CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
1st Nordic-Baltic REACH conference organized by NJF
“Resolving Environmental and Climate Change issues in agriculture”
October 8-9, 2024, Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, Vilnius, Lithuania
Aims and scope
Agriculture in the Nordic-Baltic region shares common challenges, such as short growing seasons and cold temperatures. Climate change influence agriculture and food and feed security in the Nordic and Baltic region in many ways, such as through rising temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and pest and disease risks. These challenges can have major economic, social and production consequences. Research has a pivotal role in providing solutions for how the agricultural sector can respond to these challenges and how it can valorize new opportunities.
The organizing committee welcomes participants with diverse perspectives to attend the conference “Resolving Environmental and Climate Change issues in agriculture (REACH)”. The event is intended to bring together researchers and experts with backgrounds in fields such as plants, soil, environment, animals, technology, economics and social science. The Conference is an excellent opportunity to meet fellow researchers and experts from different fields of agriculture to exchange ideas, share experiences, and establish new networks and partnerships. Conference participants will have an opportunity to present scientific results and discuss the latest developments, challenges, and solutions.
Main topics of the conference
All presentations related to resolving environmental and climate change issues in agriculture are welcomed. In particular, the organizing committee welcomes abstracts addressing the following topics:
1. Technological solutions for a cleaner agri-food system.
2. Biodiversity, plant and soil health in a new climate.
3. Sustainability and animal production.
4. Economics, social impacts and life cycle sustainability assessments.
5. Modelling of agriculture, food system, environmental, climate change and European policy issues.
Abstract submission
The organizing committee invites researchers and experts to submit an abstract to be considered for an oral or a poster presentation at the conference. Indicative topics of the conference are presented below. Please submit your abstract (maximum 2000 characters) by using this online form by August 20th, 2024 [Because of summer holiday period and requests that we have received, the final submission deadline has been postponed until August 20th]
The programme will include keynote talks, oral presentations (10 minutes for presentation, 5 minutes for discussion) and flash poster presentations (3 minutes for presentation, 2 minutes for discussion) . The registration to the conference will open in early July and all presenters are required to register to the conference by September 8, 2024.
Keynote Speakers
Lillian Øygarden, Head of research, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, “Climate change – new challenges and need of adaptation strategies for Nordic- Baltic agricultural production systems“
Dr. Øygarden has more than thirty years of experience from work with agriculture and environmental impact. The experience include research on erosion and measures to reduce loss of soil and nutrients to waters. She has also worked with improvements of agronomic methods to increase plant production, the effects of climate change on agriculture, measures to reduce greenhouse gases from agriculture and synergies or conflicts with increased food production and adaptation strategies.
Heikki Lehtonen, Research professor, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), “How to integrate necessary actions and solutions to climate and environmental sustainability challenges in economically viable agriculture?”
Research professor Lehtonen has over 25 years of experience in economic analysis and policy assessment in agriculture. He has been active in climate change-related policy support and stakeholder work. For example, he was a principal investigator in creating a Climate Roadmap for Finnish agricultural producers in 2020. He is experienced in integrated assessment and modelling in soil-crop-farm-sector -scales related to sustainability and climate topics.
Ainis Lagzdins, Professor, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Institute of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Engineering, “Challenges and solutions to reduce nutrient losses and transport from agricultural areas”
Ainis Lagzdins graduated from the doctoral programme “Environmental Engineering” in 2012 when he defended the PhD thesis entitled “Analysis of nitrogen and phosphorus leaching in the agricultural areas”. His main research topics are related to agricultural runoff monitoring in different agro-climatic regions in Latvia, modelling of water quality and quantity, and implementation of edge-of-field and in-field practices to reduce nutrient transport from agricultural land. Professor Lagzdins has been involved in many national and Nordic/Baltic cooperation projects on assessing and modelling nutrient losses.
Per Hanson, Secretary General of The Nordic Joint Committee for Agricultural and Food Research (NKJ). “Nordic-Baltic agricultural research collaboration for sustainable agriculture.“
Per Hansson is the Secretary General of NKJ, an organisation that promotes a knowledge-based agriculture and food sector in the Nordic countries, Nordic cooperation within agriculture and food research. He is also the director of the Swedish Centre for Agricultural Business Management at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).
Conference venue
The conference will be organised at the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences (Gediminas Ave. 3, 01103 Vilnius, Lithuania), which is located in the hearth of Vilnius, the vibrant capital of Lithuania. Vilnius’ historic centre has been a part of UNESCO since 1994. Vilnius old town represents Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and classical styles. Vilnius is a multicultural city with modern gastronomy, various museums, and nature surroundings. Last year, Vilnius celebrated its 700th anniversary.
Further information about Vilnius.
Travel information.
The nearest airport is Vilnius International Airport. The airport is connected to the city by public transportation.
Another option for international travel is Kaunas International Airport, which is located 100 km from Vilnius. There is an express bus connection from Kaunas airport to Vilnius.
The website of development agency of Vilnius offers more information about tranport options.
Vilnius has a good choice of accommodation options, which can be booked through various travel agencies and online platforms.
Conference tour
The guided conference tour will be held at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, a historic residence in the heart of Vilnius, Lithuania, within the Vilnius Lower Castle complex. Once the political and cultural hub of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the palace now serves as a museum, showcasing exhibitions that explore Lithuania’s rich history, the legacy of its grand dukes, and its role in the Commonwealth. Link to the museum’s website.
Important dates
Abstract submission deadline: August 20, 2024.
Notification of acceptance of abstracts: 31 August, 2024.
Deadline for Early Bird registration: September 15, 2024
Deadline for late registration: October 1, 2024
Conference programme
Book of abstracts
Organizing Committee
Chairperson: Dr. Neringa Rasiukevičiūtė
Dr. Skaidrė Supronienė
Dr. Alma Valiuškaitė
Dr. Karolina Barčauskaitė
Prof. habil. dr. Vidmantas Stanys
Dr. Žydrė Kadžiulienė
Gintarė Naujokienė
Scientific Committee
Chairperson: Research Prof. Jarkko Niemi
Prof. habil. dr. Zenonas Dabkevičius
Dr. Silvia Gaiani
Dr. Till Seehusen
Prof. Ainis Lagzdins
Prof. Mati Koppel
Dr. Fredrik Fogelberg
Dr. Danutė Karčauskienė
Dr. Linas Stabingis
Dr. Assoc. Prof. Kęstutis Venslauskas
Dr. Agnė Veršulienė
Dr. Sven Bernesson
Assoc. Prof. Anastasija Novikova
Dr. Ieva Mockevičienė
Registration and participation fees
All presenters are required to reqister to the conference at least one month before the event. Registration fees are presented in the table below. The registration fee includes participation to the event, lunches, coffee breaks and refreshments during the conference. Participation in the conference dinner will be available only to those who select it upon registration. For participants who are not members of NJF, the registration fee includes NJF membership for year 2024 and you will be added in the member registry for year 2024.
To register to the conference, please fill in the registration form (click here to enter the online form). During the registration process, please select the correct category (NJF member, not NJF member or student) and select the type of participation fee (with or without conference dinner). You can enroll to the conference tour when registering to the conference, or separately by registering to the tour only. Payment options are presented at the end of the registration process. For any enquiries concerning the registration or if you face challenges, please contact jarkko.niemi@luke.fi.
| Category | Before September 15th | After September 15th |
| NJF members, including conference dinner | 270 | 370 |
| Non-NJF members, including conference dinner | 300 | 400 |
| Student, including conference dinner | 200 | 300 |
| NJF member, no conference dinner | 210 | 310 |
| Non-NJF member, no conference dinner | 240 | 340 |
| Student, no conference dinner | 140 | 240 |
| Conference tour | 30 | 50 |
Journal publication
The participants will have an opportunity to submit a manuscript based on their presentation to the Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica.
Contact
For any enquiries concerning the conference, please contact neringa.rasiukeviciute@lammc.lt or jarkko.niemi@luke.fi.
The conference is organised in collaboration between the following organisations:
