Call to submit a paper: Special Issue on Responsible Scaling for Transformational Impact

How to contribute?

To submit a paper for a special issue in Elsevier’s Agricultural Systems on: Responsible Scaling for Transformative Impact: Lessons from the Science and Practice of Responsible Scaling for Agri-Food System Transformation

Deadline: 15 December 2025

This Special Issue will highlight the tensions and opportunities in achieving
transformative responsible scaling and advance the discourse and conceptualization of
responsibility in scaling.

Special Issue Objectives

1. Broaden how “responsible scaling” is defined and applied in agri-food transformations
2. Illuminate tensions and opportunities in merging transformative and responsible approaches
3. Showcase practical solutions to navigate responsibility trade-offs
4. Identify key tools, practices, and frameworks that can support responsible scaling of agri-food innovation
5. identify key ingredients, practices and tools for promoting responsible scaling

Themes: We welcome theoretical, methodological, or empirical submissions, and case studies on the following (not exhaustive) themes:

• Demand-driven vs. supply-driven solutions
• Responsible innovation portfolio management
• Public–private partnerships for equitable outcomes
• Using artificial & collective intelligence to guide adaptive scaling
• User-centred design to ensure solutions meet farmers’ needs

Why Submit?
Contribute to the Science of Scaling and provide actionable insights to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.

How to Submit
Access the special issue information page here and the opening editorial, which provides more information on the scope and objectives of the special issue here. 

Got questions? Reach out to Guest Editor Esther Kihoro at e.kihoro@cgiar.org.