The ChainLetter - September 2022

The ChainLetter

The

of

The ChainLetter

IFAMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS – OFFICERS

Raj Vardhan Hector Laurence

IFAMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS – ACADEMIA

Brian Briggeman Maria Carmela Annosi Brent Ross Derek Baker Ana Eugenia Galiano Loic Sauvee Esteban Brenes Woody Maijers Longbao Wei Edward Mabaya

IFAMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS –INDUSTRY | GOVERNMENT | NGO

Ronald Guendel Nicola Shadbolt 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 Melissa van der Merwe Richard Agetu Mateusz Ciasnocha Juan Jose Bolaños Herrera Jack Keeys Justin McNally Nele Herrmann Valente Mrianda Ling Anathi Makamane Verena Otter Tassia Gerbasi

IFAMA REGIONAL BOARD OF ADVISORS

Ray Goldberg Thad Simons Eric Micheels Erica Kulhman William Nelson Allan Gray Sylvain Charlebois Kristian Moeller Hans Johr Ronald Guendel Brian Briggeman Torsten Spill Gerhard Schiefer Damien McLoughlin Eluned Jones Jacques Trienekens

ifama@ifama.org | 1 (541) 368-5545

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2022

Presidential Message Raj Vardhan 2

Introducing IFAMA Global Community App! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Exciting Plans for IFAMA 2023 in New Zealand Jack Keeys . . . 5

IFAMA 2022 Conference Recap Esteban Brenes 6

Transitioning agriculture from extractive to regenerative practices Noah Geeves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Member Spotlight Bernardo Piazzardi 11

IFAMA Young Board Corner Edeoba Edobar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2023 Symposium – Call for Papers 14

IFAMR Update Kevin Chen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Newsletter Editor: Walt Armbruster

IFAMA Executive Director: Kathryn White

Published tri-annually. Send stories to the editor at ifama@ifama.org

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

RAJ VARDHAN IFAMA President

At IFAMA we are all nostalgic after a successful conference in Costa Rica where seeds of new partnerships were planted, and attendees invested in new friendships and deepened existing ones. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the three conference chairpersons: Professor Esteban Brenes, Professor Irene Alvarado, and Mr. Juan Jose Bolaños Herrera. Each punched above the responsibility bestowed upon them. We are ever grateful to our founding President, Professor Ray Goldberg, for his pre-recorded visionary address, presented at our awards banquet. I would also like to acknowledge the Young Board for conducting a very successful interactive session and for anchoring the networking sessions.

Preparations for IFAMA 2023 New Zealand are well under way. New Zealand is one of the

most beautiful countries that I have had a prior chance to visit. Family holidays before or after the conference are highly recommended. I request that each one of you weave the 2023 conference into your respective calendars. I also request that you start promoting the conference within the domain of your influence. Do assist the organizers by recommending prospective sponsors and speakers for the conference.

Membership drives targeting students have seen progressive gains over the last two years as IFAMA is actively working to attract more students to the ag sector because we recognize that this generation will inherit and soon steer the future of the ag sector. As of September 2022, IFAMA’s total membership is 1735 of which 26% are comprised of academic members, while members from industry, NGOs, government, and consultants comprise 13%. Students are now the largest group at 60%. Regionally, membership is well diversified from around the world— the continent of Africa accounts for largest zone at 29%, while Oceania accounts for the smallest at 11%.

Within IFAMA there have been small, but significant changes. Mr. Juan Jose Bolaños Herrera, the Young Board treasurer was inducted into the IFAMA Executive Committee in recognition of his great work in assisting with the IFAMA conferences. Our

SEPTEMBER 2022: MEMBERS BY

board believes that the infusion of young professionals into the senior board will bring a nuanced perspective.

IFAMA is seeking student and young professional volunteers to serve in different capacities to strengthen IFAMA’s regional presence. See the next column for more details. If you are passionate about the global food system and would like to get experience volunteering, please contact your regional Young Board member or email Mara Doane, IFAMA Communication Director (mara@ifama.org).

Thanks to everyone who is already using IFAMA’s new Global Community app. Here you can find active job postings, or post jobs for your organization. It also features the latest information on upcoming events, articles published in the IFAMR and it provides a great way to find and connect with colleagues. See the Quick Start Guide to the App on the next page. If you are currently using one of IFAMA’s WhatsApp groups, please transition to our new app and use it as your primary communication platform. More details on how to download and use it are on the following page.

Until we meet again,

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 co-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.

REQUIREMENTS:

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

Click for more information.

IFAMA

GLOBAL COMMUNITY APP — QUICK START GUIDE

GET STARTED– To use the app, you must be an IFAMA member and you will receive an email invitation with a link to download the app. You can download to your phone and computer. Complete the profile questions and upload a your photo.

JOIN RELEVANT GROUPS

Are you a student? Want to connect to others in your region? Looking for a Book Club? From Home (bottom left icon), click “Join a Group”. Select your Groups. All messages posted by members of your groups will be seen in your “My Feed” folder.

CONNECT WITH COLLEAGUES

From Home, click on “My Feed”. Click on the search icon (top right corner). Type a name, country, or interest. Relevant matches will appear. Select a person and click on the green “connect” button to connect and start a conversation.

POST

Have a question? Want to collaborate? Want to share an interesting article or study? Have a job to post? Need to promote an upcoming event? Want to connect with someone you met at the conference?

From Home, click on “My Feed” and click the green + sign in the lower right. (Toggle to the group in which you want to post at the top, to the right of your photo). Type your post. You can add or take a photo, or add a gif or hashtag.

To post, click the green “Post” at the top right.

SHARE – LIKE – COMMENT

Just like other social platforms, you can click on any post and add your comment or question, give a thumbs up, or share the post. Click on the post and look for Icons for these responses at the bottom of the post.

SEARCH IFAMR

You have a wealth of the latest peerreviewed research at your fingertips. From Home, click on the IFAMR folder. Click on search icon (top right) and search by keyword, topic, author, or title by typing in the search bar in the orange box at top.

JOIN US IN NEW ZEALAND!

JACK KEEYS

IFAMA 2023 Conference Co-Chair Senior Manager, KPMG Propagate™, Agri-Food Research & Insights Analyst

The E TIPU IFAMA 2023 World Conference in New Zealand combines a unique location, deep collaboration, and a surge of innovation to deliver a true event extravaganza.

In a strategic partnership with New Zealand’s largest food and fibre summit ‘E Tipu’, IFAMA 2023 will bring together changemakers from across the globe in an immersive and interactive experience that integrates the IFAMA conference legacy that we all know and love, with exciting new additions. An inaugural research commercialization and entrepreneurship challenge, dynamic and engaging field trip and conference sessions, and a series of ‘IFAMA after-dark’ evening network activities will be added to the program. From the official welcome to the

final banquet, New Zealand’s rich Māori culture will be celebrated through partnerships and performance with local iwi (tribes) for an authentic Aotearoa experience.

We hope you’ll plan to join us 17th – 21st June. Final details on conference themes, venues and pricing will be released shortly. Look for information on our website, on the IFAMA Global Community app, and in emails to membership.

Looking to extend your trip? Our conference immediately follows the largest agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere – Fieldays 2023, also hosted in New Zealand (14th – 17th June). Or perhaps you want to explore the country post-conference? IFAMA attendees will have exclusive discounted access to activities across the country’s tourism regions from the famous Bungy jumping and geothermal hot pools, to the majestic cruises and glacier heli-hikes, in addition to the opportunity of organized multi-day food and fibre experiences.

2023 World Conference — NEW ZEALAND

IFAMA 2022 CONFERENCE RECAP

technologies that are crucial to mitigating environmental and climate challenges impacting the future of food.

ESTEBAN R. BRENES

IFAMA 2022 Conference Co-Chair Steve Aronson Professor of Strategy and Agribusiness, INCAE Business School

The IFAMA 2022 World Conference was a winning event for our partners, sponsors, attendees, and industries. After two consecutive years of the pandemic and virtual conferences, the in-person event was highly valued. More than 350 people joined the Symposium and Forum for a vast program across three different venues. Participants were able to share unique experiences by bringing different perspectives of what agribusiness entails for practice and business.

We explored the challenges and opportunities emerging with the introduction of digitization and technology in the agri-food sector. There were 20 sponsors from different agribusiness sectors including suppliers of products, services and technology, agriculture, distributors, food,

beverage, dairy industries, and retailers. Our aim was to attract more partners to IFAMA who share our passion for agribusiness as a financial sector in the Americas, consulting business firms, and research institutions. These partners addressed new and sustainable

The two-day Symposium provided the scientific foundation for the discussions that followed during the business Forum as academics presented their latest research of how companies can address these challenges. Several teaching cases were showcased to facilitate this knowledge transfer using real anecdotes.

The Forum featured a balanced mix of experts from different industries who validated the complexity of these new technologies and how they are often intertwined with new business models, value chains, and industry standards.

Student Case Competition Co-Chairs, Esteban

R. Brenes and Juan Jose Bolaños Herrera, and Ronald Guendel (Bayer), are pictured here with Paul Giesebrecht, Lilia Paz, and Michelle Marais from ISAM (International School of Agri Management), Spain.

The industry-business Forum delivered 12 sessions, featuring over 60 expert panelists that included three keynote speakers. Entrepreneurs, business executives, policy managers, and academics shared their latest findings, combined with informed debates. The Forum featured several business case studies of successful companies at different stages in the agribusiness chain.

Bayer sponsored the 2022 Student Case Competition which was a highly impactful component of this big event. More than 20 teams representing different schools and institutions in Latin America, North America, Oceania, and Europe participated. Students enjoyed the academic discussions and connecting on meaningful levels with people from different countries, with the spotlight on the agribusiness sector.

We encourage you to stay connected, and invite others to join IFAMA, as we continue working on the most pressing challenges that our industry faces. We can only accomplish this together.

Clockwise starting top left:

1. Arturo Condo, President of EARTH University kicks off the Forum. 2. SCC Team from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico: Luis Roberto, Julieta Ochoa, María Gutiérrez, Santos Villalobos, Ana Rodríguez, (not shown, Pablo de Caso Udave).

3. Keynote speaker Robert Saik. 4. Dr. Brent Ross introduces a teaching case study. 5. Attendees show off a variety of local, tropical fruits. 6. Young Board networking session with IFAMA President Raj Vardhan.

TRANSITIONING AGRICULTURE FROM EXTRACTIVE TO REGENERATIVE PRACTICES

EDWARD PERELLO Associate Director for Agriculture, Deep Science Ventures (DSV), United Kingdom

pollinator species is a significant area of need, it isn’t well suited to the Scottish Highlands. In order maximize the potential of this undertaking, DSV needed to identify regions with diverse ecologies and agricultural systems, which organically led them to Costa Rica.

Edward Perello contributed to a panel discussion during IFAMA

2022 Forum concerning the crucial partnerships needed among business, industry and scientists in order to increase food productivity while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact. Perello’s company, Deep Scidence Ventures (DSV) launched its first ag sector program in 2020, called the Food & Agriculture Science Transformer (FAST), and partnered with the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

The initiative was to create companies that could have a global impact on ecosystem services. They have achieved some success in the process helping to start Rhizocore (a forestry and fungal fertilizer startup) and Aquanzo (a sustainable marine feeds company). Both companies are now working on globally relevant issues in forestry and aquaculture.

DSV also investigated a third area, looking at alternative pollinators that would produce native pollinating bee species. While reinforcing

Ecologically, Costa Rica is a biologist’s dream, with 12 different climate zones together offering a wealth of ecological zones within the same border and representative of the larger neotropics of Latin America

Deep Science Ventures (DSV) creates ventures to leverage modern techniques to restore soil quality and increase biodiversity, while ensuring scalability through strong commercials and knowledgeable local partners.

and other tropical zones around the world. Agriculturally, the nation outperforms comparably sized countries, with over 4,000 agricultural products grown locally for export, and free trade agreements with two-thirds of the planet’s population, including the USA, China, and the EU.

These factors help position the country as a laboratory for testing new products, crops, farming techniques and agricultural technologies.

What can be grown here at altitude, like highland coffee and banana, will also be possible in the mountains of a comparable country across the neotropics - and a novel technology should perform well.

Like many places, Costa Rica faces significant challenges inherent to the dominance of traditional agricultural systems: soil erosion, acidic soils, heavy metals, high pesticide use and mountainous terrain

The fact that Costa Rica has 12 different climate zones and agriculturally outperforms comparably sized countries, positions the country as a prime laboratory for testing new products, crops, farming techniques and agricultural technologies.

(which is hard to mechanize and limits the ability to create and maintain highefficiency transport networks). Prolific vegetative growth thanks to the tropical sun and rain offers the advantage of high yields but leads to the intense buildup of agricultural waste residues that collect on farms. Despite recent reforestation successes, non-native trees and legacy deforestation mean monoculture continues to reign supreme in the farmed zones of the country and continues to grow. In a country with the highest density of biodiversity on Earth, the stakes are perhaps higher than anywhere else.

One DSV venture explores restoring the underground network of forests

Its plan is to build high-growth agriculture companies that can help deliver restorative cultivation outcomes and the vision of the National Bioeconomy Strategy.

Sequentially, DSV has brought together some prominent partners (EARTH University, CATIE, Fundacion CRUSA , CR BioMed, and CINDE) in Costa Rica, in a new bioregional innovation program called the Tropical Agriculture & Bioeconomy Initiative. (continued)

“There is an opportunity here for founders to work at the intersection of venture creation and international development, to drive global goals relating to climate change, food security and biodiversity—solving big, important problems that are not being sufficiently tackled at the moment. We must emphasize that is very much an action-oriented role; we are not just solving problems theoretically. We are creating ventures in the places where agriculture dominates, where there is great scope to do the greatest good, as fast as possible,” said Edward Perello.

DSV is now recruiting ambitious scientists to join them as Founders, to build companies in the following areas, which they believe can grow rapidly from Costa Rica to the wider region:

Thermal adaptation technologies: Developing and deploying direct and indirect interventions against thermal stress that will cause frontier crop migration (and deforestation) into new areas, with an initial focus on coffee.

21st century plant breeding for circular traits: Developing new crop improvement or biotechnology tools to expedite crop adaptation to future climates, ideally producing “circular economy crops and varieties” that can accelerate bioeconomy transitions.

Biomass conversion for the bioeconomy: Convert biomass into substrates that can be processed into valuable products generally sourced from hydrocarbon fractions, e.g. plastics and fertilizers, and increase domestic self-sufficiency.

Composite wood materials: Meet the demand for wood materials for use in multiple sectors, notably wood pallets, furniture and construction materials, without the need to cut down trees (instead using other plants and cellular agriculture approaches).

Learn more about the Tropical Agriculture & Bioeconomy Initiative (TABI), full job opportunities, and how to apply.

— this article compiled from materials written by Noah Geeves, Deep Science Ventures

FURTHER READING

Design Institute for Regenerating Earth (DIRE) Study Group explores how we might collaborate to regenerate the Earth.

Joe Brewer article: The Survivors Will Be Bioregional REGENERATION describes a system of interlocking initiatives that can stem the climate crisis in one generation

The DSV Agriculture Thesis has been inspired by the principles of regenerative agriculture, without being strictly tied to its traditional ideology which eschews technological innovation. Instead, we propose to align and accelerate regenerative outcomes using cutting edge technology and making it highly accessible through venture-scale agribusinesses, a vision we refer to as “Restorative Cultivation.”

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT — BERNARDO PIAZZARDI

Bernardo Piazzardi has been a member of IFAMA since 2006. Together with Roberto Feeney and Fernando Preumayr, he started the Center for Food & Agribusiness (Ceag) at Universidad Austral in Argentina in 2005. One of the recommendations given to him by Dr. Ray Goldberg was about the convenience of being part of the IFAMA network. Since 2019, Bernardo has been Teaching Case Co-Chair for IFAMA .

Currently his academic dedication is focused on business strategy and value chain analysis. At the Ceag of Universidad Austral in Argentina, he is the Executive Director for the MBA in Agribusiness focused on teaching activities, applied research projects and writing of business cases.

Bernardo’s other academic pursuits include teaching activities and applied research at the Universidad de Piura in Peru and at the Angola School of Management – SEIVA. Bernardo is co-author of the business case “Fazenda Maxi”

(year 2020) which is the first agribusiness case from this African country that was presented at IFAMA. Currently, Bernardo participates in the project “Agribusiness as an engine for the development of Angola” which includes the writing of the “white book” for the

Bernardo Piazzardi maize Benguela province Angola

Bernardo is an international consultant for companies and organizations with a focus on business strategy and agricultural value chains. He works on projects in African and South American countries.

“The future challenges for agribusiness are complex and require coordinated solutions from multiple and diverse actors,” said Bernardo. “Challenges such as sufficient and healthy food for all people to be provided in a sustainable way requires a high degree of coordination among multiple actors,” he added.

Bernardo credits IFAMA for playing a fundamental role not only in responding to these challenges but also in coordinating the dialogue between actors from academia, business and governments.

“IFAMA has helped me in my development as an academic and agribusiness professional by providing a strategic vision, analytical tools, and a networking platform,” he said.

Bernardo is the son, grandson and greatgrandson of agricultural producers and currently lives with his wife Tina and their four children in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

THE YOUNGCORNERBOARD AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AND THE IMPERATIVE OF YOUTH PARTICIPATION

ello and welcome to another episode of the Young Board Corner. Since our last publication, the IFAMA global conference in Costa Rica has come and gone, but it has left beautiful memories that inspire this episode of the Young Board Corner. The conference was an opportunity to spend time together with some of the finest minds in the agri-food space, learn about issues shaping our sector, and just hang out with colleagues who have become friends and family.

One of my favorite sessions during the conference was the Young Board panel discussion which was done in collaboration with the Next Generation Ag Impact Network (NGIN). The theme of that discussion was the imperative of youth-based coalitions for the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGS). By the end of the first half of this century, it is expected that the world’s population may be upwards of 9.5 billion people, with most of this population surge

Hdriven by countries which could be described as food insufficient. This coupled with the existential threats of climate change, and the menace of youth unemployment means that the year 2050 has assumed some sort of apocalyptic connotation in the sustainable development circle just like the Y2K phenomenon at the turn of this millennium. It is therefore a fait accompli that for the world to be sustainably fed, clothed, and clean fuel needs met, the involvement of today’s young people is non-negotiable.

By the year 2050, today’s youth will be within the average age of CEOs, farmers, tenured professors, as well as policy makers worldwide. This means that today’s young people will be at the helm of affairs tomorrow. Youth must be mainstreamed into the global agri-food system’s leadership and decisionmaking process to build the requisite capacity for the future. Young people today are going to be most affected in the future by the decisions that are being made today. A second reason to involve young people in the

agricultural transformation agenda is that there are lots of competing career interests for today’s youth which may detract from the important field of agriculture. A century ago, most employment was either agricultural or agro-allied: that is not today’s story. There are a lot of non agro-allied career options in which young people can be involved. While interdisciplinary engagement is critical, the need to engage young professionals in the field of agriculture is very important. This is why youth-based organizations like the IFAMA Young Board are very important to create a space for young people who are in the sector, and to develop programs that can stimulate interest in, and conversations around, agriculture and food systems.

EDEOBA EDOBOR

Chair, IFAMA Young Board Purdue University, Indiana

2023 SYMPOSIUM CALL FOR PAPERS

Transforming the Global Food and Fibre System

HOT TOPICS

INTERDISCIPLINARY INITIATIVES – Leveraging diverse backgrounds, experience, and skills for success

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION – Featuring cross-country connections that empower scaled success

INSPIRING TALENT – Highlighting the challenges and opportunities in sector capability

INDIGENOUS INNOVATION – Showcasing solutions of indigenous origin and ownership for success

E Tipu IFAMA 2023 World Conference provides a collaborative, talent-focused and indigenously connected lens focused on:

FARMERS FIRST –showcasing farmers delivering on bold ambition

FIBRE FIRST – showcasing forward-thinking developments in fibre

Submissions accepted beginning October 1, 2022. Deadline for extended abstracts, full papers, and teaching cases: December 15, 2022.

FOOD FIRST – innovations in food production, distribution and consumption

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

Click for more information.

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. The app is for IFAMA members only. Members have recently received an email invitation to join the IFAMA Global Community App.

JOIN YOUR GROUPS

CONNECT & CHAT BUILD YOUR NETWORK

UPDATE

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

SPECIAL ISSUE WITH AAEA AEM

This year, IFAMR and the AAEA Agribusiness Economics & Management (AEM) Section will publish an IFAMR Special Issue, Agri-Food Systems Transformation: Sustainability, Resilience, and the Role of Technology, devoted to current topics surrounding new and emerging technologies, risk and resilience, and sustainable development of agri-food systems in both advanced and developing economies. The special issue is guest edited by Prof. Rui Mao, Prof. Aleksan Shanoyan, and Prof. Kate Brooks. The completed issue is expected in early 2023.

REGIONAL BROADCAST

In addition to viewing all current and back issues of the Journal on IFAMA’s website, members can now read the Journal on IFAMA’s new Global Community App. For members in China, the Editorial Office provides a regional WeChat channel for the IFAMR and IFAMA news and information.

IFAMA members also receive regular email alerts as new articles that are currently in-press are released.

UPCOMING EVENTS

IFAMR carries out seminars on methodologies and experiences each year. In 2021, Prof. Kevin Chen, the Editor-in-Chief of IFAMR, shared How to get your research published on IFAMR at the 2021 CAER-IFPRI global academic conference and the School of Agribusiness, Lincoln Univ. An upcoming IFAMR seminar will be at the 2022 CAER-IFPRI conference in October 2022.

OFFICE OF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Since 2020, the Office of Editor-in-Chief (IFAMR OEIC) has been established aside from the publisher’s Editorial Office. It is currently located in Zhejiang Univ., China, with Prof. Rui Mao as the coordinator. IFAMR OEIC reflects the journal’s core values and leverages a synergy of our editorial team reflecting agribusiness scholarship worldwide. The office systematically works to improve the day-to-day operations of the journal, including author appeals, publication cooperation, and other questions addressed to the editor-in-chief. Please contact IFAMR OEIC via ifamroeic@zju.edu.cn. For questions related to submitting papers, please send your inquiries to IFAMR@WageningenAcademic.com.

KEVIN CHEN

IFAMR Editor-in Chief