The report is particularly significant, said Stéphane Le Foll, France’s Minister for Agriculture, because it represents the final piece in the country’s ongoing commitment to take an agroecological approach to developing an agricultural sector which performs well at three levels (economic, social and environmental).  

The report, presented in the form of a strategic agenda for research, development and innovation, was compiled by four of the country’s leading figures in agricultural research and education, including François Houllier, president of ENDURE partner INRA, and Philippe Lecouvey, managing director of ENDURE partner ACTA. It follows a consultation period which involved more than 300 stakeholders including researchers, farmers and trainers.

The authors were tasked by the Ministries of Agriculture and Research with identifying how the conditions for ‘sustainable competitiveness’ in French agriculture could be created over the coming decade. Called ‘Agriculture – Innovation 2025’, the report identifies a package of 30 projects, further broken down into nearly 100 actions, designed to mobilise stakeholders in research and innovation around key priorities.

The first priority is to develop a systems approach and to help agriculture contribute to the fight against climate change. This translates into projects focused on France’s transition to agroecological approaches to agricultural production and the development of the bioeconomy. It includes, for example, developing research in soil biology, improving soil fertility while mitigating climate change, and developing tools for the rapid diagnosis of plant health in the field.

The second priority concerns measures encouraging maximum development of new technologies in agriculture. This is broken down into four themes: digital agriculture, robotics, genetics and biotechnologies, and biocontrol. The report identifies three projects for boosting the use of biocontrols: supporting research and development for biological controls targeting plant pests, supporting the use of biocontrols in livestock farming, and adapting procedures and protocols for evaluating biological control products.

The third priority concerns bringing together all those working in agricultural research, experimentation and development to support increased competitiveness. It suggests that this should be addressed through projects addressing open innovation, agricultural economics and training. 

For example, four projects have been identified for developing open innovation. These are integrating farmers’ experiences into innovation dynamics, mobilising agricultural research, development and innovation to meet societal issues, creating local ‘Living Laboratories’ for agroecology and the bioeconomy, and further development of research and observation networks.

The authors presented the report to France’s Ministers for Agriculture and Research and the Secretary of State for Digital Affairs in October, with the Ministries already announcing an action plan arising from the report. This will be structured around four research programmes based on priority themes:

• Soil, water and climate (focused on mobilising soil for mitigating climate change and strengthening food security)
• Sensors and health risks
• Robotic and digital technologies for agriculture  
• Producing differently through the use of systems biology, biotechnologies and biocontrols

To complement these programmes, the Ministries also want to introduce two innovative measures, picking up the idea of Living Labs for agroecology and the bioeconomy, and the introduction of a portal for data and digital services to boost the competitiveness of French agriculture.

Looking forwards, a conference for all those who took part in the report’s consultation process, which included workshops and interviews, is being organised for early 2016 and a steering and coordination committee is being formed to monitor progress.

Download the report and watch the video of the report’s presentation here.