General Statement

IFAMR is actively working with academic associations to provide a joint platform for scholars and practitioners around the world to highlight the latest research advances and solutions to address imminent challenges to the global food and agribusiness system.

With supports of the Global Research Network on Agri-food Systems for Sustainable Transformation (GreNAST), the China Academy for Rural Development (CARD), and the School of Public Affairs of Zhejiang University, IFAMR and Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) have partnered this year to publish a special issue, “Transforming Agri-food Systems for Sustainability and Rural Vitalization”, which is devoted to issues regarding the drivers, development, challenges and impacts of the agri-food systems transformation towards sustainable, inclusive and resilient development goals. The special issue invites submissions from applied agricultural economics and agribusiness management scholars.

Areas of Focus

1.  Development of sustainable agri-food systems and the role of resilient inter-regional connectivity. Examples of topics in this area include:

• The influence of international trade barriers on agri-food supply chains and food security
• Impacts and disruptive mechanisms of external shocks on the agri-food system sustainability
• Enhancement of market integration and development of resilient agri-food value chains

2.  Sustainable agri-food systems transformations, rural livelihood, and urban-rural integration. Examples of topics in this area include:

• Development of agri-food value chains and rural livelihoods in incomes and consumption
• Rural living conditions and agri-food value chain extensions for urban-rural integration
• Technology promotion and adoption for sustainable agri-food systems transformations

Submission Instructions 

Step 1: Authors must submit full papers through the Editorial Manager Portal of IFAMR before June 30, 2025. When submitting full papers, authors must select “Transforming Agri-food Systems for Sustainability and Rural Vitalization” in the Article Type to have their manuscripts undergo an expedited review process. 

Step 2: Selected papers will be notified before July 15, 2025 and arranged for presentations at a conference co-organized by Zhejiang University and ADBI. Although each paper would be subject to a double-blind peer review independently, accepted papers will be published together along with a summary of the issue’s topic. Papers will be published “in press” as soon as possible after acceptance. But the completed issue is expected in early 2026. 

The format of complete manuscripts should follow IFAMR’s author guidelines that can be found at: https://www.ifama.org/submission-guidelines/

Final manuscripts should be uploaded using IFAMR’s online submission portal: https://www.ifama.org/Submission-Portal/ 

ZJU-ADBI Conference 

Authors of selected papers will be invited to present at the international conference jointly organized by Zhejiang University and ADBI in late July in Tokyo or another strategic location in Asia. This is a hybrid conference. Some lead/corresponding authors of the ADB member countries may be invited to make in-person presentations, with some support from ADBI. Other authors will be invited to attend the conference virtually, or in-person at their own expenses. 

Zhejiang University and ADBI will also cover the IFAMR publication charges of 1,300 Euros per article for best papers selected by the conference. The author must be a citizen of an Asian Development Bank member economy in order to receive ADBI supports. 

Please direct questions to: 

Tetsushi Sonobe: tsonobe@adbi.org

Dil Rahut: drahut@adbi.org 

Rui Mao: rmao@zju.edu.cn

Chen Ji: jichen@zju.edu.cn

Xin Jin: xinj@zju.edu.cn

Special Issue Timeline