# Social mechanisms to facilitate the agroecological transition of agri-food system

Philippe Jeanneaux

► To cite this version:

Philippe Jeanneaux. Social mechanisms to facilitate the agroecological transition of agri-food system. The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2022, pp.1 - 3. 10.5304/jaf-scd.2022.112.009. hal-04537765

HAL Id: hal-04537765

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Submitted on 8 Apr 2024

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Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
# Social mechanisms to facilitate the agroecological transition of agri-food system

Philippe Jeanneaux

► To cite this version:

Philippe Jeanneaux. Social mechanisms to facilitate the agroecological transition of agri-food system. The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2022, pp.1 - 3. 10.5304/jaf-scd.2022.112.009. hal-04537765

HAL Id: hal-04537765

https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-04537765v1

Submitted on 8 Apr 2024

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access
archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci-
entific research documents, whether they are pub-
lished or not. The documents may come from
teaching and research institutions in France or
abroad, or from public or private research centers.

L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est
destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents
scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non,
émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de
recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires
publics ou privés.

<figure><img src="image_1.png" /></figure>

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
# Social mechanisms to facilitate the agroecological transition of agri-food systems

Review by Philippe Jeanneaux *
VetAgro Sup, Joint Research Unit Territoires

Review of: *Sustainable Agri-Food Systems: Case Studies in Transitions Towards Sustainability From France and Brazil*, by Claire Lamine. (2020). Bloomsbury. Available as hardcover, paperback, and ebook (PDF, Epub, and Mobi); 224 pages. Publisher's website: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/sustainable-agri-food-systems-9781350101128/

<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

Submitted December 24, 2021 / Published online February 24, 2022

Citation: Jeanneaux, P. (2022). Social mechanisms to facilitate the agroecological transition of agri-food systems [Book review]. *Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 11*(2), 303–305. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2022.112.009

Copyright © 2022 by the Author. Published by the Lyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food Systems. Open access under CC-BY license.

This book is built on 15 years of scholarship in sociology, which gave Claire Lamine the opportunity to get her accreditation to supervise Ph.D. students. For an experienced academic in France, this kind of manuscript is like writing a second doctoral dissertation. That explains why this 224-page book is dense and mixes a strong

theoretical basis and original empirical research. The book relates in-depth case studies from France and Brazil at different scales and provides a critical survey of social science approaches to sustainability transitions in agri-food systems. Lamine presents an original sociological approach to address the diverse pathways of transition encountered across multiple levels, from the farm through farmers' networks and food chains, to the territorial scale of regions and states. She presents experiences carried out by stakeholders involved in agri-food systems to explore new possible connections between agriculture, food, environment, and health, while also considering social equity issues.

<footnote>* Philippe Jeanneaux is a professor of economics at VetAgro Sup, Joint Research Unit Territoires (in Lempdes, France), where he teaches farm management and agricultural economics. His research includes farm performance, agri-food chain dynamics and organization. He can be contacted at philippe.jeanneaux@vetagro-sup.fr</footnote>
# Social mechanisms to facilitate the agroecological transition of agri-food systems

Review by Philippe Jeanneaux *
VetAgro Sup, Joint Research Unit Territoires

Review of: *Sustainable Agri-Food Systems: Case Studies in Transitions Towards Sustainability From France and Brazil*, by Claire Lamine. (2020). Bloomsbury. Available as hardcover, paperback, and ebook (PDF, Epub, and Mobi); 224 pages. Publisher's website: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/sustainable-agri-food-systems-9781350101128/

<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

Submitted December 24, 2021 / Published online February 24, 2022

Citation: Jeanneaux, P. (2022). Social mechanisms to facilitate the agroecological transition of agri-food systems [Book review]. *Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 11*(2), 303–305. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2022.112.009

Copyright © 2022 by the Author. Published by the Lyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food Systems. Open access under CC-BY license.

This book is built on 15 years of scholarship in sociology, which gave Claire Lamine the opportunity to get her accreditation to supervise Ph.D. students. For an experienced academic in France, this kind of manuscript is like writing a second doctoral dissertation. That explains why this 224-page book is dense and mixes a strong

theoretical basis and original empirical research. The book relates in-depth case studies from France and Brazil at different scales and provides a critical survey of social science approaches to sustainability transitions in agri-food systems. Lamine presents an original sociological approach to address the diverse pathways of transition encountered across multiple levels, from the farm through farmers' networks and food chains, to the territorial scale of regions and states. She presents experiences carried out by stakeholders involved in agri-food systems to explore new possible connections between agri-culture, food, environment, and health, while also considering social equity issues.

<footnote>* Philippe Jeanneaux is a professor of economics at VetAgro Sup, Joint Research Unit Territoires (in Lempdes, France), where he teaches farm management and agricultural economics. His research includes farm performance, agri-food chain dynamics and organization. He can be contacted at philippe.jeanneaux@vetagro-sup.fr</footnote>
I recommend this book because by combining
theoretical and conceptual elements borrowed
from different sociological schools, Lamine out-
lines in seven chapters a comprehensive approach
for understanding the complex issue of agri-food
system transitions toward sustainability. Lamine's
work adopts a comparative perspective to explore
the transition of agroecology and the specific
modes of governance involved in France and
Brazil—two countries that have a strong agricul-
ture and pioneer the implementation of ecological
approaches in agriculture, but that differ both in
vision and context. Although Lamine is a sociolo-
gist, her book addresses agri-food systems transi-
tions through the study of geography, sociology,
politics, farming, and food systems. I would espe-
cially recommend reading the introduction, which
gives a very clear understanding of the content of
this book.

In the first chapter, Lamine provides an over-
view of the theoretical approaches that have been
used in the social sciences to study transitions to-
ward sustainability in agri-food systems. Three
main approaches are presented: First, the North
American theory of food regimes (Friedmann &
McMichael, 1989), which is rooted in the Marxist
political economy, adopts a critical stance on
power relations within agri-food systems, and ana-
lyzes the changes produced over long periods of
time and on macro scales. Secondly, Lamine
focuses on the theories of transitions and, based on
the multi level perspective approach (Geels, 2010),
takes a macroscopic view of transition processes,
considering that these processes are the result of
interactions between socio-technical context and
regime, as well as niches of innovation that develop
and influence the dominant system. Thirdly,
Lamine presents the French pragmatic sociology
approach to highlight the ordinary changes of
actors and the cognitive and moral aspects of their
arguments in ordinary situations of coordination
and conflict. Lamine thus puts into perspective dif-
ferent concepts of these three approaches to build
an original approach to analyze and understand the
transition of agri-food systems toward greater
sustainability.

In the book, the concept of “agri-food system”
highlights the interactions between agri-food

dynamics and practices, including the production,
processing, distribution, and consumption of food.
In particular, it is defined as a system of actors and
institutions with different visions and objectives,
where conflicts and bargaining power are common
but which are embedded in interdependent dynam-
ics. Lamine can then argue that debates, controver-
sies, and conflicts are necessary to unravel the
complexity of argumentative processes and under-
stand why and how some visions and models be-
come more influential and dominant while others
are marginalized. This theoretical framework could
then be used to analyze several transition situations
and not only for agri-food systems. This is one of
the major outcomes of this research program.

Lamine builds on and strengthens this frame-
work by articulating three methodological ap-
proaches: systemic, dynamic, and pragmatist. The
first principle (systemic) aims to take into account
interdependencies that exist between the different
components of the agri-food system: the actors, in-
stitutions, rules, and instruments involved in the
production, processing, distribution, and consump-
tion of food. The second principle (dynamic) rec-
ommends studying the transformation process
that, over time, redefines (or not) the interdepend-
encies that hinder or encourage the processes of
ecologization. The third principle (pragmatist) pos-
tulates that agri-food systems are systems of actors
and institutions guided by different ideas, visions,
and goals that may be confronted by controversies
and conflicts.

The following six chapters illustrate the appli-
cation of this approach to several empirical cases in
France and Brazil, at different scales of analysis.
Chapter 2 studies ecologization processes at the
farm level. It shows that it is difficult for a farmer
—faced with greater uncertainty—to change, be-
cause the ecological transition has effects on their
values and changes both their identity and their
conception of their work. But this process is also
an opportunity for farmers to learn more about
autonomy and resilience as crucial components of
their contribution to the sustainable development
of their community. Chapter 3 discusses the role of
farm extension services and the collective dynamics
around farmers that are critical to facilitate ecologi-
cal transition. Chapter 4 illustrates socio-technical
I recommend this book because by combining
theoretical and conceptual elements borrowed
from different sociological schools, Lamine out-
lines in seven chapters a comprehensive approach
for understanding the complex issue of agri-food
system transitions toward sustainability. Lamine's
work adopts a comparative perspective to explore
the transition of agroecology and the specific
modes of governance involved in France and
Brazil—two countries that have a strong agricul-
ture and pioneer the implementation of ecological
approaches in agriculture, but that differ both in
vision and context. Although Lamine is a sociolo-
gist, her book addresses agri-food systems transi-
tions through the study of geography, sociology,
politics, farming, and food systems. I would espe-
cially recommend reading the introduction, which
gives a very clear understanding of the content of
this book.

In the first chapter, Lamine provides an over-
view of the theoretical approaches that have been
used in the social sciences to study transitions to-
ward sustainability in agri-food systems. Three
main approaches are presented: First, the North
American theory of food regimes (Friedmann &
McMichael, 1989), which is rooted in the Marxist
political economy, adopts a critical stance on
power relations within agri-food systems, and ana-
lyzes the changes produced over long periods of
time and on macro scales. Secondly, Lamine
focuses on the theories of transitions and, based on
the multi level perspective approach (Geels, 2010),
takes a macroscopic view of transition processes,
considering that these processes are the result of
interactions between socio-technical context and
regime, as well as niches of innovation that develop
and influence the dominant system. Thirdly,
Lamine presents the French pragmatic sociology
approach to highlight the ordinary changes of
actors and the cognitive and moral aspects of their
arguments in ordinary situations of coordination
and conflict. Lamine thus puts into perspective dif-
ferent concepts of these three approaches to build
an original approach to analyze and understand the
transition of agri-food systems toward greater
sustainability.

In the book, the concept of “agri-food system”
highlights the interactions between agri-food

dynamics and practices, including the production,
processing, distribution, and consumption of food.
In particular, it is defined as a system of actors and
institutions with different visions and objectives,
where conflicts and bargaining power are common
but which are embedded in interdependent dynam-
ics. Lamine can then argue that debates, controver-
sies, and conflicts are necessary to unravel the
complexity of argumentative processes and under-
stand why and how some visions and models be-
come more influential and dominant while others
are marginalized. This theoretical framework could
then be used to analyze several transition situations
and not only for agri-food systems. This is one of
the major outcomes of this research program.

Lamine builds on and strengthens this frame-
work by articulating three methodological ap-
proaches: systemic, dynamic, and pragmatist. The
first principle (systemic) aims to take into account
interdependencies that exist between the different
components of the agri-food system: the actors, in-
stitutions, rules, and instruments involved in the
production, processing, distribution, and consump-
tion of food. The second principle (dynamic) rec-
ommends studying the transformation process
that, over time, redefines (or not) the interdepend-
encies that hinder or encourage the processes of
ecologization. The third principle (pragmatist) pos-
tulates that agri-food systems are systems of actors
and institutions guided by different ideas, visions,
and goals that may be confronted by controversies
and conflicts.

The following six chapters illustrate the appli-
cation of this approach to several empirical cases in
France and Brazil, at different scales of analysis.
Chapter 2 studies ecologization processes at the
farm level. It shows that it is difficult for a farmer
—faced with greater uncertainty—to change, be-
cause the ecological transition has effects on their
values and changes both their identity and their
conception of their work. But this process is also
an opportunity for farmers to learn more about
autonomy and resilience as crucial components of
their contribution to the sustainable development
of their community. Chapter 3 discusses the role of
farm extension services and the collective dynamics
around farmers that are critical to facilitate ecologi-
cal transition. Chapter 4 illustrates socio-technical
interlocks or triggering events that play a role in the ecological transition at the scale of the agri-food chain by considering the diversity of linkages and stakeholders. Chapter 5 adopts a territorial scale to argue that the territory is the relevant scale for analyzing transitions in agri-food systems because it is the scale where ecological, social, economic, and health processes interact directly. It is also because this scale makes it easier to bring together academic research and the actors at the heart of transformative action of agri-food systems.

The last two chapters, 6 and 7, deal with the political building of agroecological projects in France and Brazil over the last decade. Lamine draws lessons from different experiences that could be taken into account in future agro-ecology policies at the national level to accelerate the reconnection between agriculture, environment, food, and

health within sustainable agri-food systems. Thus, Lamine shows that sustainable agri-food systems and social justice are completely linked because food (nutritional security) is the outcome of the convergence of social movements (actions, claims, and conflicts). There is no food security without social justice.

This book makes a valuable contribution to the reflection on social science analytical frameworks that apprehend the transition toward the sustainability of agri-food systems, by considering this transition's complexity and identifying the mechanisms that facilitate or hinder it. I recommend this book to undergraduate classes and graduate seminars, academic libraries, and individuals interested in social mechanisms to facilitate the agroecological transition.

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

## References

* Friedmann, H., & McMichael, P. (1989). Agriculture and the state system: The rise and fall of national agricultures, 1870 to the present. *Sociologia Ruralis*, 29(2), 93–117. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9523.1989.tb00360.x

* Geels, F. W. (2010). Ontologies, socio-technical transitions (to sustainability), and the multi-level perspective. *Research Policy*, 39(4), 495–510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2010.01.022
interlocks or triggering events that play a role in the ecological transition at the scale of the agri-food chain by considering the diversity of linkages and stakeholders. Chapter 5 adopts a territorial scale to argue that the territory is the relevant scale for analyzing transitions in agri-food systems because it is the scale where ecological, social, economic, and health processes interact directly. It is also because this scale makes it easier to bring together academic research and the actors at the heart of transformative action of agri-food systems.

The last two chapters, 6 and 7, deal with the political building of agroecological projects in France and Brazil over the last decade. Lamine draws lessons from different experiences that could be taken into account in future agro-ecology policies at the national level to accelerate the reconnection between agriculture, environment, food, and

health within sustainable agri-food systems. Thus, Lamine shows that sustainable agri-food systems and social justice are completely linked because food (nutritional security) is the outcome of the convergence of social movements (actions, claims, and conflicts). There is no food security without social justice.

This book makes a valuable contribution to the reflection on social science analytical frameworks that apprehend the transition toward the sustainability of agri-food systems, by considering this transition's complexity and identifying the mechanisms that facilitate or hinder it. I recommend this book to undergraduate classes and graduate seminars, academic libraries, and individuals interested in social mechanisms to facilitate the agroecological transition.

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

## References

* Friedmann, H., & McMichael, P. (1989). Agriculture and the state system: The rise and fall of national agricultures, 1870 to the present. *Sociologia Ruralis*, 29(2), 93–117. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9523.1989.tb00360.x

* Geels, F. W. (2010). Ontologies, socio-technical transitions (to sustainability), and the multi-level perspective. *Research Policy*, 39(4), 495–510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2010.01.022