The ChainLetter - April 2023

The

April 2023

IFAMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS – OFFICERS

Raj Vardhan Aidan Connolly Hector Laurence

IFAMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS – ACADEMIA

Brian Briggeman Maria Carmela Annosi Brent Ross

Derek Baker Edward Mabaya Loic Sauvee

Esteban Brenes Woody Maijers Longbao Wei

IFAMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS –INDUSTRY | GOVERNMENT | NGO

Ronald Guendel Nicola Shadbolt Peter Maes

Mary Shelman Shane Masters

IFAMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS – COUNSELORS

Walt Armbruster Marcos Fava Neves John Purchase

Johan van Rooyen Jacques Trienekens Gregory Baker

IFAMA YOUNG BOARD

Edeoba Edobor Tatevik Avetisyan Ebenezer Bold

Richard Agetu Juan José Bolaños Herrera Addie Spolyar

Rebecca Bennett Chikomborero Chiobvu Jack Keeys

Anathi Makamane Mateusz Ciasnocha Justin McNally

Verena Otter Melissa van der Merwe Jessica Souto

IFAMA REGIONAL BOARD OF ADVISORS

Ray Goldberg Brian Briggeman Eric Micheels

Sylvain Charlebois Jacques Trienekens Hans Johr

Allan Gray Erica Kulhman Kristian Moeller

Ronald Guendel Damien McLoughlin Thad Simons

Gerhard Schiefer William Nelson Eluned Jones

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

various academic papers that will be presented during the Symposium program.

RAJ VARDHAN IFAMA President

IFAMA is excited to be hosting the IFAMA 2023 World Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand! The partnership we’ve formed with E-Tipu-Boma in New Zealand ensures that this conference will be both memorable and wellattended. Early Bird registration ends 26-April, so please register now to save $100.

I would like to thank my colleagues Nicola Shadbolt and Jack Keeys, the 2023 Conference Co-chairs, who are playing a stellar role in ensuring a new zenith for the conference.

The academic Symposium is also shaping up nicely under the direction of the Symposium Chairs, Nic Lees and Meike Rombach. I would also like to acknowledge the work of our academic colleagues who are generating

If you are an academic member, I request you please garner support from your institution to bring at least one team for the global Student Case Competition. We have teams mobilizing from around the world and we are working on internship opportunities for the winning teams.

For the first time, we are offering a hybrid program for members to attend remotely. It will include key live-streamed Forum sessions, discussion groups, an online ResearchInnovation Competition, and academic research presentations.

I am pleased to announce that we have signed a contract with the International School of Agri Management in Spain to host the IFAMA 2024 Conference in Almeria, Spain. More details about it will be released during the 2023 Presidential Banquet in New Zealand.

Kudos to Mara Doane and Kathryn White from the IFAMA Business Office who are working behind the scenes to take IFAMA’s global membership to a new milestone—more than 2000 members! More than 20 new institutions and universities have also joined the organization over the last year. We welcome all new members to IFAMA and look forward to these collaborative partnerships.

In March, we successfully launched the WhatsApp regional chat groups for each continent to facilitate communication between members in specific regions. The WhatsApp foray is different than IFAMA’s Global Community App that we launched in June of 2022. These chat groups are intended to help promote events, projects, and research specifically related to food, agriculture, and sustainability in your region. If you have not received an invitation link to join, please contact us.

The IFAMA Executive Committee has recently expanded to include a member from the IFAMA Young Board. We are pleased to welcome

Juan Jose Bolaños, of Pinalbo, Costa Rica to this committee as we support the next generation of leaders in assuming progressive roles of service within the organization.

Volunteers needed. We are seeking students and young professionals for various volunteer positions in the areas of communication, project leadership, membership development and fund-raising managers (details on page 17). I am convinced that exposure to these activities will not only add capabilities and context to your personal CV, it will also assist you in your current job through the focused networks that you are able to build on this platform in these respective roles.

IFAMA’s first regional 2.0 core project, the Mulimi project in Zambia has seen renewed focus to assist with capacity building at the small farmer level. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Melissa Van Der Merwe, of Stellenbosch University, who helped launch this collaboration. Michelle Marais, Russell Stone Group, South Africa, is now heading the project.

Have you ever attended one of the IFAMA Membership Meetings? These online meetings are conducted regionally and

intended to onboard you to the organization. I provide a brief overview of the organization, information on new initiatives, our goals for the future, and how to maximize your membership. The next opportunity occurs for members in Europe and Africa on Wednesday, April 26. Register here.

This is my last communication to you as your President. I officially hand over the baton to Aidan Connolly, CEO of Agritech Capital, during the conference in June.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the nominations committee for selecting an excellent candidate.

Aidan brings more than 30 years of experience as a senior-level executive in the agribusiness industry. He has lived in six countries and speaks five languages. I am convinced Aidan will build on the foundation that he inherits.

I look forward to seeing many of you in Christchurch.

Asralt Dorjderem, Managing Director, of the Business Academy, Mongolia and Kathryn White, Executive Director, IFAMA.

IFAMA welcomes the Business Academy of Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce as a new institutional member. Asralt recently visited the US to form alignments with organizations that can help support new initiatives in the food and agribusiness sector in Mongolia.

IFAMA WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

AIDAN CONNOLLY has been appointed IFAMA president-elect and will begin serving a two-year term in June 2023.

Aidan is President of AgriTech Capital, a resource firm helping governments, Fortune 500 food companies and agri-businesses develop an AgTech strategy.

Until 2022, Aidan was also CEO of Cainthus, an artificial intelligence company that monitors livestock management practices. Prior to Cainthus, Aidan was the Chief Innovation Officer at Alltech, where he also served in many other capacities over 28 years.

Aidan has worked in more than 100 countries with state and national governments and with international organizations including the European Union and the United Nations.

He is principle for Kincannon Reed the world’s

leading food and agribusiness executive search company and Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Co. Aidan recently published his second book: The Future of Agriculture –a collection of essays reflecting the rapidly changing trends and challenges in the ag sector.

PETER MAES joins the IFAMA Senior Board as the chief strategy officer of Koppert Biological Systems in the Netherlands. He develops sustainable solutions for the cultivation of food crops and ornamental plants. In collaboration with growers and nature. His business makes agriculture healthier, safer, more productive and resilient by deploying natural enemies to combat pest insects, using bumblebees for natural pollination. He develops products that strengthen crops both above and underground, resulting in healthy crops and a balanced environment.

IFAMA REGIONAL CHAT GROUPS ON WHATSAPP!

Join your regional WhatsApp chat group to share information on events, projects, research, or hot topics relevant to your region. Connect with students, young professionals, and experts. Ask a question, or find a collaborator for a business venture or research study.

Invitations were emailed to all IFAMA members in March. If you need the link, simply email the Communications Director, Mara Doane: mara@ifama.org and be sure to include which regional group you would like to join.

Africa Asia

Europe North America

Oceania South America

NEWLY APPOINTED YOUNG BOARD MEMBERS

CHIKOMBORERO

CHIOBVU studies

smallholder farmers and the challenges they face on a local and global scale at the Univ. of Pretoria, S. Africa. Through research and the trade industry, she focuses on agricultural trends, sustainable farming, and marketing. Her extracurricular activities involve using her social media platforms to educate about the complexities and joys of being in the agricultural industry.

EBENEZER BOLD

is a Lecturer at the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Ghana. He has a BS in Agribusiness from UENR and a Master’s Degree with a major in International Business and Marketing from PDM University – India. His focus is in agribusiness, TQM, food security, supply chain management and marketing.

JESSICA SOUTO has a Master of Agribusiness from Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. She currently works as the Opportunity

and Inclusion Team Lead at Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre (RRCRC), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where she develops food security strategies for low-income individuals in Ottawa.

TATEVIK AVETISYAN is an Assistant Professor of Agricultural Business at California State University, Chico. She holds an MS in Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, and a Ph.D. in Community Sustainability, both degrees are from Michigan State University. Tatevik is fluent in English, Armenian, and Russian. She works to help sustainability-conscious enterprises in the agri-food sector balance economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

REBECCA BENNETT is the Co-Innovation Manager for the Australian Meat Processor Corporation. Her role is to drive innovation in the agrifood system by using science and research to meet industry needs. She has coached Intercollegiate Meat Judging and is an MLA Red Meat Ambassador. She is studying for a Postgraduate Agribusiness degree while working towards becoming a meat science and supply chain specialist.

Don’t miss this opportunity to network with students, early career professionals and future leaders in our industry at the IFAMA 2023 World Conference in June!

IFAMA 2023 WORLD CONFERENCE IN NEW ZEALAND

NICOLA SHADBOLT IFAMA Conference Co-Chair Professor, Massey Univ. Plant & Food Research Institute, New Zealand

After many years of attending IFAMA conferences around the world we are very excited to be hosting IFAMA friends, old and new, in New Zealand this year.

New Zealand is a small country known for punching above its weight in sport (not just rugby!) and in agribusiness (it feeds nearly 10 times its own population). It is also known for its stunning and varied landscape (think Lord of the Rings) and its adventure tourism (the home of Bungy jumping). Both before and after the conference attendees can experience all or some of these.

For agribusiness enthusiasts, the National Field Days at Mystery Creek occurs the week before our conference. This is the southern

hemisphere’s largest agricultural event and where much of what we do is showcased. Then after the conference, we have agribusiness tours planned that will enable you to explore and understand our systems – from commodities to finely tuned unique products delivering to customers all over the world (see Tours, pages 16–17).

With the majority of our products exported New Zealand agribusiness is global by default. We make it our business to understand

changing trends in societal and consumer expectations and are constantly innovating to be able to meet that demand at the highest level of quality and safety and as efficiently as we can from the bottom of the world! So, it is no surprise that the theme for this year’s IFAMA conference is Transforming the Global Food & Fibre System. The undiminishing demand for food globally, coupled with the need to deliver it, in a variety of formats with the lowest environmental footprint, requires innovation and transformation of what we know today.

The conference showcases innovation, providing opportunities to challenge the status quo and debate how and what to transform while identifying the skill sets needed to do so.

ACADEMIC SYMPOSIUM

The conference begins on June 17-18th with the Academic Symposium and Student Case Competition on the campus of Lincoln University located just outside Christchurch in the South Island. There will be buses running attendees out from the city each day. The Symposium scientific reviewing committee have assessed more than 160 papers, proposals and case studies from academics worldwide all keen to present their research at the two-day Symposium. The two days promise to be filled with opportunities to network, to learn from and with peers and/or to pit your skills against a wicked problem in the Student Case Competition (see page 8).

IFAMA 2023 SYMPOSIUM

HOT TOPICS

• Interdisciplinary initiatives leveraging diverse backgrounds, experience, and skills

• Inspiring talent-highlighting the challenges

and opportunities in sector capability

• Regional and global collaboration and cross-country connections that empower scaled success

• Indigenous innovation showcases solutions of indigenous origin and ownership

WORLD FORUM

This year, IFAMA has teamed up with Boma, which annually hosts the Boma E Tipu Agri Summit in New Zealand. Their conferences have become a critical platform for informed, thoughtful, future-focused dialogue around the issues that really matter for Oceania’s primary industries. Partnering with IFAMA broadens these discussions bringing international elements that promise to provide a unique experience for IFAMA conference attendees.

It will feature world class speakers, workshop discussions and networking between a broad mix of industry and government people, academics, and young professionals, at the Christchurch Town Hall, Christchurch, in the South Island. At its conclusion on the Tuesday evening there will be the IFAMA Presidential Banquet and award ceremonies.

CONFERENCE THEMES

FARMERS FIRST: Showcasing farmers delivering on the bold ambition

• Showcasing highly successful indigenous models of agriculture in Oceania

• Resources for economic development

FUTURE FIRST: Showcasing where the world is heading so we can get ahead of the curve

• Secure and resilient technology and connectivity

• Strategies to attract young people to the ag sector

• Food, health, security, and safety issues

FIBRE FIRST: Showcasing forwardthinking developments in fibre

• New business strategies and technologies

• Sustainable fibre usage and circular economy

FOOD FIRST: Showcasing powerful innovations in food production, distribution and consumption

• Strategies to optimize value chain management

• Entrepreneurship and innovation

2023 STUDENT CASE COMPETITION IN NEW ZEALAND

ELENA GARNEVSKA

2023 Student Case Competition Chair

Senior Lecturer Agribusiness, Massey Univ., New Zealand

The IFAMA Global Case Study

Competition has grown significantly over the last decade and is now an integral part of the IFAMA Symposium. The case competition has established itself as the world-leading case championship for food and agribusiness students and young professionals. Teams of 3–5 people have four hours to complete a complex case study based on a real-world challenge. This requires teams to develop a creative, practical, strategic solutions to the case, build a presentation that communicates their perspective, analyses, and recommendations to a panel of leading global judges.

Now in its 18th year, the Global Case Study Competition finds itself in New Zealand for

the first time in 2023. In partnership with internationally recognized Massey University and Lincoln University, top teams from around the world will have the opportunity to showcase their talent on a global stage in a country that lives and breathes food and agribusiness.

EDUCATORS

• If you have bright students who are ready to take a real-world challenge, please encourage them to participate in the case competition

• Showcase your university/company

• Share your knowledge and passion with your students and the world

• Actively engage with global agribusiness leaders/academics

• Better understand important/contemporary issues in a global agri-food sector

• Meet other like-minded professionals

STUDENTS | YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

• Get the attention of talent recruiters and industry professionals

• Develop the soft skills highly valued in industry

• Be creative and innovative

• Integrate theory and skills into practice

• Meet other like-minded young people

• Prepare to be challenged at different levels

WHY COMPETE?

• Gain the attention of future employers

• Work below the surface on real-world challenges

• Fine tune your problem-solving and analytical skills

• Represent your university, institution or company—and your country

• Capitalize on global networking opportunities

• Actively engage with global leaders and changemakers

• Earn the prestigious title: World Champions

Looking forward to seeing you in Christchurch, New Zealand in June 2023!

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT — TATEVIK AVETISYAN

Tatevik Avetisyan has been a member of IFAMA since 2014. Traveling to South Africa to participate in the IFAMA global Student Case Competition is one of her most memorable professional experiences. “I instantly felt a deep connection with the organization,” Avetisyan said. The next year, her team from Michigan State University went on to win first place in the Student Case Competition hosted in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA.

Avetisyan is an assistant professor of Agricultural Business at California State University-Chico. She teaches agricultural markets, advanced agribusiness management, and agricultural and food marketing competition. Her research draws from multiple fields including: entrepreneurship, economics, supply chain risk management, network science, agri-food business management, and sustainability science to analyze issues faced by farms and food enterprises. Trained in both qualitative and quantitative research methods,

she designs practical instruments and integrated assessment tools. Currently, her research projects include exploring food hubs and fava bean markets in California, examining consumer willingness to pay premiums for local food in Northern California as well as exploring regional food hubs in West Africa.

Tatevik’s professional activities include coaching student teams for various competitions, advising undergraduate students, and serving as the chair of the FFA Marketing Plan Contest and on the Faculty Development Advisory Board at CSU-Chico. She also served as the president of IFAMA Young Professionals, North America Chapter since 2021, before joining the IFAMA Young Board in 2023.

According to Avetisyan, two challenges that will impact the Ag sector in the next 10 years concern the three pillars of sustainability economic, social, and environment.

“I am convinced sustainability-conscious

Touring Michael David Winery, a 150 year-old family-owned winery focused on sustainability in Lodi, California, USA.

enterprises in the agri-food sector will take the lead in the next few decades as we face the challenge of providing food for the world’s growing population while addressing the need to effectively manage natural resource use balanced with technological innovation,” says Avetisyan.

Another major challenge is to educate our youth about career opportunities and inspire them to pursue education and career paths in the agri-food sector. “Talent acquisition in the agri-food sector is facing intense competition from other sectors such as healthcare, law, and information technology. Unlike the agri-food sector, traditionally, there is a wellestablished awareness about the career paths of these competing sectors,” said Avetisyan.

She has found IFAMA conferences to be excellent opportunities for roundtable discussions focusing on the most challenging issues facing the agri-food sector.

“It is both inspiring and powerful to see so many academics, business leaders and policy makers in one setting and be able to learn and share knowledge with everyone,” she said. The Student Case Competition is a unique opportunity for students to develop critical thinking and real-life problem-solving skills. It is a platform for finding some of the brightest student talent in the sector.

Dr. Avetisyan notes that IFAMA definitely provided a platform for her professional development. “IFAMA has been a huge

inspiration for me over the past few years. It offered me great opportunities to network with some of the most talented people in the agri-food sector from all corners of world. Student case competitions, academic symposiums, round-table discussions and field trips helped me further see the depth and width of my profession.”

A visit to Harris Feeding Company, one of the largest feed lots and finishing facilities in the USA.

Dr. Avetisyan presents her research during the IFAMA 2019 World Conference, in Hangzhou, China.

THE YOUNGBOARD CORNER

ARE YOUNG PEOPLE REALLY LEAVING AGRICULTURE?

lobally, it would seem that there is an age question that confronts everyone that is involved in agriculture and food security. While the global median age is about 30 years, the average age of individuals that are involved in production agriculture is usually put at around 60 years. When one considers that the average population age of those in developing countries (especially sub-Saharan Africa) is way lower, it makes the situation seem even more dire. These data would tend to suggest that young people are not interested in agriculture but is this really the case? Are there some nuances that are not being considered in making such generalizations?

Considering the fact of the existence, growth and allure of non-agricultural employment in the most recent centuries, it would make natural sense that younger people are leaving the agricultural sector. However, this does not tell the entire story. There is the clear

Gfact that while the business and practice of agriculture had been hitherto restricted to farms and ranches, it has now evolved to include processors, retailers and other support services (such as banking, insurance, education and information technology) which actively employs young people. These areas especially the support services are not traditionally included in the census of people employed in the agricultural and food related sector. For example, the USDA classification of employment in agriculture, food and related industries only includes employment in farms, forestry, fishing, food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing, food and beverage stores, food services and drinking places. All together, these industries account for about 21.1 million jobs or 10.5% of US employment. However this measure does not count young people in new frontiers of agriculture such as engineers, researchers, computer scientists and bankers who directly service the agribusiness sector. Interestingly some of the young people in these sectors would be individuals from

farming or agricultural backgrounds, or move to those sectors to add value to agriculture.

Another much overlooked factor is in the fact that for most of the data about farm ownership or employment tends to focus on the household heads or main owners/operators even though the younger members of the households are actively involved. For example, the 2017 US census of agriculture identified a producer as someone involved in making decisions for the farm. While this is an improvement from the census in previous years, it may still be underreporting the agricultural involvement of non-decisionmaking family members. The same can also be said of some other national level censuses. There is also the issue of the peculiar nature of

EDEOBA EDOBOR Chair, IFAMA Young Board NCSU, Raleigh, NC

agriculture. Primary agriculture is a relatively very competitive sector. Farmers do not just have to compete for profits among themselves, but with other strong members of the value chain from the input to the retail industry which are relatively stronger. Consolidation therefore becomes a necessity for farmers to have some level of profit and bargaining power in the scheme of things. This is especially the case in developed economies where consolidation is advertised to promote efficiency of the value chain. In this case, young people leaving agriculture may not be a thing of preference but a response to other structural issues.

The argument of this piece is not to deny the fact that there is some work to be done to bring younger individuals into agriculture. If anything the goal is to present a more nuanced view of the issue of young people’s participation in agriculture. For example, the redistribution of young people from primary agriculture to other sectors that serve to make agriculture more efficient could be a blessing to count. From the perspective of the Young Board and larger IFAMA, this nuance fits our multi-sectoral, food system based approach.

We have some good news from the Young Board. We recently recruited five new members -Tatevik Avetisyan and Jessica Souto representing North America; Chikombero Chiobvu and Ebenezer Bold representing the African region; and Rebecca Bennett, representing Oceania. We welcome them and look forward to the fresh perspectives they are bring to the Young Board.

1 USDA (2022). Ag and Food Sectors and the Economy. 2 USDA (2017). Census of Agriculture-Farm Producers

IFAMA IN YOUR POCKET

We are excited to launch the IFAMA Global Community App! When you shout from this mountaintop, our entire membership will hear you!

Available now in Google Play and the Apple App Store for IFAMA members only. Members have recently received an email invitation to join the IFAMA Global Community App.

PRIORITIZING GLOBAL HUNGER MAKES A SAFER WORLD

Global Food Security is National Security

BY EDWIN PRICE, NAUREEN FATEMA, AND ABDUL SABOOR RAHMANY

Editors Note: Edwin Price, Ph.D. is a professor and Howard G. Buffett Endowed Chair on Conflict and Development in the Department of Agricultural Economics and also the director of the Center on Conflict and Development at Texas A&M University. His academic, research and extension activities are focused on the economics of armed conflict, international development and foreign assistance. He leads and administers international research and development activities funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the World Bank and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. He has been a contributing member of IFAMA for more than 30 years.

The world is now teetering on the edge of a global hunger and malnutrition crisis. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, extreme weather events caused by climate change, the ongoing global pandemic, and a host of other factors have wreaked havoc on global harvests and food supply chains. The World Food Program predicts that 2023 will be “another year of extreme jeopardy” for a record 349 million people facing acute food insecurity, the severest form of hunger. This crisis has already had serious repercussions for consumers worldwide including rising food costs and shortages of many staple products. These challenges have been significant, and a

number of even greater risks potentially loom on the horizon. Hunger and poverty around the world, particularly in developing countries, pose serious threats to stability and security in all nations.

For the majority of populations, agriculture is the primary way that people feed themselves and maintain a source of income. Yet in many countries, yields for major staple food and cash crops lag behind global averages, in large part due to a lack of investment in agricultural research and development (R&D) and a lack of access to existing technologies and knowledge on the part of farmers. Together, these factors lead to stagnating crop yields in developing countries, cycles of hunger, and extreme vulnerability to shocks such as those the world is seeing now. In addition, the lack of economic opportunity in developing countries, which is often driven by low agricultural productivity, is a major driver of the difficult, costly and often deadly migration of people across continents, seas and sometimes treacherous national borders.

NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS LINKED TO GLOBAL HUNGER

The world faces a range of security threats that can be linked to increasing global hunger and poverty. These threats fall into five main categories:

• Social and political threats

— Real or perceived risks linked to mass

migration, the potential spread of extremism and/or terrorism from radical groups that exploit impoverished communities, and risks from crime and the drug trade in countries where it is more profitable to grow illicit crops than food crops.

• Economic threats — Lost export opportunities when countries are hit by shocks, and disrupted access to import products that cannot be locally produced such as climate-specific food crops, pharmaceuticals, and minerals used in manufacturing such as cobalt and lithium.

• Nutrition and health threats — The potential for new diseases to spread from countries with poor health and sanitation infrastructure, shortages of health professionals, populations weakened by hunger, and other hardships.

• Environmental threats — The degradation of land, air, and water due to deforestation, often linked to clearing natural lands and the related effects on climate change and biodiversity.

• Cultural threats — The rise of autocracy, corruption, extremism, human trafficking, and human rights issues.

Investing in agricultural productivity and other long-term solutions is a better way to improve developing countries’ resilience against shocks, compared with direct commodity aid, which is a short-term solution. To address the root causes of hunger and poverty, countries should make investments in various forms of long-term capital in developing countries, including human capital (e.g. education and science training programs), technological capital (e.g. agricultural research and development), and institutional capital (e.g. local partners to build their capacity), as well as natural, physical, financial, and cultural capital. Importantly, international development programs should consider the individual needs of different developing countries, and tailor capital investments accordingly.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

Within this context, governments should consider the following recommendations to address global hunger and poverty and alleviate related risks to U.S. national security:

Increase investments in global food and nutrition security programs, as well as research and innovation.

• Increase funding to improve local agricultural production, incomes, and nutritious food systems. U.S. and many other governments’ funding of agricultural R&D for developing countries has stagnated since 2010, while spending on emergency food aid has risen dramatically.

• Donor agencies should ensure funding for agricultural research remains at least at 15 percent of global food security and agricultural development program funding. Innovation is needed to support a range of solutions for farmers, including developing more productive seeds adapted to local conditions and treatments to protect crops and live- stock from pests and diseases.

• Scale up long-term agricultural development and nutritionsensitive programming to better mitigate the drivers of migration. Many people are fleeing their countries because they can no longer make a living in agriculture. Support could include improving access to innovations that help farmers adapt to extreme weather, improve soil fertility, and reduce impacts from pests and diseases.

Governments should expand and strengthen knowledge-sharing and peer-support programs with and for developing countries in agriculture.

• Support scientist-to-scientist and educational programs among developed and developing countries. These programs are highly impactful because they facilitate local capacity building and education and benefit extension systems that deliver solutions directly to farmers.

• Create incentives for scientists in developing countries to focus on localized agricultural production issues. The scientistto-farmer ratio needs to be dramatically increased in many countries. Incentives could include adequate pay, good laboratories, research operations support, and collaborative relationships with developed country scientists.

• Fund graduate-level agricultural research projects for developing and developed country students at CGIAR centers. Strengthening the relationships between universities and CGIAR would create a base for future collaboration between developed and developing country scientists.

Support research into the effectiveness of different agricultural technologies and production systems under conflict dynamics and in socio-politically fragile environments.

• Recognize that farmers, entrepreneurs and communities that

lie in the path of warfare seek to thrive and feed their families. They need and deserve attention and research support from capable scientists and extension workers as much during conflict as during peace.

• Some agricultural technologies are likely better than others for supporting families and communities during conflict, but to date, little research has addressed this problem. Research is needed to discover, develop and disseminate conflict resistant technologies for conflict-prone environments.

This summary adapted from the policy brief by Edwin Price, Naureen Fatema, and Abdul Saboor Rahmany (March 2023). Global Food Security is National Security: How Hunger and Malnutrition Nutrition Abroad make the U.S. Less Safe. Farm Journal Foundation. Washington, DC.

POST-CONFERENCE INDUSTRY FIELD TRIPS

Plan to join us for these three agribusiness tours planned on 21 June—exclusively for conference attendees.

1Aotearoa

New Zealand is the number one exporter of both dairy products and carrot seeds in the world, and the Canterbury plains is home to both industries. IFAMA has a tour planned to visit these industries to learn about how they achieve production and deliver product quality and environmental targets to global clients. This trip aims to showcase these New Zealand industries to locals and visitors alike, who may not have had previous exposure to either industry. This trip will showcase the use of innovative technologies and research both on-farm and off-farm.

2The second field trip offering will visit a family owned and operated sheep and beef station situated in Canterbury. This trip will focus on New Zealand’s sheep industry, with input from innovative New Zealand companies transforming this sector. This is your opportunity to visit a high-country station and learn how some of the wool from your favourite global merino brands is grown.

3Waipara is Canterbury’s main wine region, and is the fourth biggest in New Zealand, known for its Pinot Noir and Riesling varieties. This is your chance to learn about the growing and production of some of our high-quality wine, and purchase some of your own to take home.

CHRISTCHURCH SPOUSE/FAMILY TOURS

Waka Tour Learn about Māori culture while paddling down the Avon/Ōtakaro river.

Amiki Tours Walking tour guide with a range of options.

Christchurch Gondola Ride up to the Port Hills. VIews, cafe and learning experience at the top.

Christchurch Tram Hop-onhop-off at Christchurch’s hot spots, with tour guide providing information. It will be winter so bring a coat!

Christchurch Adventure Park Bike track s, zip-lines, walking tracks and sight-seeing via chairlift.

He Puna Taimoana Hot pools in New Brighton.

Gain relevant experience. Earn global recognition. Develop leadership skills.

VOLUNTEER FOR A POSITION AT IFAMA

REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

REGIONAL FUNDRAISER MANAGER

REGIONAL PROJECTS MANAGER

REGIONAL MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

PURPOSE

To engage the next generation of leaders in improving the global food system using innovation and business principles.

To create impact through collaboration with IFAMA, our student members, and academic and business leaders.

To provide support for the IFAMA Business Office and Young Board members for regional projects.

BENEFITS

Collaborate with students from all over the world who are passionate about improving the transparency and sustainability of the global food supply.

Learn next-gen leadership skills through this experiential platform. Make connections and network with potential future employers.

Must be an IFAMA member and have attended a virtual or in-person IFAMA event. Commitment: 2 years, 2 hrs / week.

Click for more information.

IFAMR UPDATE

The International Food and Agribusiness Management Review (IFAMR) is the flagship journal of IFAMA. We welcome scholarly articles on business, public policy, law, and education pertaining to the global food system. Applied or theoretical articles must be relevant to managers or management scholars. Case studies, industry interviews, and book reviews are also considered.

The IFAMR has seen a steady impact increase. The Impact Factor is now 1.515 and the CiteScore is 2.8. In 2022, four new Managing Editors engaged in the journey of quality-driven development of IFAMR. Manuscript sources and referees cover more than 47 countries/regions.

In 2022, we launched a new recognition program that showcases the best paper published annually, with the objective of encouraging excellent scholarship published in the journal. Eleven candidates were nominated for the award among papers published in 2021. Following the nomination, a review committee composed of

the Editor-in-Chief, Chair of the IFAMR Advisory Board, and Managing Editors selected the winning paper. The criteria for the best paper includes: originality, significance, methodology, and writing. The winner is given a certificate and a fee waiver for a new IFAMR article.

2022 IFAMR BEST PAPER AWARD

Sustainable demand-supply chain: an innovative approach for improving sustainability in agrifood chains

Prof. Maryline Filippi University Bordeaux, France. Alain Chapdaniel, Director, SDSC Chair, University of Paris-Saclay, France

This article responds to the question: How should the relationships within agri-food supply chains be envisaged in order to obtain greater sustainability combined with better added-value distribution?

OFFICE OF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The IFAMR Office of Editor-in-Chief (IFAMR OEIC) is located at Zhejiang University China. Prof. Rui Mao is the coordinator. The IFAMR OEIC reflects the journal’s core values and leverages our editorial team reflecting agribusiness scholarship worldwide. The office systematically works to improve the day-to-day operations of the journal, including author appeals and publication cooperation.

Questions? Contact: ifamroeic@zju.edu.cn. For questions related to submitting papers, please contact our publisher, Wageningen Academic Press: IFAMR@WageningenAcademic.com.

KEVIN CHEN

IFAMR Editor-in Chief

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