Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD) Issues Two Calls for Papers

Author: Sasha McNicoll

Posted: August 4, 2011

Categories: News from Sustain Ontario

from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development
August 1, 2011

Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD) Issues Two Calls for Papers: Higher Education and Food Systems, and Food System Livelihoods

For submission details visit http://www.agdevjournal.com/submissions.html. A query form (and draft manuscript if available) must be completed prior to submission. The query form is online athttp://www.agdevjournal.com/jafscd-query-form.html.
Editor Duncan Hilchey (duncan@newleafnet.com) is happy to review concept pieces, drafts, or outlines prior in advance as well.

– – – – – – – – – – –

CALL #1: Higher Education and Food Systems
DEADLINE: December 1, 2011

A growing number of colleges and universities are making serious efforts to increase their ecological sustainability through conscious change in very specific aspects of teaching, research, operations, and public engagement. In addition to adopting practices such as LEED certified construction, green cleaning supplies, and sustainability education programming, many are focusing specifically on food- and agriculture-related sustainability issues, including developing local food procurement for their student food services, adopting composting and other food waste management practices, establishing demonstration farms, gardens and CSAs, supporting student food and agriculture groups, and programming in support of public engagement in food and agricultural policy. Many institutions of higher learning now offer food-related courses and academic programs.

Furthermore, the topic of food systems is increasingly found across a broad range of social sciences course curricula and is no longer solely in the arena of agricultural colleges. Progressive colleges and universities are not only in a position to graduate students as who are well-informed about the issues and prepared to be food citizens, but also to model reasoned investigation and informed public discussion of issues — and therefore to influence public policy in other aspects of society and the economy. In this special topic call we invite researchers, administrators, graduate students, NGO staff members, and others to submit manuscripts featuring results of surveys, case studies, policy analyses, review articles, reflective essays, commentaries, and the like in which they examine the ways colleges and universities are pursuing their food system sustainability goals and the extent to which they are finding success. Examples might include:

*  Survey of campus sustainability coordinators related to best practices in food system–related activities
*  Focus group of food service directors
*  Census of student farms and gardens
*  vSurvey of student organizations to inventory and assess student-led programs and activities
*  Comparative analysis of food system curriculum within and across disciplines or institutions
*  Innovations in programming by institutions of higher education, including private and community colleges in addition to land grant colleges
*  Comparison of institutional use of local food
*  Employment prospects for graduates of food system sustainability programs
*  Analysis of trends in tenure track positions and funded research
*  Analysis of food systems education and the liberal arts
*  The role of higher education social networks related to food and agriculture
*  Case study of university-based local food system projects or community-university partnerships
*  Analysis of food system education curricula and course syllabi

– – – – – – – – – – –

CALL #2: Sustainable Livelihoods in Food Systems
DEADLINE: February 15, 2012

While industrialization and globalization of the food system continue to lead to declining numbers of mid-sized farms and more low-wage employment, emerging regional food systems appear to be creating some new occupational opportunities, including the emergence of green-collar sustainable occupations such as farmer trainers, farm managers, agriculture teaching positions certifiers, and consultants. At the core of regional food system growth, family farms are engaging in producing new crops and cultivating techniques that are entrepreneurial and high risk. Indeed, economics continue to challenge the viability of even the most progressive operation. From a public policy perspective, the growth of sustainable livelihoods in the food system will require fair prices and competitive markets for farmers, fair wages for workers, safe working conditions, and a well-trained workforce.

JAFSCD welcomes submissions on a wide range of food system livelihood topics that will inform thinking and practice related to regional food system trends, issues, and public policy. We seek reports of qualitative and quantitative studies, review articles, reflective essays, and commentaries. We encourage submission which focus on Sustainable Livelihoods Approaches (SLA), drawing on diverse disciplinary perspectives and bridging divides, particularly between the natural and social sciences.

Topics of interest might include:

*  Application of SLA in smallholder farming and local food systems in the Global North and South
*  Local food livelihood development as a strategy for improved food security
*  SLA for exploring livelihood options and strategies of different actors within food systems
*  Emerging or declining farm- and food-related occupations
*  New skills required in emerging food systems (e.g., line workers in farm-to-school programs)
*  Occupational data trends and issues in emerging food systems
*  Small-scale food processing livelihoods
*  Farmer self-exploitation
*  Farm worker trends and issues (e.g., regarding migrant labor, guest workers, apprentices, etc.)
*  Barriers and effective paths for farm workers to become farm owners
*  Trends and issues for independent grocers and other food retailers
*  Studies of innovations in microenterprise, entrepreneurship, and occupational education programming
*  Food, health, and new products and enterprises
*  Changes to subsistence practices due to globalization
*  Analysis of foundation, public, and private-sector investment in food systems businesses
*  Analysis of policies promoting and/or discouraging emerging systems and their implications and effects on local occupations, economics, and health
*  Emerging livelihoods in sustainable livestock production

– – – – – – – – IMPORTANT NOTE TO AUTHORS – – – – – – – –

Flexibility in Submission Timeframes
Please do not be discouraged if your research timeframe on call topics does not permit submission by the published deadlines. Special call topics are of core interest to JAFSCD’s readers, and we accept papers on these topics at any time. Furthermore, JAFSCD welcomes articles at any time on any subject related to the development aspects of agriculture and food systems.

See more background on JAFSCD subject areas at http://www.agdevjournal.com/jafscd-background.html. Authors are encouraged to submit applied research papers, commentary, and thought-provoking articles that inform the emerging field of agriculture and food systems development.

Faculty and students, Extension and other educators, planners, consultants, staff with farm agencies and farm and community organizations, and farmers are invited to submit material.