Call for Papers: Transitioning to Climate Resilient and Decarbonised Agrifood Systems in Southeast Asia – Workshop and Compendium

Southeast Asia (SEA) is among the regions hardest hit by climate change. The region is projected to face increasingly frequent and destructive storms, floods, heatwaves, floods, droughts, and other unpredictable weather events, which will impact food production. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimated that the region’s GDP could decline by 11 percent by the end of the century due to a decline in agriculture, fishing, and tourism. This would affect one in three people living in SEA who are employed in the agriculture sector (or approximately 190 million people). The volatility in food supply would also lead to higher food prices, greater food insecurity and potentially, create social instability.

Aside from being affected by climate change, food production also contributes to carbon emissions. One-third of global greenhouse gas emissions are from food and agriculture. With the exception of Brunei and Singapore, agriculture is among the top GHG sectors which requires climate mitigation action. Rice production is among the highest contributors to methane emissions globally. SEA produces 30 percent of the global supply of methane.

Decarbonising agriculture and the food system is thus crucial for a sustainable food future. Challenges faced impeding this transition include a lack of finance, slow uptake of technologies, inconsistent and obstructive regulatory frameworks, unbalanced allocation of funding, poor governance, and lack of prioritisation.

Against this backdrop, we would like to invite policymakers, practitioners, and scholars to contribute to a multi-disciplinary social, political, environmental and/or economic analysis of options for transitioning to climate-resilient and decarbonised agrifood systems in SEA.

We are specifically interested in the analysis of transition pathways to:

  1. Decarbonisation of agri-food systems in SEA; including agriculture and land-use policies, transport and distribution, trade, energy usage and supply chain efficiency.
  2. Agroforestry and nature-based solutions relevant to SEA;
  3. Circular solutions to decarbonise food systems in SEA;
  4. Frameworks for small- and medium-holder farmers to participate in carbon markets in SEA;
  5. Technology adoption and green financing options to decarbonise agriculture and food systems in SEA; and
  6. Regional cooperation on food and agriculture security (ASEAN, export-import outlook, investments, etc).

Potential contributors are invited to submit an abstract of 300-500 words and a short bio-data (100 words) by 12 June 2023.

Following a selection process, shortlisted contributors will be invited to:

  1. Contribute a draft paper of not more than 6,000 words on the chosen topic for publication in the Compendium “Transitioning to climate-resilient and decarbonised agrifood systems in Southeast Asia” to ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute to be reviewed by a three-person scientific expert review panel by 3 September 2023.
  2. Review comments by expert panel and present the updated paper at an online/in-person workshop in October 2023 (date TBC).
  3. Submit finalised paper for editing process by 20 November 2023.

All submissions must be original and not previously published in any format. Completed articles will be accepted for publication if specified criteria and editorial requirements are met. Final publication is expected in the second quarter of 2024.

All submissions are to climatechange@iseas.edu.sg.

If there are any queries, please contact:

Elyssa Ludher

Visiting Fellow, Climate Change in Southeast Asia Programme

ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute

Qiu Jiahui

Research Officer, Climate Change in Southeast Asia Programme

ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute

 

About us:

The Climate Change in Southeast Asia Programme (CCSEAP) at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute was established in 2020 to examine the phenomenon of climate change, its impact, and policy responses across the region and in key Southeast Asian countries. The Programme hopes to cultivate a network of scholars at the forefront of regional climate change research. The Programme aims to build on ISEAS’ thought leadership to advance climate discourse and knowledge in Southeast Asia through a series of publications and seminars.

The Climate Change in Southeast Asia Workshop and Compendium Series is a platform to facilitate and promote research on climate-related issues in the Southeast Asian region. This platform aims to facilitate knowledge exchange and share best practices to deepen understanding of the complex and multidimensional nature of climate change.

To receive email updates for CCSEAP events and activities, please scan QR Code below or go to bit.ly/ccseapmail:

Date

Mar 31 2023 - Jun 12 2023
Expired!

Time

All Day