Conference Theme - "From Knowing to Doing"
Scaling Food Environment Policies, Programs, and Interventions for Resilient, Equitable and Sustainable Food Systems in Africa
In-Person Participation
For the first time, FERN will be held in-person
In Aburi, just outside Accra, Ghana
Venue : Hephzibah Christian Centre
Virtual Participation
For people with travel constraints, FERN2026 remains accessible through hybrid format
Call for Abstracts
Opens on August 5th until September 30th 11:59 pm Ghana time
Abstract Acceptance Notification
On October 31st
Via email- subject line "FERN2026 Abstract Outcome"
Deadline to Submit Presentations to the Conference
November 15 th
Conference Registration
Open & FREE
Rooms include private bathrooms with hot water and modern fixtures.FERN2026 warmly welcomes global participants from all countries, including those from equity-deserving groups, students, and professionals working across the sectors listed below:
- Governments
- Policymakers and regulators
- Urban planners, Civil society and advocacy groups
- Youth organisations, youth leaders
- Students and early-career researchers
- UN agencies and development partners
- Funders and donors
- Private sector actors with unconflicted interests and activities for public health
Add-on for lunch registration, paid only at the conference:
- GHS 170/person - base price for food from the menu list option*.
- GHS 70/person for a "heavy" snack.
- GHS 420/person/day for buffet service throughout the conference.
*Please inform the restaurant of your selected option before mealtime.
Start your registration today. Registration is FREE and grants you access to the conference venue. Please note that other services, including accommodation and meals are not covered by the conference organizers.
FERN2026 provides a platform to showcase a diverse range of scholarly, and practical contributions, including:
- Original/Empirical Research: e.g. systematic reviews, trial designs, causal inferences, descriptive quantitative and qualitative studies, evaluations, case studies, and student theses.
- Methodological and Innovative Approaches: e.g. toolkits, guidelines, methods papers.
- Programmatic Application: reports with strong detail in routine practice or applications, implementation science reports.
Submissions must be directed to one of the following tracks:
- Track 1: From evidence to action: e.g., bridging research–policy–practice gaps, operationalizing WHO Best Buys, including physical activity.
- Track 2: Food environment interventions: e.g., implementing regulatory and fiscal policies (e.g., labelling, taxation, marketing restrictions, stories of progress), and leveraging city-level innovation.
- Track 3: Food systems, climate, and sustainability: e.g., aligning food and nutrition actions, mitigation and adaptation/resilience efforts, sustainability.
- Track 4: Equity, power, and food justice: e.g., addressing structural inequities, improving outcomes for equity-deserving groups, youth leadership, and community-driven change.
- Track 5: Policy and accountability: policy evaluation/monitoring approaches, impact assessment, advocacy or buying efforts, stakeholder mobilization, policy coherence.
- Track 6: Innovative methods: e.g., LLMs, forecasting, or simulation applicable to food environment research and practice.
The conference welcomes submissions from all individuals, without discrimination, including:
- Government officials
- Policymakers and regulators
- Urban planners, civil society, and advocacy groups
- Youth organisations, youth leaders
- Students and early-career researchers
- UN agencies and development partners
- Funders and donors Private sector actors with unconflicted interests and activities for public health
Abstracts must not exceed the 300-word limit, including the title. Refer to the abstract guidelines.
Introducing FERN2026 Mentoring Strategy:
This page is of interest to early-career researchers who seek support with abstract submission and are interested in being paired with a mentor at the FERN conference. This page has resources you may use.
