Dear Colleagues,

The agri-food industry has been subject to multiple local and global turbulences across the globe. The long-term trends of depleting natural resources and increasing urbanization have caused changes in factor availability. This has led to increasing production costs. In addition, the increasing volatility in yields and prices requires both risk management and technological advancement.

The increasing competitiveness for land has caused the emergence of such novel forms of farming such as vertical farming. Urban farming has also been introduced in urban areas. These novel forms of farming require complex innovations.

Recent developments in blockchain technology, the shared economy, and gamification provide opportunities to create platforms for agricultural producers and consumers. Such solutions may lead to decreased transaction costs and increased profitability. However, the supply chains need to be adapted to serve such platforms.

The present Special Issue seeks to gather contributions on the social, technological, and managerial innovations relevant to the agri-food sector. Theoretical and empirical papers that clearly indicate their importance and propose solutions for increasing the viability of agri-food production are welcome. Research covering both developing and developed countries is expected.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Social innovations in the agri-food sector;
• Supply chain innovations;
• Assessment of innovations in sustainability;
• Technological innovations and their effects;
• Impact assessment of the innovations in the agri-food sector;
• Platforms for promoting innovations in the agri-food sector;
• A sharing economy and network economy for agri-food innovations;
• Innovative agri-food products and sustainability.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Tomas Baležentis
Guest Editor

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• agricultural innovations
• sustainable innovation
• technological change