Agri-Food XV

The 2008 Conference of the Agri-Food Research Network

...Will be held from Wednesday 26th to Friday 28th November, at the Darlington Centre at the University of Sydney.

The final conference program is now available! Click here for the final program, and click here for the list of Abstracts for papers to be presented at the Conference.

Preceding the Conference, on Tuesday 25th November, there will be an optional field trip to examine the Hawkesbury Harvest initiative, in north-western Sydney. The field trip, which will include a slow food lunch of local produce and wines, is being undertaken with support from the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The cost of the pre-conference field trip is $65 which includes lunch, transport and incidentals. The field trip will depart from Butlin Avenue at the University of Sydney at 7.45am. (Click here for map.) The field trip itinerary can be found here.

Keynote Speaker

The Keynote address for Agri-Food XV will be presented by Professor Brian Ilbery of the Countryside and Community Research Institute at the University of Gloucestershire, UK. Professor Ilbery is a rural/agricultural geographer whose research interests lie in agricultural change and policy, rural development, alternative farm enterprises, short food supply chains and local/regional speciality food and drink products.

With more than 100 refereed journal articles, over 30 chapters in books and 9 books to his credit, Professor Ilbery has extensive funded research activities and is involved in the UK Rural Economy and Land Use programme, a major initiative involving cooperative research across the social and natural sciences.

Registration closed

Registration for Agri-Food XV is now closed, as we have reached the capacity limits of the venue.

The Conference dinner is now fully booked!!. For registrants who have already paid, the dinner will be held on Thursday 27 November at Rubyo's Restaurant, Newtown (just a few hundred metres from the Conference venue). Rubyos is Sydney's leading exponent of the grazing menu, with high-quality foods designed to be shared. This is an event not to be missed. The Conference dinner costs $65 which includes an extensive selection of food (with dessert included) and a welcome glass of sparkling wine or soft drink. See
Rubyo's website for more information about the venue.

Submitting an Abstract

Abstracts for papers to be presented at the Conference were due on 11 August, 2008. The program is now full, so no further papers can be accepted.

Accommodation

It is the responsibility of individuals to make their own accommodation arrangements. Accommodation costs are not included in registration. For an overview of accommodation options close to the conference venue, click here. For those on a budget, the organisers have reserved a number of rooms at Wesley College, on the University of Sydney campus. This is basic student accommodation with a bed and breakfast rate of $68 per night (adult) or $58 per night (student). To reserve a room, fill out the booking form, available here, and send it direct to Wesley College (details on the form).

Key Dates

Registration was due on 15 September 2008. The organisers may accept late registrations up to the date of the conference. Late registration fees are $450 (full) and $270 (concession).

Accompanying the Conference will be an "Agri-Food trivia" night (Wednesday 26 November: attendance is free-of-charge however food and drinks are to be paid individually), the formal Conference dinner (Thursday 27 November, at additional cost to delegates), and the final cocktail function, including the famous Agri-Bagri Awards (Friday 28 November, included in the Conference registration).

More information?

For more information, contact the conference organisers, Bill Pritchard or Jasmine Glover

About the Agri-food Research Network

The Agri-Food Research Network is a forum for Australian and New Zealand social scientists researching the economic, cultural, social and environmental implications of agricultural and food systems. Since its establishment in 1992 it has convened regular annual research conferences and facilitated the publication of research for the following purposes:

* to promote inter-disciplinary research on agri-food issues;
* to encourage debate, information exchange and collaboration between researchers based in universities and other organisations;
* to provide a supportive site for nurturing post-graduate students and early-career researchers studying agri-food issues;
* to engage with policy-makers and agri-food professionals.