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.

The book looks at innovation in agriculture and food systems against the backdrop of the great challenges facing humanity today. It does so by exploring the different dimensions of change and by focusing on the meaning accorded to innovation by these systems’ stakeholders. Innovation is apprehended in its cognitive, technical, organizational and institutional complexity. Methods and mechanisms to support innovative actors are examined, thus providing professionals, policymakers and civil society with useful and original orientations for action .

With increasing pressure on resources, the looming spectre of climate change and growing anxiety among eaters, ecology and food are at the heart of the political debates surrounding agriculture and diet. This unique contribution unravels agri-environmental issues at different spatial levels, from local to global, documenting the major shifts in agriculture from a long-term perspective. The book begins by exploring the changes in the industrialisation and socialisation of agriculture over time, through the lens of institutional economics including The French Regulation School and Conventions Theory. Building on Polanyi’s ‘Great Transformation’, the chapters in this volume analyse long-term and contemporary changes in agriculture and food systems that have occurred throughout the last few centuries. Key chapters focus on the historical changes in provisioning and the social relations of production, consumption, and regulation of food in different socio-political contexts. The future of agriculture is addressed through an analysis of controversial contemporary political claims and their engagement with strategies that aim to improve the sustainability of agriculture and food consumption. To shed light on ongoing changes and the future of food, this book asks important environmental and social questions and analyses how industrial agriculture has played out in various contexts. It is recommended supplementary reading for postgraduates and researchers in agricultural studies, food studies, food policy, the agri-food political economy and political and economic geography.

In an era of escalating food politics, many believe organic farming to be the agrarian answer. In this first comprehensive study of organic farming in California, Julie Guthman casts doubt on the current wisdom about organic food and agriculture, at least as it has evolved in the Golden State. Refuting popular portrayals of organic agriculture as a small-scale family farm endeavor in opposition to "industrial" agriculture, Guthman explains how organic farming has replicated what it set out to oppose.

Stakeholders show a growing interest for organic food and farming (OF&F), which becomes a societal component. Rather than questioning whether OF&F outperforms conventional agriculture or not, the main question addressed in this book is how, and in what conditions, OF&F may be considered as a prototype towards sustainable agricultures. The book gathers 25 papers introduced in a first chapter. The first section investigates OF&F production processes and its capacity to benefit from the systems functioning to achieve higher self-sufficiency. The second one proposes an overview of organic performances providing commodities and public goods. The third one focuses on organics development pathways within agri-food systems and territories. As well as a strong theoretical component, this book provides an overview of the new challenges for research and development. It questions the benefits as well as knowledge gaps with a particular emphasis on bottlenecks and lock-in effects at various levels.

Reconnecting Consumers, Producers and Food presents a detailed and empirically grounded analysis of alternatives to current models of food provision. The book offers insights into the identities, motives and practices of individuals engaged in reconnecting producers, consumers and food. Arguing for a critical revaluation of the meanings of choice and convenience, Reconnecting Consumers, Producers and Food provides evidence to support the construction of a more sustainable and equitable food system which is built on the relationships between people, communities and their environments.

This edited volume presents and reflects upon empirical evidence of ‘sustainability’-induced and -related transition in food practices. The material collected in the various chapters contributes to our understanding of the ways in which ideas and preferences, sociotechnological developments and changes in the governance of food interact and become visible in practices of consumption, retail and production.