words

Call for Sessions 

Proposals to organize sessions, should include the following information:

1. The title of the Workshop
2. The name, affiliation, mailing address and e-mail address(es) of the proposer(s)
3. A description of the topic of the Session (not exceeding 100 words)
4. Three paper contributions (titles and authors; these will be submitted and evaluated through the general evaluation process).

Scientific Committee

• Jean-Marie Codron (INRA-Moisa)
• Kostas Karantininis (SLU)
• Liesbeth Dries (WUR)
• Lucie Sirieix (Supagro-Moisa)
• Elodie Rouvière (Agroparistech)
• Ronan Levelly (Supagro-Innovation)
• Michel Simioni (Inra-Moisa)
• Tom Reardon (MSU)
• Jill Mc Cluskey (Washington State University)
• Foued Cheriet (Supagro-Moisa)
• Alessandro Bonnano (Colorado State University)
• Elodie Maitre-Dhotel (Cirad-Moisa)
• Florent Saucède (Supagro-Moisa)
• Zohra Bouamra (TSE)
• George Hendrickse (Erasmus University)
• Nigel Poople (Soas)
• Miet Maertens (KU Leuven)
• Xiangping Jia (NAFU, Yangling, China)
• Ousmane Badiane (IFPRI)
• Paule Moustier (Cirad-Moisa, chair)

Key Dates

• Submission of papers and posters: extended deadline : January 15, 2019

• Notification of acceptance of papers and posters: February 28, 2019
• Start of early-bird registration: February 28, 2019
• Start of regular registration: March 30, 2019
• End of regular registration: April 30, 2019
• Seminar: May 15-17, 2019