Research Unit Ecodéveloppement (Ecodevelopment)

The Ecodéveloppement unit focusses its studies on the conditions for a transition of agriculture and rural territories towards a sustainable ecologisation, considering a diversity of agricultural models and agri-food systems.

It analyses the determinants of the evolutions of agriculture in relation to the integration of environmental goals, at several scales, systems, farms and territories. It also develops participatory methods to accompany actors of agricultural systems in these transitions. The productions systems supports for these studies are mainly horticultural systems, vegetable production (including protected cultivation), fruit production, diversified systems (vegetable + fruits, animal + fruits). At territory scale, the focus is on agri-food systems reconnecting consumers and producers (CSA, farmer’s shops…).

The Ecodéveloppement unit, located on INRAE-PACA St Paul campus, belongs to the INRAE division ACT (Action and Transition). With a staff of about 20 permanents and about 10 PhD students and contract workers, it gathers researchers from different disciplines in social sciences (economics, anthropology, sociology) and biotechnical and natural sciences (systemic agronomy and animal husbandry, ecology).