As the world is becoming more interrelated and as the pace of scientific and technological advances is indeed breathtaking, there is always a need to think deeply about how values are infused in our food and agriculture more than ever. On the one hand, there is a need for having enough supply of food to feed the growing population. This demands a series of breakthroughs in technology, among other factors such as equitable food distribution system. On the other hand, the rush to rely on technology to solve our problems has brought with it a number of serious problems which could have been prevented had we paid more attention on how those technologies might affect us in the longer run. Hence, there is a tension between “food security” on the one hand, and “food safety” on the other. The purpose of the conference is to ask the question where the balance between can be found, and in what form. As we progress deeper into the twenty-first century it seems we cannot avoid either food security or food safety. Is there a way so that we can optimally achieve both of them? And how?

Papers are being called that address the questions above, and also that deal with food and agricultural ethics from a variety of disciplines, such as sociology, anthropology, philosophy, food science, biotechnology, veterinary science, agricultural sciences, and others, especially as they are related to safety or security. There will be four main themes at the conference, listed below. However, papers do not have to fall directly into either of these categories, but are within the domain of agricultural and food ethics broadly construed are certainly welcome.

Ethical considerations pertaining to the production of food
Ethical considerations pertaining to the distribution and trading of food and agricultural products
Environmental aspects, sustainability, contextual issues surrounding food, forestry and aquaculture production (e.g., land use, related issues in philosophy of technology, etc.)
Food policy and regulatory issues in Asia and beyond, educational issues in food and agricultural ethics.

Please send an extended abstract of between 1,000 and 1,500 words, in Open Office or Microsoft Office formats, as an email attachment, to the conference contact (see website) before the deadline below. If the abstract is accepted, then a full paper of no more than 4,000 words should be submitted in order to be included in the conference proceedings volume. The format of the full paper will be announced later.