54th Annual Conference of the Swiss Society for Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Sociology (SGA)

Call for Abstracts

In recent years, the agricultural and food sector has been increasingly shaped by overlapping global disruptions — such as climate change, geopolitical instability, and shifting societal demands. These developments have exposed major vulnerabilities in food supply chains and highlighted the limited capacity of agri-food systems to withstand and adapt to both sudden shocks and long-term transformations.

Strengthening economic and social resilience has therefore become a strategic priority. Resilience goes beyond simply enduring crises; it includes the proactive ability to adapt to changes in ways that protect food security, promote environmental sustainability, ensure social equity, and maintain economic viability. This requires building capacities such as robustness, adaptability, and transformability across agricultural systems. The 2026 SGA Conference will explore how resilience can be fostered through innovative policies, institutional frameworks, and practices along the entire agri-food chain — from production to consumption. The event will bring together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders to share knowledge, methods, and practical experiences.

Key themes:

Conceptualization and measurement of resilience in agricultural and food systems at different scales
Trade-offs and synergies between resilience and other policy goals (e.g., productivity, sustainability, equity)
Interlinkages between food system resilience and other systems (e.g., energy, transport, labor)
Social aspects of resilience: community networks, labor, gender, and rural livelihoods
Economic tools for enhancing resilience at farm, regional, or national levels
Policy and governance models supporting resilient food and farming systems
Case studies and empirical evaluations of resilience initiatives
Innovations in data, modeling, and assessment of resilience
Impacts of global disruptions (e.g., pandemics, conflicts, climate-related events) on agri-food systems