IFAMA 2021 | INCAE

WELCOME to IFAMA 2021!

Costa Rica, as a leader in sustainability since the 1980s, and recently recognized as “UN Champion of the Earth” is pleased to host the 31st World Conference IFAMA 2021.

Costa Rica is located between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, thus its ecological surroundings –forests, waters, soils, and climate –, tropical characteristics and its flora and fauna. Its tropical climate is modified by various factors, including its geographical relief (mountains, plains, and plateaus), its position within the Central American isthmus, the influence of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the existing general atmospheric circulation. Although Costa Rica is a small territory, it has 5% of the earth's biodiversity and it's, fortunately, protected by the National System of Areas Conservation, preserving a total of 25% of the national territory.

More about Costa Rica

After 3 decades of prestigious work, IFAMA is at the verge point where new generation leaders and increasing technological innovation are changing the industry around.

IFAMA 2021 pursues to link initiatives and actors of all those regions with temperate and tropical climates in agribusiness, involving past and future generations to face tomorrow's challenges together.

EARTH University and INCAE Business School are glad to be hosting this 31st edition of IFAMA.

The Symposium Program will be at EARTH University on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica and Forum will be in the most attractive city urban of San Jose, Capital of Costa Rica, 19-23 June.*

*All activities subject to COVID-19 restrictions.

Hot Topics

  • Exploring how Digital Technologies are Affecting Organizations and Reshaping

    the Agribusiness Sector

    Business ecosystems centered on firms need to develop new digital technologies to adopt digital solutions for farming and food production. We invite scholars to contribute papers exploring the impact of the new digital technologies, their unexpected effects, and the influence of rapidly growing internet firms.

  • Multidisciplinary Debate and Reflection

    on Digital Transformation in the Agribusiness Sector

    Digital transformation and resultant business model innovation have fundamentally altered consumers’ expectations and behaviors, pressured traditional firms, and disrupted numerous markets. We, therefore, invite scholars to send their contributions around but not limited to the following topics: To identify the external factors that have strengthened the need for digital transformation. To discuss the strategic imperatives that result from digital transformation regarding (1) required digital resources, (2) required organizational structure, (3) growth strategies, and (4) required metrics.

  • Digital Innovation in Organizations and their Ecosystems

    The new paradigm regards the firm as a node in an ecosystem – a network of partners that collaborate to create customer experiences and new systems that can adapt themselves to evolving customer needs. What institutional arrangements will foster or impede the development and effectiveness of the new systemic models and deal with the network complexity? How is value created and apportioned among the players in the ecosystem? How do companies in the ecosystem establish a dialogue with consumers?

  • Studying the Intersection of the Digitalization and Sustainability Trends

    Digitalization and sustainability are powerful trends in today’s corporate world. While attention is paid to these shifts individually, less attention is directed to understanding how these trends combine to reshape the market conditions in which organizations operate. Indeed, the intersection of these trends remains largely unexplored territory.

  • Circular Economy in Agribusiness

    and the Role of Technology and Digitalization

    Circular economy offers a solution to the existing linear model, promoting a systemic change that allows the reuse of products to create new ones and thus close the complete life cycle of goods. Therefore we invite scholars to send their contributions to explore how digitalization technology can support the transition, promote structural changes to unlock the potential of a circular economy?

  • Finding Solutions During Emergencies:

    The Role of Digital Technologies During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Agri-food Sector

    History has shown that crises to be triggers of innovation. The unexpected global health emergency caused by the COVID-19 virus is severely changing everything we know about social and economic systems. Companies are therefore responding rapidly to this emergency, both in the public and in the private sector How is technology being adopted/adapted to provide platforms and mechanisms to counteract the societal challenge due to ‘social distancing’ and ‘lock-down?

  • Exploring how Digital Technologies are Affecting Organizations and Reshaping
  • Multidisciplinary Debate and Reflection
  • Digital Innovation in Organizations and their Ecosystems
  • Studying the Intersection of the Digitalization and Sustainability Trends
  • Circular Economy in Agribusiness
  • Finding Solutions During Emergencies:

Conference Chairs

  • Esteban R. Brenes

    Esteban R. Brenes is The Steve Aronson Professor of Strategy and Agribusiness at INCAE Business School. Professor Brenes is the Academic Director of the Executive MBA (EMBA), Advanced Management Program (AMP), and Part-Time MBA Shanghai, China and was Dean of Faculty and MBA programs from 2001 to 2006. He was Visiting Professor at the University of Michigan for 10 years and at Cotrugli Business School in Europe for eight years. He has lectured at the Chicago and Duke University Business Schools. From 1998 to 2000 served as Minister of Agriculture and Livestock and Minister of Science and Technology of the Government of Costa Rica. Dr. Brenes is founder and president of bac&asociados S.A. (www.bacyasociados.com) a business consulting firm. Research interests: Strategy, agribusiness, entrepreneurship, and family businesses.

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  • Irene Alvarado Van der Laat

    Irene Alvarado Van der Laat, is currently an advisor to the Sustainability Laboratory based in Israel, is a Consultant for the United Nations, and teaches the courses on Environmental Economics and Project Evaluation at EARTH University. Also focuses her research on the development of value chains in circular economies for agricultural products and the promotion of entrepreneurship through low carbon economic activities to create a more just and inclusive society.

    Graduated from the Agriculture Engineer from the University of Costa Rica. She received an MFA in Business Administration with a focus in Agro-Marketing from the Technological Institute Costa Rica and a doctorate (Ph.D.) from the Universidad Latina in Economical and Entrepreneurial Sciences.

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  • Juan José Bolaños

    Juan José Bolaños, family business entrepreneur. Graduated from Animal Production from the ECAG with a Diploma in Technical Zootechnist. Received the Degree in Agronomic Engineering from EARTH University and Executive MBA from INCAE.

    He has worked as Global Business Developer and Comercial Manager and is now the CEO of the fresh pineapple exporter Piñalbo, also as CTO of the family cattle breeding farm. Pioneer of the Young Board of IFAMA. Advocate to Sustainability and Impact SCR for the communities in Costa Rica.

  • Esteban R. Brenes
  • Irene Alvarado Van der Laat
  • Juan José Bolaños

Call for extended abstracts and papers

Download our Call for extended abstracts and papers, see guidelines, submit a contribution, and join our World Conference in Costa Rica, June 2021.
 

Download

Invitation

Official Invitation For 31st IFAMA World Conference.

Download invitation

Time Liner

Nov 01, 2020

Submission opens

Nov 15, 2020

Open November 15, 2020 / Closes March 15, 2021

Team registration for Case Competitions

Dec 15, 2020

Submissions deadline

Feb 01, 2021

Acceptance notifications

Feb 28, 2021

Full Paper and Case Study submission deadline -for competing for best paper award-

Jan 05, 2021

Starts January 05, 2021 / ends February 15, 2021

Early-bird Conference Registration

Mar 30, 2021

Late Conference Registration Fee

Apr 15, 2021

Conference program

Jun 19, 2021

Jun 19-23, 2021 

IFAMA Conference Costa Rica 2021