Eva-Marie Meemken is an agricultural economist. She studied in Germany (Universities of Kassel and Hohenheim), Mexico (University of Yucatán), and the USA (Purdue). She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Göttingen (Germany) and was a postdoctoral fellow at Cornell and Minnesota (USA) and an Assistant Professor at the University of Copenhagen (IFRO). Her research focuses on how policy, institutions, and technology can address pressing social challenges in global food systems,  contributing to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly decent work (SDG 8), gender equality (SDG 5), no poverty (SDG 1), good health and well-being (SDG 3), and responsible production and consumption (SDG 12).

Abstract Keynote: Feeding the World – Who does the Work ? 

How can food systems create more decent work while remaining productive, sustainable, and politically feasible? This keynote explores three central trade-offs. First, improving wages, safety, and worker voice can place new pressures on farmers unless standards, enforcement, and market conditions evolve together. Second, demographic change and resistance to migration and trade raise a practical question: who will do the work that food systems depend on? Finally, technology may reduce dangerous or poor-quality work, while also reshaping employment and leaving some workers behind. The challenge is to improve both the quality and quantity of jobs across food systems.