from The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development

Deadline for manuscripts: May 15, 2013, for publication in the fall 2013 issue

Sustainable and equitable food systems require adequate volumes of high quality and affordable farmland. Many farmers invest heavily in their farmland; typically it is one of their greatest assets. Meanwhile, the loss  of  farmland may affect food security. In the United States, for example, the USDA reports that  the country is short by 13 million acres for fruit and vegetable production to meet daily requirements.¹ While the international recession has slowed farmland loss in some places, sprawl that affects some of the best farmland continues unabated. The loss in some countries has been so great  that they are pursuing the control of agricultural land in other countries — particularly in the global south. While the root causes of farmland loss are complex, they are generally acknowledged to include urbanization, population growth, aging of farmers, and unpredictable weather. Competition for land drives up its price, making it less affordable for new or younger farmers. On the other hand, these challenges are fomenting a growing interest in landscape-level conservation initiatives. A number  of new  approaches to protecting farmland and securing it for the future are being developed, although they show mixed results.
JAFSCD welcomes submissions on a wide range of topics that explore the relationship between land use and food systems. Submissions may include qualitative and quantitative studies, case studies, review articles, reflective essays, and commentaries. We encourage submissions that draw on diverse interdisciplinary and community/practitioner perspectives and are written in using accessible scholarship.² Papers could include topics related to:

For more details about this call, contact editor in chief Duncan Hilchey at [email protected]. In addition, JAFSCD welcomes articles at any time on any subject related to the development aspects of agriculture and food systems.