Coexistence and Confrontation of Agricultural and Food Models

This book analyses situations of coexistence and confrontation of agricultural and food models according to four major dimensions of territorial development: the tension between specialisation and diversification; innovation; adaptation; and food transition.

New agricultural and food models are being deployed in territories around the world in response to criticisms of the old forms of agriculture and food production, and in order to meet new challenges. These models embody archetypes of the observed diversity, actors' projects or new norms.

A number of conceptual studies and case studies from France and other countries allow us to understand the interactions between these models (confrontation, complementarity, co-evolution, hybridisation, etc.), taking us well beyond the characterisation of their diversity and the evaluation of their relative performances. The coexistence and confrontation of these models build up their capacity for radical change.

The book asks original questions about the analytical framework, its methodological challenges and the expected outcomes for the support of agricultural and food development in rural and urban territories. It is intended for researchers, teachers, students and professionals interested in territorial development.

Pierre Gasselin, Sylvie Lardon, Claire Cerdan, Salma Loudiyi and Denis Sautier are the scientific coordinators of this book. They are geographers and economists at CIRAD, INRAE and VetAgro Sup, where they conduct research on the transformation of agriculture, food systems and territories in France and other countries. This book is the result of a collective research process involving 36 authors from Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, France, Japan, Switzerland and Vietnam.

Jan Douwe van der Ploeg, author of the Foreword, is Professor Emeritus of Rural Sociology at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands and Associate Professor of Agricultural Sociology at the China Agricultural University in Beijing. He has conducted extensive research on processes of agricultural transition and on dynamics of rural development.

Autorentext

Pierre Gasselin, geographer at INRAE (Innovation joint research unit, Montpellier), conducts research in France and Latin America on the transformation of farmers' activities, on the conditions conducive to their territorial integration, and on providing support to them.

Sylvie Lardon, geographer at INRAE and AgroParisTech (Territoires joint research unit, Clermont-Ferrand), is a specialist in participatory prospective diagnosis. She studies the transformations of rural and urban territories in the Mediterranean region, Argentina and Brazil.

Claire Cerdan, geographer, researcher at CIRAD (Innovation joint research unit, Réunion), works on localised agrifood systems and the role of territorial resources in the recomposition of territories in Africa and Latin America.

Salma Loudiyi, geographer, full professor at VetAgro Sup (Territoires joint research unit, Clermont-Ferrand), leads research on the implementation of integrated foodpolicies in France and North America.

Denis Sautier, economist at CIRAD (Innovation joint research unit, Montpellier), studies localised agrifood systems and place-based labelling in Asia and Africa.