Ruralities

The territorial dimension is central to our analysis of agrosystems and models of change. It is the preferred level for producing knowledge that responds to the challenges of transition in agricultural and food systems, for analysing the dynamics of change and the variety of stakeholders involved, and for opening up our research approaches to society. Different approaches, disciplines and fields are thus mobilised:

• On the design of agro-systems: given the complexity of the systemic interdependencies of the Agriculture - Food - Environment nexus and their dependence on context, the territorial scale remains the preferred approach for the design of these sustainable agroecological and bioeconomic systems. It is a relevant dimension for understanding innovative experimentation and the locking mechanisms likely to influence the adaptation trajectories of agro-systems.
• On the dynamics of innovation, learning and the support methods that encourage the territorialisation of agricultural and food systems, changes in rural/urban interactions, new relationships between sectors in local areas or new ways of organising food supplies (digital, logistics, etc.).

These approaches imply a parallel reflection on the conditions for the emergence of agro-ecological transitions: analysis of controversies and the diversity of development and governance models; analysis of territorial agricultural and food policies; support for stakeholder coordination and orientation towards participatory and open science mechanisms, often anchored in strong territorial proximity.