54th Annual conference of the Swiss Society for Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Sociology (SGA)
54th Annual conference of the Swiss Society for Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Sociology (SGA) “Economic and social resilience in the agricultural and food sector”, May 07-08, 2026, BFH-HAFL, Zollikofen, Switzerland
In recent years, the agricultural and food sector has been increasingly shaped by a convergence of global disruptions - ranging from climate change and geopolitical instability to evolving societal demands. These developments have revealed critical vulnerabilities in food supply chains, and the broader capacity of agri-food systems to respond, withstand and adapt effectively to both acute shocks and gradual transformations.
In this context, strengthening economic and social resilience has become a strategic imperative. Resilience goes beyond merely enduring crises; it involves proactively adapting to long-term changes and challenges in ways that safeguard food security, promote environmental sustainability, uphold social equity, and ensure economic viability. To this end, different resilience capacities (e.g. robustness, adaptability, transformability) and farming system’s resilience to specific and general challenges and unknowns are required (e.g. Meuwissen et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2019.102656)
The 2025 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. We invite contributions that examine the interplay between production, economic, social, and environmental dimensions of resilience in agriculture and food systems, from production to consumption. The conference aims to bring together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders to share insights, methods, and real-world experiences.
We welcome analyses (e.g. from economic, sociological, and political angles) addressing the following themes:
- Conceptualization and measurement of resilience in agricultural and food systems at different scales and across the agri-food value chain
- Trade-offs and synergies between resilience and other policy goals (e.g. productivity, sustainability, equity)
- Interlinkages between resilience of agricultural and food systems and other systems (e.g. energy, transport, labor markets)
- Social dimensions of resilience, including community networks, labor, gender, and rural livelihoods
- Economic instruments for enhancing resilience at farm, regional, or national levels
- Policy instruments and governance models that support resilient farming and food systems from production to consumption
- Case studies and empirical evaluations of resilience-building initiatives
- Innovations in data, modeling, and evaluation for resilience assessment
- Impacts of global disruptions (e.g. pandemics, conflicts, climate events) on agri-food resilience
In addition to the exchange of different actors from Switzerland, international networking is an important goal, which is why we are also very happy to welcome participants from other countries.
The conference will feature parallel presentation tracks in English, German and French. Participants are encouraged to submit abstracts in the language of their preferred track. Please note that no simultaneous translation will be provided.
There will be an award for the best poster and the best presentation.
Call for Abstracts
Abstracts with a maximum length of 2 pages can be submitted in German, French or English here https://www.conftool.org/sga2026/ until 15th of October 2025. To write a contribution, please use this template.
We also offer the possibility for Organised Sessions. A joint proposal for the entire session must be submitted, which consists of abstracts with detailed descriptions of individual contributions (max. 2 pages each) as well as an overall motivation and objective (max. 2 pages). In order to submit an Organised Session, please use this template.
Contact persons of the Board of the Swiss Society for Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Sociology (SGA) for questions about the conference:
Phatima Mamardashvili (phatima.mamardashvili@bfh.ch), Berner Fachhochschule, Hochschule für Agrar-, Forst- und Lebensmittelwissenschaften HAFL
Robert Finger (rofinger@ethz.ch), Gruppe Agrarökonomie und -politik, ETH Zürich
Nadja El Benni (nadja.el-benni@agroscope.admin.ch), Forschungsbereich Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung und Agrarmanagement, Agroscope
Jürn Sanders (juern.sanders(at)fibl.org), Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau FiBL
Information about the conference location
Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL (BFH-HAFL): https://www.bfh.ch/hafl/en/
BFH-HAFL: Location + Facilities: https://www.bfh.ch/hafl/en/about-hafl/locations-facilities/
BFH-HAFL Rout map: https://www.bfh.ch/dam/jcr:f26c286b-4e4d-4f44-9f4c-ef41a9ad9b53/anfahrtsplan-hafl.pdf
BFH-HAFL Site plan: https://www.bfh.ch/dam/jcr:dc6e5b23-1a9e-4dc5-ae0d-3d8969c4a8c6/lageplan-hafl.pdf