Agricultural cooperatives as key actors of the territorial management in water resources. Between technical and institutional innovations

Abstract : In this paper, we use and apply the habermassian theory of communicative action to analyze how agricultural cooperatives and farmers are jointly developing strategies of water management at the territorial scale. We processed 35 interviews of cooperatives’ advisers and farmers that who contracted Territorialized Agri-Environmental Measures aiming at reducing the impacts of agriculture on water. Interviews were processed by means of the Alceste method. Results highlight the ways in which the conceptual elements of communicative action are articulated action: referring to new normative knowledge imply designing new techniques of production supported by innovative institution, while the validity of both norms and techniques are tested and collectively evaluated.