Update (30 September 2025): The Call for Papers is now closed. We thank all applicants for their submissions. Accepted papers and conference materials are now available here.
More and better job creation tops policymakers’ agenda. The Agrifood System (AFS) is at the heart of this agenda. It employs one third of the workforce globally, rising to two thirds in low-income countries. However, many of these jobs are informal and low paying. As countries develop, the share of on-farm AFS employment declines, shifting off-farm to MSMEs involved in agrifood processing, trading and food services. In low-income countries, the number of people employed in farming continues to growth in the short run due to population growth. Successful transitions in AFS employment have historically been accompanied by increases in agricultural labor productivity. Today, climate-smart, sustainable intensification is essential, presenting new challenges. Disruptive technologies can accelerate AFS labor productivity growth and enhance sustainability. So, what is the evidence on how best to leverage the AFS for the Jobs Agenda?
ANAPRI and the World Bank are excited to announce a call for academic papers on “Leveraging the AFS for Jobs” to be presented on November 3, 2025, in Kigali, Rwanda during a pre-conference to the 12th Annual ANAPRI Stakeholders Conference (4-6 November 2025). Selected papers may be published in a special journal issue. The findings will also inform the World Bank flagship study on “Leveraging the Agrifood System for Jobs”. Areas of interest include:
- Current AFS job profiles and prospects, on and off the farm, rural and urban
- Role and constraints of AFS MSMEs as driver of AFS expansion and job creation
- Skill needs and skill delivery systems for the future AFS workforce (on/off farm)
- Effectiveness of inclusive agricultural value chain development models for jobs
- AFS mechanization and automation through a job lens
- Implications of sustainable intensification for AFS job outcomes
- AFS job effects of digitally enabled agricultural services
- Inclusion of youth and women in AFS job expansion
- Quality of AFS jobs
Submissions
We welcome theoretical, empirical as well as modeling case study and policy-oriented papers not yet published in a journal. Solution-oriented contributions are particularly encouraged. The focus is on low and lower-middle-income countries (especially Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia) but global perspectives and lessons from continents and high-income countries are welcome. Travel (economy class) and lodging will be compensated for one presenter per selected paper. Interested candidates are invited to submit their full papers by September 15, 2025. Selected candidates will be informed by September 30, 2025. For more information, you can contact info@anapri.net