SuReFood 2nd Annual International Conference

Sustainable Resource Management and Food Systems

Land-Water-Food Nexus in China

Meeting the rapidly growing and changing food demand in an environmentally sustainable manner is a pressing global challenge. The availability and quality of natural resources that are essential for food production, such as land and water, are under threat in many respects. Addressing this challenge calls for an integrated (‘nexus’) governance approach that combines insights from research in natural science and social sciences to promote sustainable natural resource management and secure supply of safe and nutritious food. This integrated approach involves reducing trade-offs and increasing synergies between sectors. The challenge is especially paramount in China, given its rapid economic growth and urbanization in recent decades and the fast ageing of its population. Insights gained from China’s experience can provide important lessons for other countries.

The international conference on “Sustainable Resource Management and Food System – Land-Water-Food Nexus in China” will host benchmark research in this regard. By focusing on novel theoretical approaches, new insights gained from empirical research and from large-scale modelling approaches, and discussing the policy implications of these findings, the conference aims to (a) summarize the lessons that have been learnt from the past development program; and (b) provide an inventory of the current state of research in this field, offer a platform for discussing trade-offs and synergies of policies and programs, and assess the needs for future research in this important field.

The conference welcomes research papers related, but not limited, to the following subjects:
• Farm scale enlargement, efficiency and the environment
• Urban-rural land management
• Ecological effects of land use changes
• Sustainable rangeland management
• Organic fertilizer uses and sustainable manure management.
• Agriculture-based water pollution
• Surface and groundwater (over)use in agriculture.
• Changes in food demand and food system transformation
• E-commerce and food safety
• Integrated analysis of sustainable land and water use in food provision.
Interested presenters can submit either a draft paper or a full abstract.

Prof. dr. Justus Wesseler

Prof. dr. Justus Wesseler is Chair Professor of Agricultural Economics and Policy at Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands. He graduated in agricultural, environmental and natural resource economics at the university of Göttingen, Germany. His research is on the economics of biotechnology, value chains, and regulatory economics including issues related to coexistence. He focuses on the contribution of value chains to sustainability and the impact of new technologies.

Prof. dr. Shenggen Fan

Prof. dr. Shenggen Fan is Chair Professor & Dean of the Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy (AGFEP) at China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. Prior to joining CAU, dr. Fan served as director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) from 2009 to 2019. He has extensive research experience on rural development, poverty reduction, hunger, food security, and nutrition in developing countries and has sat on a wide range of expert panels and advisory bodies.

Prof. dr. Jiaguo Qi

Prof. dr. Jiaguo Qi is Professor of Geography at the Center for Global Change and Earth Observations & Department of Geography, Michigan State University, U.S.A. His research focuses on: 1) Integrating biophysical and social processes and methods in understanding land use and land cover change and 2) Transforming data into information and knowledge. His recent research attempts to integrate environmental and social sciences to investigate the consequences of socio-economic reforms on land degradation in China and climate change impact on human systems.

Dr. Maryna Strokal

Dr. Maryna Strokal is Assistant Professor at the Water Systems and Global Change Group, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands. Her research aims to contribute to solving multi-pollutant problems to ensure clean water for society and nature. It addresses knowledge gaps that are related to interactions in the system, causes of multiple pollutants in waters and exploration of optimal solutions to reduce future water pollution. For this, she takes a multi-pollutant perspective. She leads a team of researchers developing the family of MARINA (Models to Assess River Inputs of pollutaNts to seAs) models exploring future trends in water pollution and options to reduce this pollution at global and national levels.

Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU):
Prof. Gucheng Li, College of Economics and Management
Prof. Tingwu Yan, College of Economics and Management

Nanjing Agricultural University (NAU):
Prof. Shuyi Feng, College of Public Administration
Prof. Xiaoping Shi, College of Public Administration

Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS):
Prof. Xiangdong Hu, Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development
Prof. Xiande Li, Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development

Wageningen University & Research (WUR):
Prof. Nico Heerink, Section Economics
Dr. Xueqin Zhu, Section Economics
Prof. Wim de Vries, Department of Environmental Sciences

The conference will be held in the International Academic Exchange Center of Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, P. R. China. All participants are expected to join the conference in person. The conference language is English.

• Please submit your abstract or draft paper according to the attached template.
• Submit the abstract or draft paper to submission@surefood.org
• All submissions should be new and unpublished.
• Submissions will be evaluated by the Paper Selection Committee.
• For any questions, please contact the Organizing Committee at info@surefood.org

Paper/abstract submission deadline: 30 April, 2024
Notification of acceptance: 15 May, 2024
Early registration date: 31 May, 2024
Late registration date: 30 June, 2024
Conference dates: 13 – 14 July, 2024

Regular
Early registration 500 RMB
Late registration 700 RMB
Students (incl. Ph.D. students and Postdocs) 300 RMB

Participants need to arrange their own travel and accommodation. The organizing committee can provide assistance (including hotel booking and travel recommendations) for participants, if needed.

• Dr. Fan Li, College of Economics and Management, HZAU
• Dr. Jinghui Hao, College of Economics and Management, HZAU
• Dr. Xiaotian Liu, College of Economics and Management, HZAU
• Dr. Mengru Wang, Environmental Systems Analysis Group, WUR
• Dineke Wemmenhove, Section Economics, WUR