Our team focuses on agricultural and food systems,
the challenges and opportunities they face and the related transition processes.
Our mission
We conduct research and provide strategic analysis
in the agriculture and food sector
Our approach departs from three observations :
Environmental, social and economic aspects are strongly interwoven in the agriculture sector.
Transitions are played out at different interconnected spatial and temporal scales.
Interdisciplinary methodologies are essential for addressing the complexity of the issues.
For understanding current agri-food systems and discussing their sustainability challenges, our work brings together technical and agronomic analyses of livestock and cropping systems and the social and economic dimensions of food systems.
The adoption of new practices by farmers, the evolutions of the organisation of the food systems, and regional, national and European visions intersect and interact. Our research provides contextualised knowledge and strategic orientation.
Our areas of expertise range from agronomy to social sciences. We develop and apply a wide range of qualitative, quantitative and mixed method designs to analyse and facilitate transition dynamics. Our research methods are rolled out mostly in European contexts.
Our approach departs from three observations :
Environmental, social and economic aspects are strongly interwoven in the agriculture sector.
For understanding currently existing agri-food systems and discussing its sustainability challenges, our work brings together technical and agronomic analyses of livestock and cropping systems and the social and economic dimensions of food systems.
Transitions are played out at different interconnected spatial and temporal scales.
The adoption of new practices by farmers, the evolutions of the organisation of the food systems, and regional, national and European visions intersect and interact. Our research provides contextualised knowledge and strategic orientation.
Interdisciplinary methodologies are essential for addressing the complexity of the issues.
Our areas of expertise range from agronomy to social sciences. We develop and apply a wide range of qualitative, quantitative and mixed method designs to analyse and facilitate transition dynamics. Our research methods are rolled out mostly in European contexts.
Our research topics
Production systems
What are the characteristics of current cropping and livestock systems?
We characterize the cropping and livestock systems, through a variety of indicators related to production, inputs use, externalities. This approach allows for a concrete analysis of the strengths and challenges of the different production systems.
We highlight practices and production systems based on the principles of agroecology.
Food value chains
How are the food value chains organised? How do the actors of the food system interact?
We analyse and describe the agrifood chains and organisations.
We look at the possible evolution of the actors and value chains, taking into account lock-in phenomena hindering transition dynamics.
We identify technical, economic and political levers for action.
Transition pathways
Which horizons can we envision for the agriculture and food related activities in our regions?
We develop prospective scenarios illustrating possible pathways towards 2050. Scenarios can help define and support transition dynamics in the agricultural and food systems.
The scenarios can be trend-based or pursue specific sustainability objectives, such as reducing the use of pesticides and taking climate issues into account.
Seeds
Food value chain
Social cost accounting
Externalities
sustainability assessment
Plant breeding
Senegal
Feed
Protein transition
Policy
Agricultural land management
Diversity
Sustainability indicators
Innovation
Agricultural inputs
Cheese
Cooperatives
Farmer's identity
Farmer agency
Flanders
Europe
Pesticides
Literature review
Intercropping
Small-scale farming
Strategies
Land use planning
Prospective scenarios
Environmental footprint
Short food supply chain
Periurban agriculture
Africa
Glyphosate
France
Belgium
Wallonia
Participatory process
Pathway dependancy
GMOs
Economic viability
Pathways
Biodiversity
Planetary boundaries
Lock-ins
Transition enablers
Climate change
Agroecology
Our partners
Our research work is funded by public and private actors
such as regional institutions, European funds, non-governmental organizations and foundations.
