IEG-IFPRI International Conference

IEG-IFPRI International Conference

Innovation in Indian Agriculture: Ways Forward

Call for papers

The Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), New Delhi and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, DC will convene a two-day international conference in New Delhi on December 4-5, 2014 to explore innovative ways of accelerating development in India's agricultural sector through productivity growth, higher returns to farming, acceleration of poverty reduction, and the improvement of social and economic welfare in rural India. The objectives of the conference are to (1) highlight research on the impacts of past reforms in Indian agriculture, structural changes in production, consumption and demand, resource degradation and climate change; and (2) analyse policy options for Indian agriculture going forward; and (3) draw on the theoretical and empirical evidence on agricultural development from other countries and regions.

The conference will be built around plenary and parallel sessions that allow participants to present original research, share innovative ideas, and deliberate openly on pressing issues. Sessions are tentatively organized around the following theme areas:

1)      Policy processes and the political economy of agricultural development

2)      Private investment in markets for seeds, nutrients, water, and other inputs

3)      Connecting farmers, firms and consumers through commodity markets, value chains, and value-added products

4)      Gender dimensions of a changing agricultural sector

5)      Technological change, innovation, and incentives in the scientific research community

6)      The nexus between environmental sustainability and agricultural intensification

The conference aims to bring together academicians from India and abroad, policymakers, donor agencies, private firms and industry organizations, and civil society.

We invite scholars and related individuals to contribute papers with rigorous analysis on these issues. Papers may be theoretical, applied, or practical in nature, and will be reviewed by a Scientific Committee comprised of both Indian and foreign scholars. A limited number of travel grants will be made available for authors of accepted papers.

An extended abstract of 500-1000 words that states the objectives, data, methodology, preliminary findings and policy recommendations of the paper must be submitted by July15, 2014 by uploading on IEG website- www.iegindia.org. Authors are requested to provide detailed contact information, a series of keywords that best characterizes the paper, and the session number in which the author feels the paper would most appropriately be placed. The decision regarding accepted paper proposals will be communicated by August 15, 2014.Authors of accepted papers are expected to submit full papers before October 31, 2014. The last date for participant registration will be November 15, 2014. News and updates can be viewed at the Institute of Economic Growth website (www.iegindia.org). Further information can be obtained by writing to [email protected]. The organisers for the conference are:

N.Chandrasekhara Rao

Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi

Uma Lele

Chairperson

Scientific Committee

David Spielman

International Food Policy Research Institute,

Washington D.C