LARESS research unit: Social Sciences - L'ESA, Ecole Supérieure d'Agricultures basée à Angers

Objective

Topic 1 Topic 2 TEAM & ORGANISATION KEY WORDS

LARESS researchers work in a general way on the changes to French and European agriculture. Sociologists and economists examine how farmers can adapt their practices and work in a situation marked by the accelerated concentration of economic players and the vagaries of the market, by the increase in society’s expectations as regards animal welfare and the environment, by the transformation of regional governance and by major technological innovations.

Topic 1: The changing profession and work of a farmer
Two principal elements are in conflict in modern-day agriculture: i) a continuous segmentation of the profession of farmer, linked in particular to industrial and commercial dynamics (sectors), and ii) a redefinition of the processes of professional integration (reshaping of the profession, redefinition of relations with the State and the rise in regional stakes).

Two principal elements are in conflict in modern-day agriculture: i) a continuous segmentation of the profession of farmer, linked in particular to industrial and commercial dynamics (sectors), and ii) a redefinition of the processes of professional integration (reshaping of the profession, redefinition of relations with the State and the rise in regional stakes).

How is the work of the milk producer changing?
What digital equipment is being used by farmers?
How can we describe what it means to be an agro-ecologist today?

Changes in the collective dynamics in agriculture and the regions: this research looks at the way in which the relationships between farmers have changed, in a context of demarcation of professions, productive specialisation of regions and the demographic decrease in numbers of farmers. It also looks at the roles and place of farmers in regional dynamics.

How is collaboration between cereal producers and livestock farmers changing?
How do farmers take part in the regional interplay in the context of biodiversity policies and energy projects?
How is the role of development organisations or cooperatives in supporting farmers changing?

Topic 2: Performance, Public Policies and Spatial Dynamics of Agriculture
The key issue that arises in the framework of this topic is the following: are the ecological and technological intensification forces currently at work really helping to improve the performance and competitiveness of the farms and the regions (especially in Western France) in a context of globalisation and increased international competition?

Performance and sustainability of farms
The work carried out in this area focuses on the impact of environmental and/or technological innovations on the performance of farms and investigates how farmers incorporate these innovations into their practices and the management of their farms. This research has highlighted the importance of considering these (productive) innovations as production factors in their own right and has permitted their productivity to be measured. At the same time, we examine the effect of risk (risk aversion) and uncertainty on the decision-making and adoption of these innovations by farmers.

Towards more environmentally friendly farming practices through more rational use of inputs, the use of more efficient and precise materials, and increased attention to the natural resources and biological mechanisms at stake both in the cultivation of plants and in animal husbandry.

Localisation of agricultural activities, dynamics of agricultural structures
Agricultural and agri-food production has tended to concentrate geographically in France and in Europe over the last few decades. We analyse what determines the location and growth dynamics of these activities in the context of CAP reforms, the opening up of the European market and the increased competition between regions. This works makes use, at the theoretical level, of the tools of geographical and regional economics and spatial econometrics in terms of empirical analysis.

Livestock production is strongly affected by these processes of concentration not only geographically, but also in terms of structure (larger farms). These forces of agglomeration have a positive impact and are the result of interactions between the economic mechanisms of markets and public regulations.

The research team is made up of a permanent staff of four sociologists and three economists. They are supported by two professors emeritus in sociology and two doctoral students.

The sociologists are primarily involved in topic 1 of the laboratory’s project. They look at how the profession and the collective dynamics in agriculture are adapting, using the theoretical frameworks of the sociology of professions and of economic sociology, and a socio-cognitive approach to changes in agriculture (following on the work of Jean-Pierre Darré).

The economists are primarily involved in topic 2.

These two complementary disciplinary approaches help to shed light on contemporary issues in the agricultural sector.

LARESS is supported by a strong administrative and event communication team in developing partnership and transfer activities (EsaConnect, Changes in Agriculture Chair).

Consultancy Services

The members of the laboratory are frequently approached by companies or partner institutions about consultancies (counselling, conferences, training, etc.).

These interventions may concern:

Studies in our areas of expertise
Conferences, notably in the framework of general assemblies or professional agricultural work organisation seminars.
Conferences for the general public.

Recent interventions:

Anzalone G.: L’agriculture en société – quelles recompositions des collectifs et des territoires – Assemblée Générale MSA d’Armorique, Carhaix (29), 24 May 2016.
Mazaud C., Le Guen R.: Les évolutions sociologiques des métiers de l’agriculture et de l’artisanat, GDA 37 – Ferrière sur Beaulieu (37) – 30 January 2015.
Thareau B.: Agro-écologues: Comment se définissent-ils et quelles sont leurs trajectoires ? – Grand Débat sur la Bio, Chambre Régionale d’Agriculture des Pays de la Loire, Angers, November 2016.
Thareau B., Co-habiter la campagne: les agriculteurs dans les recompositions sociologiques du milieu rural, Conférence autour de l’exposition “Champs/Contre-champs”, Gwinzegal, Guingamp (22), 29 April 2017
Le Guen R.: Agriculture connectée, quelle place pour le dirigeant demain ? Quel impact pour les chefs d’exploitation et sur la stratégie d’entreprise ? – Conférences Caisse Régionale Crédit Agricole Mutuel, Reims (51), 7 -8 June 2016.
Le Guen R.: Evolution et perspectives sociologiques du métier de producteur laitier – Assemblée Générale FNIL (Fédération Nationale des Industries Laitières), Paris, 2 June 2016.
Sigwalt A.: Sociologie du changement dans l’appropriation et la mise en œuvre des dimensions de l’agroécologie (Table ronde), Chambre d’Agriculture des Pays de Loire – Les Ponts-de Cé (49) – 27 January 2015

Study programmes

TEACHING INTERNSHIPS

LARESS lecturers provide basic courses for students in the ESA group at bachelor level, both in (micro and macro) economics and sociology (introduction to sociology, agricultural profession and survey methods). At the master’s level, the lecturer-researchers are involved in various majors of the school: animal production, crop production and agro-ecology, viticulture and oenology, environmental integration and sustainability, the running and conduct of a company. They are also involved in two Erasmus Mundus masters of ESA: Vintage (viticulture) and Food Identity (regional produce). This involvement enables:

the development of SHS multidisciplinary approaches – technical sciences of the challenges facing the agricultural sector; and
students to be involved in LARESS research activities through group studies or internships in research projects.

The Unit can host interns at the end of their bachelor engineering studies or in Master 1 or 2. These internships are in ongoing research projects. They are supervised by lecturer-researchers or research engineers of the team.

Some recent examples:

2017: “Impact of data sharing on the livestock sector, Analysis of the players’ strategies”, 2 interns (M1 and M2) have been accepted for this project and are supervised by both an economist and a sociologist. Scientific and professional partners of LARESS are associated with the organisation of the course (URSE, ESEO, Idele, ALLICE and France Conseil Elévage);
2016: In the framework of the CODESOL project, 2 interns worked on the subject of “Cooperation and regional development: renewed solidarities in the service of innovation in rural areas”. The supervision was provided by a sociologist from LARESS and a geographer from the University of Angers;
2016: 2 interns contributed to the Beautour project, one on the impact of “agro-ecological” practices on the consumer and the other on the socio-professional methods applied by agro-ecological farmers. They were co-supervised by two sociologists from LARESS. These students were able to communicate their results in the framework of an international colloquium and to co-write two scientific articles resulting from their work.

Partners

SCIENTIFIC PARTNERS PROFESSIONAL PARTNERS NETWORKS AND COLLABORATIVE GROUPS Chaire

LARESS has grown into what it is today by contributing to studies and research projects, the purpose of which was to inform the more or less long-term decisions of decision-makers of private or public or professional groups operating in the agricultural sphere.

For the most part, research projects are developed with partners. In addition to such projects, the researchers contribute to the relationships with partners by the publication of transfer documents, speaking at conferences and debates. In 2013, the establishment of the Changes in Agriculture Partnership Chair allowed relations with certain partners to be further developed by joint work in elaborating research on the changes in the agricultural profession.

NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS IN SHS:

INRA: Smart-LERECO, CESAER, SAE department 2
Universities of Nantes and Angers: CENS, ESO (Espace Géographie Société – Space Geography Society) Mixed Technological Unit
GERDAL

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

Niigata University, Japan
Reno University, Nevada (USA)
University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Economics, Kostas Karantinis, Sweden
ENSA Algiers, Algeria

Enterprises in the agricultural sector: TERRENA, AGRIAL, TRISKALIA, Crédit Agricole Anjou-Maine, etc.
Professional agricultural organisations: Chambers of Agriculture (particularly those of the Pays de la Loire and Brittany), Association of Chambers of Agriculture of the Atlantic Arc (AC3A), ALLICE, France Conseil Elevage (FCEL – French Livestock Council), Fédération Nationale des Coopératives Laitières (FNCL – National Federation of Milk Cooperatives), etc.
Regional and local authorities: Conseil Régional des Pays de la Loire, Intercommunalités d’Angers, Nantes, Le Mans et La Roche sur Yon, etc.
French public bodies: ADEME, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of the Environment, etc.
Associative partnerships: Ligue pour la protection des Oiseaux (LPO – Society for the Protection of Birds).
Partnerships with technical institutes and centres: Institut de l’élevage (French Livestock-Breeders’ Institute), IFIP, ITAVI, etc.

Mixed Technological Network “Economie des filières animales” (Livestock sector economics)

ESA in one of the 16 partners of RMT 2014-2018. The objective of this network is to deal with issues that are an identical concern for or a context common to the main French livestock production sectors or having interactions between them.

Mixed Technological Network “SPYCE- Systèmes de polyculture élevage” (Polyculture livestock systems)

The aim of this network is to evaluate the effectiveness and adaptive capacity of the Polyculture Livestock systems and to help maintain such systems in the regions through the (re-)coupling of crops and livestock farming at the level of the agricultural holding(s) and the region in which the latter is (are) located.

SORESE “Network of lecturer-researchers in sociology of agricultural and agronomic schools”