# Co-designing agroecological systems combining poultry and plants to enhance (eco)system services and identify genetic needs for poultry

Philippine Coeugnet, Julie Labatut, Michèle Tixier-Boichard, Xavier X Rognon, Sophie Allais, Nicolas Bédère, Isabelle Goldringer, Gwendal Restoux

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## To cite this version:

Philippine Coeugnet, Julie Labatut, Michèle Tixier-Boichard, Xavier X Rognon, Sophie Allais, et al. Co-designing agroecological systems combining poultry and plants to enhance (eco)system services and identify genetic needs for poultry. 76. Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP), EAAP, Aug 2025, Innsbruck, Austria. pp.642. hal-05266781

HAL Id: hal-05266781

https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05266781v1

Submitted on 18 Sep 2025

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Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
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PEPR Agroécologie & Numérique
Projet COBREEDING

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RÉPUBLIQUE
FRANÇAISE

Labellés
Égalités
Frontriers

INRAE

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28/08/25- EAAP 76th Annual Meeting
Session 68- Future pig and poultry production system (1)

CO-DESIGNING AGROECOLOGICAL
SYSTEMS COMBINING POULTRY AND
PLANTS TO ENHANCE (ECO)SYSTEM
SERVICES AND IDENTIFY GENETIC
NEEDS FOR POULTRY

P. Coeugnet (1,2), J. Labatut (1,2), M. Tixier-Boichard (1), X. Rognon (1), S. Allais (3), N. Bedere (3), I. Goldringer (4), G. Restoux (1)

(1) Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR GABI, France

(2) CNRS, ESIEE Paris, INRAE, Univ Gustave Eiffel, LISIS, France

(3) INRAE, Institut Agro, UMR PEGASE, Domaine de la prise, 35590 SAINT GILLES, France,

(4) INRAE, Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, UMR GQE, France
* The agroecological transition requires a better coupling of animal and plant productions to harness their mutual benefits. Poultry farming is often disconnected from plant production at both farm and regional level

(Dumont et al., 2013; Wezel et al., 2020; Bosshardt et al., 2022)

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* Plant-poultry systems (PPS) are rare and represent innovation niches – spaces where radical innovations emerge, breaking with the dominant system (Elzen et al., 2012)

* Current breeds and varieties may struggle to adapt to the diverse and variable conditions typical of agroecological systems

(Canario et al., 2024; Phocas et al., 2016; Ducos et al., 2021)

* The agroecological transition calls for a change in research practices, including co-design approaches that foster situated knowledge and appropriate, viable and desirable solutions

(Rossing et al. 2023; Salembier et al. 2020; Della Rossa et al. 2022; Berthet et al., 2018)
Field initiatives focused on reproducing or selecting animals adapted to agroecological contexts remain rare- particularly in the poultry sector

Few studies have explored animal adaptation to these emerging systems using a systemic design approach that considers animal traits, farmer needs and practices, local resources and local organizational dynamics

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What are the obstacles and levers for developing
poultry adapted to plant-poultry system (PPS) and how
can a co-design process help identify them?

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Phases

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Exploratory diagnosis

(Jan 2024- Feb 2025)

❖ Analysis of 11 interviews and 8 videos of farmers involved in PPS across France

Method

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Preparation and implementation
of a co-design workshop

(Oct 2024- Mar 2025)

❖ Co-design workshop with 12 farmers, 8 researchers and 2 facilitators

❖ Use of the innovative design method KCP (Knowledge, Concept, Proposals)

(Hatchuel & Weil, 2009)

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Socio-technical diagnosis

(Mar 2025- Jul 2025)

❖ Mapping of the stakeholders

❖ 22 interviews with key actors

(Casagrande et al. 2023)

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Main outputs

➤ Identification of key issues

➤ Identification of a group of farmers

➤ Identification of specific challenges

➤ Design of possible solutions

➤ Identification of additional knowledge needs

➤ Identification of socio-technical obstacles and levers

➤ Analysis of stakeholders network
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## Benefits

* Improvement of food autonomy at the farm level

* Reciprocal benefits between trees and poultry

* Diversification of farm income and local product offering

## Plant-Poultry Systems

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## Challenges

* Systems with few animals: farmers' fear of not being supplied by hatcheries and the economic viability of industrial hatcheries questioned

* Need for multi-skilled farmers to manage diverse and complex activities

* Restrictive standards and regulations
Farmers in PPS are looking for poultry with ...

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➤ Traits from "industrial" strains: high productivity, good feed efficiency, early onset of egg-laying, docility and low brooding instinct

➤ PPS-specific traits: Ability to valorize diverse and low-input feed, long lifespan, resistance to predation, adaptation to local climates, and production of distinctive products

• Resilience is a key expectation of breeders who are ready to make trade offs on certain traits to achieve it. These trade-offs remain to be quantified

Outstanding issues

> Which genetic base to start from? Industrial strains ? Local breeds ?

> Could crossbreeding offer a viable compromise ?

> What are the benefits of maintaining a genetically diverse poultry flock?
➤ Farmers strongly support **collective organization** to breed poultry adapted to the specific conditions of PPS in their territory.

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➤ **Key opportunities:**

- Existing knowledge from emerging initiatives or research projects

- Inspiration from other local initiatives (farmers'seed network)

- Potential economic and institutional levers - but they need to be reinforced

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➤ **Main obstacles:**

- A dominant socio-technical system that imposes its standards and regulations leaving little space for alternative models

- Limited resources (technical, economic, human) to support and sustain collective initiatives

**Outstanding issues**

➤ What types of organizations are possible ? At what scale ?

➤ How can such organisation be made sustainable over time ?

➤ How can selection be carried out on farms with limited resources ?
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**Stakeholders disengaged from PPS**

Professionals in integrated sectors: farmers, slaughterhouses, technical advisors, incubators, hatcheries, breeders ...

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**Hybrid actors – Interface between systems who support PPS while also engaging with conventional systems**

Researchers, breeders' association, technical institute, independent hatcheries and companies

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**Supportive stakeholders driving PPS initiatives**

PPS farmers, organic farming advisors, local initiatives promoting agroecological practices

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Phases

The research process alternates between different scales:

Animal / Farm/ Territory...and must continue ...

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Knowledge sharing with
thematic webinars: topics include
strengthening food autonomy,
low-cost selection, etc

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Socio-technical diagnosis

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On farm experiments co-designed
with farmers to test and refine
solution

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Exploratory diagnosis

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Preparation and implementation
of a co-design workshop

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* There are few Plant Poultry Systems (PPS) but they offer promising solutions for more resilient and autonomous farms however they require adapted animals, supportive socio-technical conditions, adapted knowledge production and collective organization

* The co-design process, conducted at three levels — animal, farm, and territory — enabled the identification of levers & obstacles and the development of solutions tailored to the challenges at each scale

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* Innovative farmers are a source of inspiration but hybrid actors are key to facilitate the socio-technical, institutional and cultural anchoring of innovations by creating synergies between the dominant system and the innovation niche (Elzen et al., 2012)

* Our research is part of an ongoing process. Future efforts will aim to deepen knowledge, test solutions on farms, and build sustainable networks

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THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION !

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RÉPUBLIQUE
FRANÇAISE

Liberté
Égalité
Fraternité

INRAO

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