The coexistence of agricultural and food models at the territorial scale: an analytical framework for a research agenda

• Published in: Review of agricultural, food and environmental studies Vol. 101; no. 2-3; pp. 339 - 361
• Main Authors: Gasselin, Pierre, Lardon, Sylvie, Cerdan, Claire, Loudiyi, Salma, Sautier, Denis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Springer Paris 2020; Springer Nature B.V; Springer
• Subjects: Agricultural cooperatives; Agricultural development; Agricultural Economics; Agricultural production; Agricultural research; Agriculture; Coevolution; Coexistence; Complementarity; Conflict; Diversification; Economics; Economics and Finance; Environmental Economics; Farms; Food; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hybridization; Hypotheses; Life Sciences; Mathematical analysis; Methodological problems; Price stabilization; Research Article; Rural development; Seminars; Specialization; Urban development; Territory; Q01; R11; Agricultural model; R58; Food model; Coexistence; Territorial development
• ISSN: 2425-6870; 2425-6897
• DOI: 10.1007/s41130-020-00119-7

This article proposes a research agenda for situations of coexistence of territorial agricultural and food models. Indeed, new agricultural and food models are being deployed at the territorial scale in response to criticisms of existing models and to meet new challenges. These new models embody archetypes of observed diversity, actors’ projects or standards. We use a bibliographic review and six seminars organized between 2015 and 2017 to propose an analytical framework based on four major dimensions of territorial development: the tension between specialization and diversification, innovation, adaptation and transition of food systems. We show that it is essential to understand the interactions between territorial agricultural and food models (confrontation, complementarity, coevolution, hybridization, etc.), going beyond just the characterization of the diversity of models and the evaluation of their relative performances. We conclude by highlighting the original aspects of the proposed analytical framework, its methodological challenges and the expected consequences for providing support to agricultural and food development in urban and rural territories.