The conference “Contested Agronomy: Cases, Dynamics & Implications” will take place at the Institute of Development Studies in February 2016.

Contested Agronomy 2016 is a conference about the battlefields in agricultural research, past and present.

For full details, visit the conference website.

Date and venue

23 – 25 February 2016
Institute of Development Studies
University of Sussex, UK
Fee: £150 (a limited number of grants are available for participants based in developing countries)

Background

The book Contested Agronomy: Agricultural Research in a Changing World, published in 2012, outlined a new ‘political agronomy’ approach.

Political agronomy studies the relationships and processes which link political, economic and social forces and factors to the creation and use of agronomic knowledge and technology. It differs from other (apolitical) studies of scientific and technical change in agriculture by examining asymmetric power relations, contestation and struggle.

In our call for contributions, we particularly sought case studies of historical or present day significance to the developing world. These might address contestations beyond the traditional bounds of agronomy – around environmental, socio-economic, political and systemic issues.

This event is supported by the STEPS Centre, and co-hosted by the Institute of Development Studies, Plant Production Systems Group, Wageningen University, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the Future Agricultures Consortium.