Contenu du sommaire : Territoires méditerranéens

Middle-East – North-Africa's food and agricultural system: a retrospective analysis (1961-2011)Drawing from the Fao balances of commodities uses and resources from 1961 to 2011, this study shows that the great food dependency of Mena region is explained by the demographic growth, dietary evolution and the simultaneous changes of animal feeding toward imported plant products (cereals and press cakes). These changes imply a six-fold increase in regional demand in fifty years. The growth of vegetable domestic production (multiplied by four) is not sufficient to cover this demand, especially regarding cereals. The low performances of regional agricultures are due to natural constraints (scarcity of cultivable land and water), added to defaulting agrarian and agricultural policies. This demand-offer imbalance is filled by a growing recourse to international market, an important factor of vulnerability for the region's food and agricultural system.

Agricultural restructuring in Egypt's new lands: political, socio-economic and food challenges
Analysing the major characteristics of contemporary agricultural stakeholders and spaces in Egypt needs to take into account the huge program of desert land reclamation. This article will contribute to the better understanding of the process of agricultural transformation on the new lands, as well as give some insight about the final destination of the products and their consumers. In doing so, we will highlight the links between three major components of this process: the successive agricultural and food strategies since the 1950s; desert land, as places of investment and production; the stakeholders and the plurality of their interests and objectives.

Coordinating agriculture and local public action in peri-urban spaces
For the farming world, contributing to shaping policies for agriculture is far from an easy task, as it necessitates both agreeing on broad objectives and also translating them into actions. From a case study in a periurban territory, this article shows the three main challenges for cooperation between farmers and local council members : 1. the splitting of the professional farming world and the correlated difficulty to produce a collective professional spokesperson in front of the council members, 2. the vision these members have on farming and the prerogatives they think they have in terms of agricultural policy, and 3. the way relationships are shaped between these two worlds. This last point explains, in our study, the challenges of creating an in-depth debate anchored on the local farming realities and a knowledges production for action.

Revisiting urban planning from farmland
Peri-urban agriculture has become an issue to consider in urban planning. However, methodological frameworks to consider agriculture within the urban system should be improved. In this perspective we propose a methodology to map, characterize and represent homogenous peri-urban agriculture spatial units (Usapu). Combining geographical descriptions and agricultural and urban data with statistical analysis, our aim is to define a systemic and generic methodology with an operational purpose for planning and public action at inter-municipal level. Moreover, agriculture is considered in its productive dimension, not only as an open space, as is often the case in landscape approaches of spatial planning.

Innovations for agriculture in urban areas? The example of an agriparc
We are dealing with agriculture as new object of urban policies through the example of the agriparc, a multifunctional agricultural park project included in the urban space. Our analysis is based upon a follow-up of planning policies in Montpellier, and on a series of interviews on the implementation of one agriparc project. The case of Montpellier is put into perspective among various European examples. Then we focus on the agriparc of Viviers, showing how this project is part of the strategies facility of the stakeholders. The study of this device reveals that their visions of agriculture and their interests differ. Our critical analysis of the project allows us to discuss the agriparc as an innovation tool for agriculture in urban areas. This example leads ultimately to an understanding of innovation as a product of the relationships between local stakeholders, which does not conform to the model resulting from the references of multifunctionality and sustainability. Moving from concept to reality, agriparc becomes a “living lab” where several forms of urban agriculture coexist. They differ in their technical and economic models, and in their links to the city.

A Testimony of a Rural Space Transmutation. Jelma, districk of Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia, as a case study
The present paper sets off to study the paths of retailing of two rural sectors in the souk of Jelma, a small town in central-western Tunisia ; namely cattle farming an dry chilli pepper. We put in focus the transmutations and the agrarian adaptation strategies in the face of local contstraints as well as the growing demand for specific commodities. The souk of Jelma warrants the agrarian goods collection and its distribution. As a matter of fact, it attracts waves of people and goods.