CALL FOR PAPERS

8th African Conference of Agricultural Economists (8th ACAE)

Smart Agriculture: Innovation, Digital Transformation, and Trade for a Climate-Challenged Africa

September 22-25, 2026
Argyle Grand Hotel Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

CONFERENCE OVERVIEW

The African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE) together with the International Food Policy Research Institute – Africa (IFPRI-Africa) cordially invites researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and stakeholders to submit original research papers for the 8th African Conference of Agricultural Economists. This premier conference will convene leading experts to explore critical issues surrounding agricultural innovation, digital transformation, and trade development in the context of Africa’s evolving climate challenges.

The conference will serve as a vital platform for exchanging innovative research, sharing best practices, and fostering collaborative solutions that advance sustainable agricultural development across the African continent. We particularly encourage submissions that address the intersection of technology, climate adaptation, and economic development in agricultural systems.

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ABOUT THE CONFERENCE THEME & SUB-THEMES

The Conference Theme is: SMART AGRICULTURE: INNOVATION, DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, AND TRADE FOR A CLIMATE-CHALLENGED AFRICA. We invite submissions across the various sub-themes below.

About the theme: Africa stands at a critical juncture where the convergence of technological innovation, digital transformation, and strategic trade partnerships offers unprecedented opportunities to revolutionise agricultural systems while addressing the mounting challenges of climate change. The theme “Smart Agriculture: Innovation, Digital Transformation, and Trade for a Climate-Challenged Africa” for the 8th African Conference of Agricultural Economists recognises that the continent’s agricultural sector must embrace cutting-edge technologies to build resilience against increasingly unpredictable weather patterns that threaten food security across the continent. Smart agriculture, powered by new farming technologies, IoT sensors, satellite monitoring, and data analytics, presents African farmers with tools to optimise resource utilisation, enhance productivity, and reduce environmental impact while adapting to climate variability. Digital transformation initiatives, including mobile banking for smallholder farmers, blockchain supply chain tracking, and artificial intelligence-driven crop management systems, can bridge the gap between traditional farming practices and modern agricultural efficiency. Additionally, leveraging regional and international trade partnerships enables African nations to access global markets for their agricultural products while importing necessary technologies and expertise, creating a virtuous cycle of economic growth and agricultural modernisation. This integrated approach to smart agriculture, digital innovation, and strategic trade collaboration positions Africa not merely as a recipient of technological solutions, but as an active participant in developing context-appropriate agricultural technologies that can serve as models for other climate-vulnerable regions worldwide, ultimately transforming the continent’s agricultural landscape into a sustainable, productive, and economically viable sector capable of feeding Africa’s growing population while contributing to global food security.

Proposes Sub-themes

  1. Agricultural Finance and Investment
  2. Agricultural innovation and digital technologies
  3. Agricultural trade, value chains, and regional integration
  4. Climate-smart agricultural practices
  5. Data-driven decision-making and policy analysis
  6. Digital agriculture and platforms
  7. Food security, nutrition, and livelihoods
  8. Gender, youth, and inclusion in agri-food systems
  9. Land use, sustainability, and environmental economics
  10. Policy and institutional frameworks for sustainable agriculture
  11. Rural transformation and inclusive growth

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Manuscript Requirements
All submissions must present original, unpublished research that makes a significant contribution to agricultural economics knowledge. Papers should be written in English and formatted according to standard academic conventions. Authors must ensure their work adheres to ethical research standards and properly acknowledges all sources.

Paper Categories
The conference accepts full research papers, policy briefs, and case studies.

  • Full research papers should not exceed 7,500 words, including references and appendices.
  • Policy briefs should be limited to 3,000 words and focus on actionable recommendations for policymakers.
  • Case studies should present a detailed analysis of specific interventions or programs within 5,000 words.

Review Process
All submissions will undergo a rigorous double blind peer review process conducted by the conference scientific committee. Papers will be evaluated based on originality, methodological rigour, relevance to conference themes, and potential impact on agricultural development in Africa. Authors will receive detailed feedback from reviewers regardless of acceptance status.

IMPORTANT DATES

EventDate
1st Call for Papers01 July 2025
2nd Call for Papers01 September 2025
Early Bird Registration Starts15 October 2025
Final Call for Papers15 December 2025
Paper Submissions Open15 November 2025
Invited Panels and Requests for Organised Symposia Open15 November 2025
Deadline for submission of Full Papers, Invited Panels and Organised Symposium31 March 2026
Notification of Paper, Invited Panel and Organised Symposia Acceptance1-5 June 2026
Early Bird Registration Deadline15 July 2026
Regular Registration Deadline15 September 2026
Final Conference Program Released16 September 2026
Conference Dates22-25 September 2026

CONTRIBUTED PAPERS

Preparation of the text

  1. The manuscript (English or French) should be submitted electronically to the Programs Committee through the microsite (the link will be shared in due course on the 8th ACAE conference website).
  2. The manuscript should include an abstract at the beginning of not more than 250 words.
  3. The text should be presented in Times New Roman, 12 pt., 1.5 Line spacing in Microsoft Word with 2.54 cm margins on A4 paper size.
  4. The title page should include the title, the name(s) of the author(s) and their affiliation(s).
  5. Articles should not be longer than 7500 words.

References

  1. The Harvard Style of referencing should be used in the form name(s) of the author(s), year of publication, page(s) referred to in the text, e.g. (Author, 1994:100).
  2. The references should be in alphabetical and then chronological order in the References at the end of the contribution.
  3. Footnotes and endnotes should be kept to a minimum. Endnotes are located ahead of the references.

Tables

A title, numbered consecutively, should be provided for each table, in bold above the Table, and all tables should be referred to in the text.

Figures

  1. Figures should be numbered consecutively and referred to in the text.
  2. Figure captions should be in bold below the Figure.
  3. Drawings should be completely lettered, with the size of the lettering appropriate to that of the drawings, considering the possible need for a reduction in size (preferably not more than 50 per cent). The width of lines should also be considered in this regard.

PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITIES

Selected high-quality papers presented at the conference will be considered for publication in special issues of the AfJARE journal. Authors of accepted papers will also be able to participate in policy dialogue sessions with government officials and development partners.

REGISTRATION

Conference registration information will be available on the 8th ACAE conference website www.aaae-africa.events. Early bird registration rates will be available from October 1, 2025, until July 15, 2026.

ACCOMMODATION

The conference organisers have secured preferential rates at the Argyle Grand Hotel (conference venue), Hilton Garden Inn Nairobi Airport and PrideInn Plaza Nairobi Airport hotel, which are nearby accommodation facilities for conference participants. More options will be announced in due course.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For inquiries regarding paper submissions, please contact the Conference Secretariat:

8th ACAE Conference Secretariat
Email: conference@aaae-africa.org
Website: www.aaae-events.org
Phone: +254-20-785-8550WhatsApp: +254-777-858-550
For general conference inquiries, contact: info@aaae-africa.org
Dr. Oliver K. Kirui
Chair, Local Organizing Committee(LOC)
Email: chairloc@aaae-africa.org/O.K.Kirui@cgiar.org
Phone/WhatsApp: +254 713 022 614

The 8th African Conference of Agricultural Economists is organised by the African Association of Agricultural Economists in collaboration with the International Food Policy Institute (IFPRI) -Africa. We look forward to welcoming you to Nairobi for this important gathering of agricultural economics professionals.