The First International Conference of the APIRAS & the Fifth Congress of Extension and Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources Management: “Facilitating Information and Innovations for Empowering Family Farmers", "2-4 September, 2014, University of Zanjan, Iran.
Online abstract submission is open for The First International Conference of the APIRAS & the Fifth Congress of Extension and Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources Management: “Facilitating Information and Innovations for Empowering Family Farmers", "2-4 September, 2014, University of Zanjan, Iran.
http://iaeea2014.znu.ac.ir/index.php/contentPage/8
Rural households, particularly small scale farmers, in the world face complex challenges such as environmental crises, food insecurity, rural livelihood insecurity, hunger and poverty. The United Nations at its 66th session of the General Assembly has declared the year 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) to invite the collaboration of different international and national institutions as well as farmers’ organizations and non-governmental organizations to raise the profile of family farming and smallholder farming. The purpose is to focus world attention on the substantial role of this farming in managing the above challenges, through repositioning its status at the centre of agricultural, environmental and social policies. This requires a wide range of discussion and collaborations at the national, regional and global levels to cope with these challenges. Among different strategies to support family farmers, agricultural and extension education and rural advisory services have tried to facilitate and network innovations for and among these farmers as well as to build their social capacities in order to enhance their livelihoods, increase food security and conserve natural resources. The majority of farmers in the developing world produce in small scale family farms either individually, through partnership or collectively. They are much more vulnerable to the mentioned challenges above than any other types of farming and they need the much more support of agricultural extension and rural advisory services. The theme of this conference has been defined to be “Facilitating Information and Innovations for Empowering Family Farmers”. This international conference can provide an opportunity for the participants to share their knowledge and experiences regarding rural development and extension approaches to support these farmers in order to manage their challenges.
The Iranian Agricultural Extension and Education Association (IAEEA) and the University of Zanjan with the collaboration of the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS), the Asian and Pacific Islands Rural Advisory Services (APIRAS), World Rural Forum (WRF), the University of Wageningen, the University of Tehran, Iranian Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture, Iranian Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare, and other international and national institutions are requesting the submission of proposals relating to the topics of the conference theme through their research, theoretical, philosophical, or application focused abstracts and papers.
Aims of the Conference
- To promote dialogue and exchange of practical and theoretical experiences on the situation of extension and education and RASs systems related to food security, sustainability of family farmers’ livelihoods and sustainable natural resources management - To understand challenges and required strategies and approaches of extension education and RASs systems for food security, the sustainability of family farmers’ livelihoods, and sustainable natural resources management - To enhance the status and role of extension education and RASs systems for empowering farmers, cooperatives and producer organizations - Identification, documentation and sharing lessons learned and successful experiences of the role of producer organizations, private sector, NGOs and government in extension education and RASs systems, particularly for providing their services to small scale family farmers - To provide advocacy for taking the attention of policy makers, managers, and scholars to redefine the status of family farming in agricultural development main policies - To analyze local, national and international strategies for supporting family farming
Tracks
1.Role of agricultural extension and RASs systems in food security and sustainability of family farmers’ livelihoods
2.Communication, knowledge, information and innovation systems in agricultural and rural development
3.Structural and functional transformation of agricultural extension and RASs institutions worldwide in a pluralistic context
4.Organizational and human resources development in agricultural extension and RASs institutions
5.Agricultural education systems: changes, challenges and new missions
6.Agricultural extension and RASs in sustainable natural resources management and environment
7.Agricultural extension and RASs in strengthening and developing cooperatives and producer organisations
Topics
Track One: Role of agricultural extension and RASs systems in food security and sustainability of family farmers’ livelihoods
Role of agricultural extension and RASs systems in food security poverty reduction •Role of agricultural extension and RASs systems in agricultural production value chain management
•Role and the capacity of agricultural extension and RASs systems in increasing food quality and health
•Role of agricultural extension and RASs systems in capacity building of sustainable livelihoods farmers’ and rural households
•Importance, needs and capabilities of family farming and small scale farming systems
•Necessity to develop national agricultural and natural resources management policies for small scale and family farming and the role of agricultural extension and RASs systems
•Role of agricultural extension and RASs systems in sustainable use of agricultural inputs and managing production costs
•Role of agricultural extension and RASs systems in reducing agricultural wastes
•Role of agricultural extension and RASs systems in developing agricultural insurance
•Agricultural mechanization and Role of agricultural extension and RASs systems
•Approaches of Agricultural extension, education and RASs in the production-use chain of organic and healthy food
•Agricultural extension and RASs systems in rural entrepreneurship and business
Track Two: Communication, knowledge, information and innovation systems in agricultural and rural development
•Systemic and holistic approaches of agricultural extension and RASs for sustainable agriculture
•Role of agricultural extension and education and RASs in knowledge, information and innovation systems
•New communication technologies and e-learning in agricultural extension and RASs systems
•Family farmers’ local knowledge and innovations
•Role of agricultural extension and RASs systems in development and commercialization of research findings for responding family farmers
•Linkage mechanism of extension, education, research and farmers in agricultural innovation systems
Track Three: Structural and functional transformation of agricultural extension and RASs institutions worldwide
•Comparative studies of agricultural extension and RASs systems in different countries
•Role of public agricultural extension and RASs systems in facilitating sustainable technical knowledge for empowering and capacity building of family and small scale farmers
•Theories and International and national experiences of planning programme and evaluation of agricultural extension and RASs programmes
•Types and role of private sector and producer organisations in agricultural extension and RASs systems
•Mechanisms to strengthen private sector and producer organisations’ roles and capacities in Extension/ RAS
•Sustainability and cost-effectiveness of private sector and producer organisations in agricultural extension and RASs systems
•Mechanisms for integrating agricultural extension and RASs programmes of public private and civil society sectors in a pluralistic context
Track Four: Organisational and human resources development in agricultural extension and RASs institutions
•Staff professional development of agricultural extension and RASs systems
•Institutional, organizational and technical entrepreneurship in agricultural and rural development
•New ICTs and e-learning technics for agricultural education and professional development of agricultural extension and RASs’ staff
•Comparative studies of human, physical and financial resources of agricultural extension and RASs institutions in different countries
Track Five: Agricultural education systems: changes, challenges and new missions
• Revisiting and transformation of agricultural secondary and higher education curriculums
•Revisiting and transformation of agricultural extension and education and rural development courses in universities
•Professional capabilities, occupation and entrepreneurship of university graduates of agriculture and natural resources and their competencies in job market
•Motivations, attitudes and interests of agricultural students
•Case studies and comparative studies of agricultural education in different countries
•Role of formal education in developing cooperatives and community based organisations
•Role of formal education in environmental awareness and sustainable development
•Developing educational modules for agricultural professionals and producers
•Agricultural higher education and entrepreneurship
•Strategic planning in developing national agricultural education systems for agricultural development
Track Six: Agricultural extension and RASs in sustainable natural resources management and environment
•New approaches in sustainable natural resources and environment management
•Socio- economic and environmental challenges in natural resources management and the role of agricultural extension and RASs
•Local knowledge in natural resources and environment management
•Participation of local communities, community based organisations and NGOs in natural resources and environment management
•Ecotourism, sustainable NRM and the role of agricultural extension and RASs
•Water management and the role of agricultural extension and RASs
•Managing climate change impact on natural resources and rural households and the role of agricultural extension and RASs
•Managing energy crisis impact on production, natural resources and rural households and the role of agricultural extension and RASs
•Multi-functional agriculture, sustainable development and the role of agricultural extension and RASs
Track Seven: Agricultural extension and RASs in strengthening and developing cooperatives and producer organisations
•Challenges of agricultural extension and RASs in developing cooperatives and rural community organisations
•International and national new approaches of agricultural extension and RASs for developing and capacity building of cooperatives and rural community organisations
•Agricultural extension and RASs in developing community based organisations for rural women and youth and nomadic pastoralists
•Capacities and competencies in agricultural cooperatives and rural community organisations
Please, remember the following important dates:
•Abstract submission Deadline: 19th February 2014
•Notification of Abstract Acceptance/Rejection: 11th March 2014
•Final Full Paper Submission Deadline: 20th April 2014
•Notification of Full Paper Acceptance/Rejection: 21st May 2014
•Registration deadline for authors: 31st July 2014 (*)
•Arrival to Tehran or Tabriz Cities: Morning time of 1st September 2014 (or before the 1st of September)
•Travel from Tehran or Tabriz Cities to Zanjan: 1st September 2014 (at 14:00 pm)
•Conference Dates: 2-4th September 2014
•Excursion: 4th September 2014
•Travel to the cities of Tehran or Tabriz, or other areas of Iran: 5th September 2014
Please note that contributions will only be published in the conference proceeding if at least one of the authors of the paper is registered before 31st July 2014 (In person or virtually).