Call for Papers — Rural Development Conference (RDC2026)

The 5th Rural Development Conference (RDC2026) invites researchers, development practitioners, graduate students, policymakers, educators, and professionals working in the fields of rural development, agriculture, sustainable livelihoods, and community empowerment to submit their work for presentation.
RDC2026 is an international academic and professional conference that provides a platform for sharing empirical research, applied projects, policy analyses, and innovative practices that contribute to more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable rural communities.
All submissions are evaluated through a double-blind peer-review process. Applicants are normally informed of the decision within seven business days of submission.

Conference Themes & Areas of Interest

RDC2026 welcomes contributions related to (but not limited to) the following thematic areas:

Rural Livelihoods and Local Economies
  • Rural employment and income diversification
  • Rural entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
  • Cooperatives, farmer organizations, and social enterprises
  • Migration, remittances, and demographic change

Agriculture, Food Systems and Agribusiness
  • Sustainable and climate-smart agriculture
  • Agroecology and regenerative farming
  • Value chains, market access, and agribusiness models
  • Food security, nutrition, and resilience of food systems

Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources
  • Climate adaptation and mitigation in rural areas
  • Land use, water management, and soil conservation
  • Forest-dependent communities and biodiversity protection
  • Disaster risk reduction and community resilience

Rural Governance, Policy and Institutions
  • Rural development policies and planning
  • Decentralization, local governance, and participation
  • Social protection in rural areas
  • Public–private and multi-stakeholder partnerships

Rural Education, Skills and Social Development
  • Rural education and access to quality schooling
  • Vocational training, extension services, and skills development
  • Youth engagement and leadership in rural communities
  • Gender equality, inclusion, and empowerment of marginalized groups

Innovation, Technology and Digital Inclusion
  • Digital technologies and ICT for agriculture and rural services
  • Data, platforms, and innovation ecosystems in rural areas
  • Smart villages, infrastructure and connectivity
  • Innovative approaches to rural service delivery
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Cross-cutting or interdisciplinary contributions linking multiple themes are strongly encouraged.

Submission Guidelines

To submit your abstract for consideration, please ensure that it meets the following criteria:

Abstract Requirements
  • Length: approximately 150–300 words
  • Clearly describe:
    • The purpose or main question of the work
    • The methodology or approach
    • Key findings, insights, or expected contribution
  • Indicate the type of submission:
    • Research paper
    • Case study or project report
    • Research-in-progress
    • Policy or practice-oriented paper
    • Workshop proposal
    • Poster presentation
Review Process
  • All submissions undergo double-blind peer review
  • Decisions are usually communicated within 7 business days
  • Accepted authors receive detailed instructions on registration and presentation formats
Presentation Formats
  • Oral presentation (in-person or virtual)
  • Poster presentation
  • Live virtual presentation
  • Pre-recorded video presentation

Important Dates

  • Abstract submission deadline: September 10th 20236
  • Notification of acceptance: Within 7 business days of submission
  • Full paper submission (optional, for proceedings): October 1st 2026
  • Conference dates: 1–3 November 2026

Why Present at RDC2026?

Presenting at RDC2026 offers the opportunity to:
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  • Share your research, field experience, or policy work with an international audience focused on rural development and agriculture
  • Receive constructive feedback from peers working across disciplines and sectors
  • Learn from comparative perspectives and examples from different regions
  • Develop professional and academic networks for future collaboration
  • Contribute to ongoing global discussions on sustainable rural development, inclusive growth, and resilient food systems

Presentation Formats

RDC2026 offers several presentation formats to accommodate both in-person and remote participation. All accepted formats will be integrated into the official program.
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Oral Presentation
Present your work in person or virtually in a scheduled session. Oral presentations allow for direct interaction with the audience and structured discussion.
Poster Presentation
Share your work in a visual format. Poster sessions provide an opportunity for focused, informal dialogue, questions, and feedback.
Video Presentation
Submit a pre-recorded presentation. Videos will be made available to participants through the virtual platform, allowing for asynchronous viewing and follow-up discussions.

Publication

Papers presented at the conference may be considered for inclusion in the official conference proceedings (with ISBN), subject to:
  • Successful completion of the review process
  • Timely submission of the final manuscript in the required format
  • Completion of registration and payment arrangements by at least one author
Tomorrow People Organization is a member of CrossRef. Published papers in the proceedings will be assigned DOI numbers and indexed in relevant databases (e.g. CrossRef, Google Scholar, and the conference digital library), in accordance with conference publishing policies.
Paper publication is not mandatory. Authors who wish to have their paper included in the proceedings must submit the final manuscript by the stated deadline. Otherwise, only the approved abstract may be included where applicable.
Author Guidelines (you can mirror your standard template here)
  • Paper size: A4
  • Single line spacing
  • Margins: 2 cm left and right
  • Text aligned to the left
  • No headers, footers, or page numbers
Font
  • Title: Times New Roman, 14 pt, bold
  • Subtitles: Times New Roman, 12 pt, bold
  • Text: Times New Roman, 12 pt
Front Section (first page)
  1. Title of the submission
  2. Name(s) of author(s)
  3. Affiliation(s) of the author(s)
  4. Email of the corresponding author
  5. Abstract (up to 250 words or one page)
  6. 3–10 keywords (below the abstract)
Main Section (manuscript)
  1. Introduction
  2. Methodology (where applicable)
  3. Results or findings (where applicable)
  4. Discussion
  5. Conclusion
End Section
  1. Acknowledgments (if applicable)
  2. Funding statement (e.g. “This research received no external funding” or details of funding source)
  3. Conflict of interest statement (e.g. “The authors declare no conflict of interest”)
  4. References (following APA style or your chosen standard)
Deadline for proceedings submissions (for registered authors): October 1st 2026.
Submissions received after this date, or not following the required format, will not be included in the proceedings.