Agriculture and Natural Resources Stream

Chairs: Daniel L Sandars (Cranfield University, UK) and Lluis M Plà (University of Lleida, Spain)
Introduction
This stream has been jointly organised by the OR Society special interest group on Agriculture and Natural Resources (SIG-ANR) and the EURO working group on OR in Agriculture and Forestry Management (EWG-ORAFM). The stream is of an applied nature but contains much technique that has been used in a very innovative fashion. The keynote paper is a UK perspective of the history, strengths and weaknesses of OR applied to agriculture. The other papers cover a wide range of subjects from primary production to distribution to consumer behaviour. The sectors covered include, agriculture, food, forestry, and conservation. The talks range from problem-solving applications to reviews of methods and the skills and craft of applied OR. To celebrate this science, to envision the future and to develop collective identity the stream includes discussion sessions on sustainability and on applied OR as well as an open community meeting

Update 22nd July

1. Darren Holland, Food Standards Agency, The impact of media campaigns on food poisoning

Update 13th June 2008

1. Eric Audsley, Cranfield University (UK), A systems modelling approach to Life Cycle Inventories of agricultural and horticultural production.

Update 12th June 2008

1. Mrs Zipporah Kiruthu; University of Ghent, Belgium; Capacity building in the Kenyan dairy industry

Update 11th June 2008

One further paper

1. Prof Heiner Müller-Merbach, University Kaiserslautern (Germany), FIVE OBJECTS OF MODELLING

For a recent listing of all submitted papers see: http://www.theorsociety.com/conf/or50/OR50_titles.pdf

And note Andrew Challinor has had to withdraw (see below)

Update 27th May 2008
Two further titles

1. Jesse O’Hanley, University of Kent, How to choose: prioritizing the removal of fish passage barriers.

2. Anna Greda, Jagiellonian University & Warsaw University, Poland, MULTICRITERIA ANALYSIS OF BOCR IN QUALITY IMPROVING OF FOOD PRODUCTS

Update 16th May 2008.

Two further submissions

1. Soleiman Mohammadi Limaei; University of Guilan, Somehsara, Iran;  Duopsony game theory application in pulpwood market in Iran

2. Patrick Hirsch; BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna - Institute of Production and Logistics; Scheduling of log-trucks

The two debating sessions are both on.  We are getting close to the point where this stream may be forced to go to parallel sessions

Update 30th April 2008

To date we have had 15 submissions as detailed below with only the speaker listed. The call doesn’t finally close until late June
Keynote: Eric Audsley, Cranfield University, 50 years of applying OR to agricultural systems
1. Stephen Ramsden, University of Nottingham, Climate change adaptation with price variability
2. Lars Relund Nielsen, University of Aarhus, Dept. of Genetics and Biotechnology, Optimal daily replacement policies for dairy
3. Mohamed Bendaoud, Macaulay Institute, Modelling climate change impact in dry area
4. Tahir Rehman, University of Reading, OR Models in Agricultural Economics & Management
5. Jarkko Niemi, Agrifood Research Finland (MTT), Economic Research, Optimization of piglet production with a DP model
6. Cairistiona (Kairsty) Topp, SAC, Emergy analysis of Scottish cropping
7. Sara Verónica Rodríguez Sánchez , Dep. Mathematics, University of Lleida, Study of the convergence of Markov chain in livestock
8. Andrew Challinor, University of Leeds, Genotypic adaptation to climate
9. Andrew Higgins, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Agricultural value chains
10. Daniel Sandars, Cranfield University, Predicting farmer decision behaviour
11. Javier Faulin, Public University of Navarre, Delivering Products in an Agribusiness Company
12. Isabel Martins, Centro de Investigação Operacional, Departamento de Matemática, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Branch-and-Price for Harvest Scheduling
13. Carlos R. Garcia-Alonso, ETEA, University of Cordoba, SPAIN., Efficiency and Sustainability Spatial Distribution
14. Peter Rauch, BOKU University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Terminal location for forest fuel supply

The conference stream will also be the focal point for meetings of the EURO Working Group Operational Research in Agriculture and Forest Management and the UK Special Interest Group on Agriculture and Natural Resources

Members of the Operational Research Society and proven Members of affiliated EURO national OR Societies (http://www.euro-online.org/display.php?page=societies&) can claim discounted fees of around 20%. 

Students recieve a discount of c. 70% 

Also see the very restricted Assisted Places Scheme with deadline of 30th June

http://www.orsoc.org.uk/orshop/(nusgkj55o3zmft45bu5di5fy)/orcontent.aspx?inc=or50_assisted.htm

 Agriculture and natural resources stream

Dates:

Papers can be accepted for presentation at any stage before the conference, but bear in mind these dates to obtain maximum impact and publicity.

1. As Soon As Possible submit a working title and authors
2. By 25th April submit a finalized title and authors for inclusion in the invitational programme
3. By 1st July submit a finalized 250 word abstract for the conference handbook

Abstracts are submitted via the OR society’s website  http://www.theorsociety.com

Attendence fees are discuounted to members of the Operational Research society and to the affiliated societies within EURO

In addition to meeting at OR50 a relaunch event is planned for February 2009. Send expressions of interest in this special interest group to Daniel Sandars, Cranfield University, e-mail daniel.sandars@cranfield.ac.uk

The editor’s final copy is available for download from Cranfield University’s pre-print server http://hdl.handle.net/1826/2471

These proceedings have been accepted for publication later this year by the Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=AGS