Nitrogen autonomy is one of the major challenges for French livestock production. But managing self-sufficient systems raises questions about the construction and consequences of autonomy. We based our work on the self-sufficient crop-livestock system (INRAE ASTER system experimentation). We show that nitrogen self-sufficiency is based exclusively on crop-livestock complementarities and renewable inputs. The constitution of fodder stocks, the adaptation of animal numbers and the prioritization of the use of fodder resources represent the three main levers for self-sufficiency. Animal performances present a heterogeneity that is expressed on an intra- and inter-annual time step. We show that this heterogeneity directly impacts a diversity of actors in the food sectors and territories. This singular example questions the role of different actors (intermediaries in agri-food systems, consumers, public policies) in promoting the transition of farms towards greater self-sufficiency.