(1) Higher Education and Food Systems (deadline: Dec. 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 of topics 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
Survey 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 studies of university-based local food system projects or community-university partnerships
Analysis of food system education curricula and course syllabi

See more details and printable flyers at JAFSCD’s calls for papers.

(2) Sustainable Livelihoods in Food Systems (deadline: February 15, 2012)

Members of the Ojibwe indigenous community harvesting wild rice.While industrialization and globalization of the food system continue to lead to declining numbers of midsized 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.

(Photo: Members of the Ojibwe indigenous community in northern Minnesota harvest wild rice (manoomin) in the traditional manner; learn more at http://www.welrp.org. Photo copyright 2007 by Duncan Hilchey.)

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

See more details and printable flyers at JAFSCD’s calls for papers.
JAFSCD