Following the success of FSD4 in China, the European Society for Agronomy has been mandated to organize the next symposium (FSD5) in order to strengthen the interdisciplinary and methodological focus of the FSD initiative on methodologies for the design of productive and sustainable farming systems in a multi-scale and multi-domains approach. This means that FSD, although focused on the design of farming systems, deals with local as well as global issues as targets and constraints (food security, climate change, biodiversity, socio-economic development).

FSD5 will be an opportunity to enlarge the collaboration with major agronomy societies in the world (Europe, USA, Australia, China, South America, Africa…) as well as with scientific societies in other disciplines (IFSA, animal science, economy…) or international institutions (CGIAR…) or initiatives (Yield Gap and Water Productivity Atlas, AgMip, GFS…) with an interest in farming systems. We also aim at involving research related to policy design, incentives and investment, as well as players in the value/supply chains, to help secure positive change within farming systems.

The symposium should remain focused on methodological aspects of FSD research and their applications in agriculture, innovation and policy design. The targeted audience is maximum 400 participants with a balance between scientific presentations, workshops (with limited presentations and more time for discussion) and stimulation of international collaboration. We will look for partnership with international groups and institutions at an early stage of the preparation of the event, while encouraging also individual participation.