3rd Global Agribusiness Management & Entrepreneurship Conference

The agribusiness and MSME sectors are facing numerous challenges and opportunities resulting from various disruptive forces.  These forces include the Fourth Industrial Revolution, climate change, trade liberalization, precision agriculture, food safety and traceability, inclusivity and sustainability, supply chain integration, technological innovations, conflict and instability, and most recently, the global health crisis, among others. The COVID-19 pandemic unleashed various disruptive forces, which went well beyond supply chains, impacting every aspect of business and social lives that quickly transcended the globe. Such forces from the pandemic range from constraints in agricultural production and income through labour shortages and intermediate inputs, shifts on consumer demand, and disorders in food supply chains among others. Thus, risk management strategies that were designed to mitigate the impact of disruptive regional events rendered to be ineffective.

Disruptions in the marketplace could open opportunities for organizations which understand the forces taking place and are open to evolving. Responding to the formidable, multi-faceted challenges today will require a reconfiguring of business models, strategies, management structures and processes, human resource management practices, organizational culture and mindsets. Achieving these transformations will require multistakeholder dialogue, sharing insights, agreeing on priorities and forging potential partnerships and networks. As these responsive actions aim to help companies survive until market conditions improve, particularly under this global pandemic, further moderating disruptions necessitate flexibility to become an essential part of business processes and product offerings.

GAME 2021 with the theme, “Breaking the Mold: Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship Amid Disruptive Forces” will serve as a venue for academicians, researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, and representatives from international agencies, NGOs, and industry and farmers’ associations to learn about how to unlock opportunities for growth against a backdrop of disruption. From these disruptions, including the global health pandemic, we enjoin everyone in gathering insights and learning from the agribusiness sector as this pandemic serves as an opportunity for us to rethink our agribusiness systems and strategize towards making it more resilient and sustainable.

This year’s conference is being co-organized with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), one of the oldest among 24 specialist institutions of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). SEARCA’s mandate and focus under its 11th Five-Year Plan are aligned to the key issues to be addressed in the conference, particularly five of United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) namely, Zero Hunger (SDG 2); Quality Education (SDG 4); Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9); Climate Action (SDG 13) and Partnerships for Goals (SDG 17) as well as three other SDGs – End Poverty in All its Forms Everywhere (SDG 1), Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls (SDG 5) and Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (SDG 12).

In general, the GAME 2021 Conference aims to bring together key stakeholders in the agribusiness and MSME sectors to discuss the disruptive forces influencing the sectors and to exchange ideas on the potential strategies and development entry points which could facilitate growth and sustainability amid these forces.