November Theme Healing Our Planet Through Agriculture

Submit research articles, policy briefs, case studies, and expert insights for The Agricultural Economist’s November 2026 issue on “From Crisis to Cure.” Share evidence-based solutions for sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, food security, environmental restoration, and thriving rural communities.

Muhammad Khalid Bashir

11/1/2026

Agriculture is at a critical crossroads. Climate change, extreme weather events, food insecurity, soil degradation, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, rising production costs, and disruptions to rural livelihoods are placing increasing pressure on agricultural systems and the communities that depend on them. Yet agriculture can also be a powerful force for positive change. Through sustainable farming, ecological restoration, responsible resource management, agricultural innovation, and inclusive policies, it can help heal the planet while providing safe, nutritious, and affordable food.

For the November 2026 issue, The Agricultural Economist invites original contributions under the theme:

“From Crisis to Cure: Building Agricultural Systems that Heal Our Planet and Nourish Our Communities”

This theme encourages a shift from responding to agricultural and environmental crises towards addressing their underlying causes and developing lasting solutions. Pakistan’s experience with climate-related disasters, food-price pressures, and rural livelihood disruptions illustrates the urgent need for agricultural systems that can withstand shocks, protect natural resources, support farmers’ incomes, and maintain reliable food supplies.

The latest available assessments highlight the scale of these challenges. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimated that approximately 14,498 square kilometres of agricultural land were inundated across Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the 2025 floods. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025–26 reported agricultural growth of 2.89 percent in FY2026 and wheat production of 29.61 million tonnes. These figures demonstrate both the importance of agriculture to Pakistan’s economy and the need to connect productivity with climate resilience, environmental sustainability, and food affordability.

The global food-security situation reinforces this urgency. The Global Report on Food Crises 2026 estimated that 266 million people across 47 food-crisis countries and territories experienced acute food insecurity in 2025. Such challenges require responses that go beyond emergency relief to strengthen local food systems, improve nutrition, support vulnerable households, and build resilience against future shocks.

November’s international observances including World Science Day for Peace and Development (10 November), World Diabetes Day (14 November), World Toilet Day (19 November), World Children’s Day (20 November), and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November) offer opportunities to explore the links between scientific innovation, food and nutrition security, public health, social inclusion, and sustainable rural development. COP31 in Türkiye, scheduled for 9–20 November 2026, also provides an important international context for examining climate adaptation, agricultural resilience, and climate finance.

We welcome contributions that connect research with practice, evaluate real-world interventions, and offer actionable recommendations for policymakers, agricultural practitioners, researchers, development organizations, entrepreneurs, and rural communities.

Suggested Topics

🌍 Climate Resilience and Sustainable Agriculture

Climate-smart and climate-resilient agricultural systems
Adaptation to floods, droughts, heatwaves, and changing rainfall patterns
Regenerative agriculture and soil-health restoration
Water-efficient farming and sustainable irrigation
Climate-resilient crop varieties and livestock systems
Agroforestry, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem restoration
Carbon-smart agriculture and greenhouse-gas mitigation
Renewable energy and low-carbon agricultural production
Climate-risk assessment, early-warning systems, and disaster preparedness
Agricultural recovery, resilience planning, and lessons from climate-related disasters

🌾 Food Security and Sustainable Food Systems

Food availability, access, affordability, and utilization
Pakistan’s food-security challenges and policy responses
Nutrition-sensitive agriculture and dietary diversity
Food-price inflation and household food affordability
Food loss and waste reduction
Post-harvest management, storage, and cold-chain development
Sustainable agricultural value chains and local food systems
Food safety, quality, and public health
Crop diversification and sustainable food production
Policies to reduce hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity

💧 Environmental Restoration and Natural-Resource Management

Soil degradation, salinity, erosion, and land restoration
Groundwater depletion and agricultural water security
Rainwater harvesting and watershed management
Sustainable forest, rangeland, and wetland management
Biodiversity and ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes
Nature-based solutions for climate adaptation
Pollution from agricultural inputs and production activities
Sustainable livestock systems and grazing management
Circular bioeconomy and productive use of agricultural residues
Environmental economics and natural-resource governance

❤️ Nutrition, Public Health, and Community Well-Being

Links between agriculture, nutrition, and public health
One Health and human, animal, and environmental health
Nutrition-sensitive agricultural policies
Food safety and prevention of foodborne illness
Water, sanitation, hygiene, and rural productivity
Malnutrition, poverty, and health inequalities
Climate change and public-health risks
Women’s and children’s nutrition
Sustainable diets and healthier food environments
Community-based approaches to food and nutrition security

🏡 Rural Livelihoods and Inclusive Development

Rural poverty, inequality, and livelihood resilience
Women’s empowerment and rural agripreneurship
Youth employment and entrepreneurship in agriculture
Economic diversification beyond traditional farming
Rural enterprises, value addition, and local processing
Cooperatives and farmer-producer organizations
Rural tourism and nature-based livelihoods
Community participation in environmental restoration
Indigenous and local knowledge for sustainable agriculture
Social protection and recovery after agricultural and climate-related shocks
Inclusive rural development and community well-being

🚜 Agricultural Innovation and Digital Transformation

Digital agriculture, precision farming, and smart technologies
Artificial intelligence in agricultural decision-making
Remote sensing and climate-information services
Digital extension and farmer advisory systems
Agricultural biotechnology and biological inputs
Integrated pest management and responsible use of agricultural inputs
Mechanization and technologies for smallholder farmers
Renewable energy for irrigation, storage, and processing
Technology adoption and digital inclusion in rural areas
Innovation for sustainable agricultural value chains
Public-private partnerships for agricultural transformation

💰 Agricultural Finance and Climate-Risk Management

Climate finance and green agricultural investment
Rural finance and financial inclusion
Agricultural insurance and climate-risk management
Financing regenerative and sustainable farming
Credit access for smallholder farmers
Incentives for ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation
Agricultural subsidies, procurement, and market interventions
Public investment in climate-resilient infrastructure
Risk-sharing mechanisms for vulnerable rural households
Sustainable business models for resilient food systems

📑 Agricultural Policy and Institutional Transformation

Evidence-based policies for sustainable agriculture
Food-security strategies and institutional coordination
Climate adaptation and agricultural disaster-risk reduction
Land and water governance
Wheat-price policy, farmer incentives, and consumer affordability
Agricultural markets, price volatility, and supply-chain resilience
Gender-responsive and youth-inclusive agricultural policies
Rural institutions and community participation
Monitoring and evaluation of sustainable agricultural interventions
International cooperation on climate action and food security

Publication Sections

Authors are encouraged to indicate the most appropriate section for their submissions.

⭐ Spotlight

Emerging issues, major trends, transformative ideas, and strategic challenges shaping agriculture, climate action, environmental sustainability, and food systems.

🌾 Rural Communities

Social, cultural, economic, demographic, and institutional issues affecting rural societies, livelihoods, resilience, and community well-being.

💰 Rural Finance

Agricultural credit, rural financial inclusion, insurance, investment, cooperatives, climate finance, and entrepreneurship supporting sustainable rural development.

📑 Policy Briefs

Research-based policy analysis and practical recommendations presented in clear, accessible language for policymakers and development practitioners.

🚀 Rural Innovation

Digital agriculture, artificial intelligence, precision farming, biotechnology, renewable energy, AgriTech, and innovative approaches to sustainable rural development.

🥗 Food and Nutrition

Food security, nutrition, food safety, sustainable diets, food systems, value addition, post-harvest management, and food-loss reduction.

❤️ Public Health Economics

One Health, nutrition economics, zoonotic diseases, environmental health, rural healthcare, agricultural health systems, and the economic dimensions of public health.

🎥 Expert Insights Hub

Short expert commentaries, practitioner perspectives, interviews, and video presentations connecting research, professional experience, and public outreach.

🌟 Grooming for Growth

Leadership, entrepreneurship, career development, communication skills, professional development, and opportunities for students and young professionals.

Submission Guidelines

Submission period: Throughout November 2026
Email: editor@agrieconomist.com
Recommended article length: 1,500–2,000 words
Originality: Submissions must be original, evidence-based, and clearly written.
Sources and evidence: Authors should use credible references, recent statistics where available, relevant field evidence, case studies, and real-world examples.
Practical relevance: Articles should identify workable solutions, implementation challenges, and actionable policy recommendations.
Similarity index: Less than 15%, subject to editorial screening and applicable publication standards.
AI-assisted writing: Authors must comply with the publication’s current requirements for AI use, disclosure, originality, and editorial review.

Contributions should be accessible to an interdisciplinary readership that includes researchers, policymakers, development professionals, agricultural practitioners, entrepreneurs, and rural communities. Authors should distinguish verified findings from estimates, projections, and personal opinions.

Who Should Contribute?

We welcome contributions from:

Researchers and academics
University students and early-career researchers
Policymakers and government officials
Agricultural extension professionals
Development practitioners and organizations
Agribusiness and food-industry professionals
Farmers and rural entrepreneurs
Environmental and climate specialists
Economists and social scientists
Public-health and nutrition professionals
International development partners

Join the Conversation

The challenge before agriculture is not simply to recover from the latest flood, drought, food-price shock, or production disruption. It is to develop systems that anticipate risks, withstand shocks, restore ecosystems, protect livelihoods, and continue nourishing communities. Achieving this transformation requires scientific innovation, responsible investment, effective public policies, stronger rural institutions, and meaningful participation by farmers and communities.

The November issue of The Agricultural Economist seeks contributions that move beyond identifying problems to examine solutions that can be implemented, evaluated, and scaled. Whether you are researching regenerative farming, documenting a successful rural initiative, analysing food insecurity, examining agricultural finance, exploring the links between agriculture and public health, or evaluating policies for climate adaptation, we invite you to share your evidence and experience.

We particularly welcome field-based research, comparative studies, policy analyses, and well-documented case studies that demonstrate how agricultural interventions can generate measurable environmental, economic, and social benefits.

Your research and practical experience can help transform agricultural challenges into opportunities for ecological restoration, healthier food systems, and more resilient rural communities. Together, let us move from crisis to cure by building agricultural systems that heal our planet and nourish our communities.

Muhammad Khalid Bashir
Managing Editor
The Agricultural Economist

November Theme Healing Our Planet Through Agriculture

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