Announcement & Call for Papers

XX ANNUAL BIOECON CONFERENCE ON:

“Land-use, Agriculture and Biodiversity:  Spatial and Temporal Issues”

12th -14th September 2018

King’s College, Cambridge

United Kingdom

Keynote Speakers: 

Professor Douglas Gollin, University of Oxford, UK

Professor Paul Ferraro, Johns Hopkins University, USA

The Scientific Partners of BIOECON are pleased to announce the Twentieth International BIOECON Conference on the theme of “Land-use, Agriculture and Biodiversity: Spatial and Temporal Issues”. The Conference will be held at Kings College Cambridge, UK between the 12th – 14th September 2018. 
BIOECON XX will be of interest to both researchers and policy makers working on issues associated with land-use decisions and its impact on biodiversity. In particular, BIOECON XX aims to focus on agriculture, the conservation of biodiversity and crop genetic diversity, and the use of spatial data to study these issues. Submissions are welcome on this theme which highlight experiences in both developed and developing countries, or trade related issues between the two.

Our keynote speakers will be Prof Paul Ferraro (Johns Hopkins University) and Prof Douglas Gollin (University of Oxford). Prof Ferraro will talk on the evaluation of conservation programmes and instruments. Prof Gollin will talk on issues surrounding agriculture and the in-situ conservation of crop genetic diversity.

In addition to the conference theme, BIOECON XX aims to have parallel sessions on a broad range of topics within the umbrella of biodiversity economics including: the role of biodiversity and ecosystem services in economic development, plant genetic resources and food security issues, deforestation and development, fisheries, institutions and instruments (e.g. Payments for Ecosystem Services), development and conservation, wildlife conservation and endangered species, international trade and regulation and climate change. For a flavour of previous conferences go to this link.

In particular, submissions are invited on the themes of:

-        Instruments for conservation in the context of land-use and biodiversity

-        Evaluation of biodiversity-related policies and programmes (such as PES)

-        The use of spatial data to study impacts on biodiversity and conservation programmes

-        The conservation and value of crop genetic diversity

-        Institutional frameworks for resource conservation (property rights, market instruments etc.)

-        The role of behavioural economics in biodiversity conservation policy design

-        Experimental (lab and field) approaches to biodiversity and ecosystem service conservation

-        Institution-building for provision of global public goods

-        Issues of governance and management of natural resources in developing countries

-        Development, growth and resource constraints

-        Resources management, distribution, development, poverty alleviation.

BIOECON also has the goal of influencing policy-makers and policy. To this end expert policy panels will be organised. The purpose of these panels will be to bring together practitioners (Government, private sector, NGO) and academics from different disciplines to discuss current policy related issues in biodiversity conservation and environment. The panel sessions will be supported by and contribute to the aims and goals of and the funding partners. Two policy panel sessions will take place, one of which will focus on the role of valuation studies in informing the valuation of natural capital and ecosystem services in policy to date.

Further, we will hold a pre-conference Workshop on “The Role of Social Preferences in Promoting Conservation Behaviour”, that will be hosted on the 12th of September 2018 in King’s College. The Workshop is organised by Prof Stefanie Engel (Alexander von Humboldt-Professor of Environmental Economics, Osnabrück University), Prof Andreas Kontoleon (University of Cambridge) and Dr Elisabeth Gsottbauer (University of Innsbruck). It is supported by the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation. The Workshop will focus on the current debate about the role of social preferences in promoting conservation behaviour. This includes the impact of social preferences on conservation behaviour, the role of social preferences in understanding the performance of environmental policies (such as payments for environmental services), and the potential for conservation policy interventions to promote or trigger social preferences. Scholars from several disciplines including behavioural and environmental economics and social psychology will present frontier research on these issues. The Workshop will lay particular emphasis on discussing lessons from experimental studies. The programme will be announced by mid-June 2018. Spaces in the Workshop are limited and participation for BIOECON conference delegates is by invitation only. Interested parties should contact Dr Elisabeth Gsottbauer (" href="mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." style="line-height: inherit; color: rgb(117, 0, 35);">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ). There is no additional workshop registration fee, but costs for attending the event (accommodation and meals for an extra day) will be incurred by the participant unless waived by the workshop organisers. Payment will be accepted via the same conference website once it is open.

The Conference will open with a reception at King’s College on early evening of Wednesday 12th of September.  Conference sessions will commence on the morning of the 13th of September and conclude on the afternoon of the 14th of September. The conference banquet will take place at the main Dining Hall of King’s College on the evening of the 13th of September.

SUBMISSIONS
Complete papers may be submitted for presentation within the BIOECON Conference and only complete papers will be considered by the Scientific Programme Committee. Electronic copies should be sent to " href="mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." style="line-height: inherit; color: rgb(117, 0, 35);">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than Monday 28th May 2018. Please include Abstract, JEL Codes and Keywords with your submission. Acceptance of papers will be notified by email by Monday 11th June 2018.

It is also possible to submit 3-4 papers together as a suggested “special session” under a theme similar to those indicated above.  The Scientific Partners reserve the right to accept papers on an individual basis, so it is possible that even when a session is not accepted, individual papers within the session might be so.

Once again BIOECON XX welcomes suggestions for a special natural sciences or interdisciplinary parallel session to foster more interdisciplinary collaboration with the BIOECON network. Sessions proposed should focus on any aspect of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services and need not be exclusively focussed on economic methodologies or approaches.

REGISTRATION

Selected presenters will be invited to register for the conference at the “invited presenter” rate.  The invited presenter rate consists of a £150 registration fee that will cover the costs of 2 nights single accommodation, reception, lunches, and conference banquet.  (A limited number of double rooms are available (at a surcharge of £50/night). Additional guests may be registered for lunch (£35/person) or the Conference Banquet at the additional cost of £50 per guest. There is a £270 registration fee for all other participants that will include the banquet, lunches and refreshments, but not accommodation (£100/night). There is a £150 registration fee for day-participants (that includes lunches and refreshments but not lodging and the conference banquet).  All other questions regarding fees, registrations and accommodation should be sent to the conference secretariat at " href="mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." style="line-height: inherit; color: rgb(117, 0, 35);">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Registration will open on Tuesday 12th June 2018. Registrations for conference presenters are due by 26th June 2018. Registration for all other participants closes on the 20th August 2018.

Further registration details and all other conference information will be provided on the BIOECON web-site at www.bioecon-network.org.