Contenu du sommaire : Sustainable Agrifood Systems. Markets, Value Chains and Innovation

This special issue presents an original set of papers focusing on diverse agrifood markets (organic products, bioinputs, digital innovations, seedling innovation, innovation applications based on carob) and support activities (mission-oriented intermediary) at different steps of value chains for agroecological transitions. The papers use a variety of approaches (critical and strategic analysis, event history analysis, and qualitative research) and a diversity of theoretical foundations (evolutionary economics, transition studies, technological innovation system, agronomy, economic sociology, institutional approaches) to investigate market shaping processes. They highlight the role of organizations, institutions, and actor networks, or their absence, in the lengthy construction of markets that influence the sustainability of agrifood value chains and systems. This special issue covers diverse geographical areas (Europe, Africa, South America, and India), characterized by specific socio-economic and socio-political contexts, that provide hindering or facilitating conditions to build local and/or national sustainable markets.JEL Codes: Q1, Q56, O3, L1

Markets for agroecological food and inputs are actively shaping ecological forms of agriculture. The processes that set up these two sets of markets, both upstream and downstream of farms, have an impact on agricultural systems and practices. To defend this thesis, we introduce results from ongoing studies over the past fifteen years of different forms of agroecology in France, Argentina, and Brazil. Without intending to be exhaustive, our examples focus on the effects of certification systems, marketing infrastructures, and companies' strategies. The article also demonstrates the role of the State in the political construction of these markets and, therefore, in the shaping of agroecologies.JEL Codes: O30, O13, Q13

There is active debate about the role of venture capital and entrepreneurship in advancing sustainability in agrifood systems. Our contribution to this debate is to better understand the role of agritech innovation intermediaries – organizations that foster entrepreneurship by nurturing early-stage ventures. We present the case of Social Alpha, a “mission-oriented” agritech intermediary based in India, whose mission is to support innovations that improve small farmers' incomes and sustainable development. Our analysis investigates tensions between the institutional requirements of finance and social problem solving. Our attention to how social impact is defined, pursued, measured and disciplined allows us to focus on this tension. Our analysis highlights opportunities and limitations attached to efforts to mobilize Silicon Valley-styled innovation ecosystems to advance sustainability.JEL Code: O13

This paper analyzes how agricultural advisory services support farmers in the evaluation and adoption of a digital innovation: decision support tools for fertilizer application. We interviewed farmers with different user profiles for this technology (adopters, non-adopters, droppers) as well as experts in the area of innovation. We collected data on the advisory suppliers (advisory sources and nature of the farmer-advisor interaction) at different stages of farmers' adoption process, using the Triggering Change Model (Sutherland et al., 2012). Our results revealed changing roles for farm advisors despite an apparent continuity in their profiles. Advisors trigger the process of adoption but play a limited role in helping farmers to assess and implement the innovation. This paper launches a debate about the ability of advisors to support farmers in dealing with uncertainties associated with digital technologies and offers recommendations in terms of public policies. JEL Codes: Q12, Q16, O33

Current socio-demographic and climate change challenges make agroecological transition in developing countries urgent. In institutional economics, the analysis of functional mechanisms referred to as “drivers of chang” indicates the institutional levers for the development of agroecological innovation processes. We study the functional dynamics of the stem fragment planting (“PIF”) process, a technological innovation produced by African agricultural research. Data are drawn from in-depth qualitative interviews and academic and non-academic literature. The Agricultural Innovation System (AIS) framework and the functional approach provide the conceptual and theoretical basis for this study. We use Event History Analysis (EHA) to identify functions and their dynamics. We identify three phases with incomplete functional loops. Missing functions and governance failures are the main hindrances to the success of the “PIF” technique. We thus give specific innovation policy recommendations for broader agroecological technological innovations in developing countries.JEL Codes: Q18, Q16, O3), B52

The carob tree ( Ceratonia siliqua L .) is a typical Mediterranean species with over a 4000-year history. From ancient Egyptians to Cretans, carob products have been used as emergency food in the absence of basic goods. In the previous few decades, the global agricultural economy has replaced traditional crops with more profitable ones, which has led to soil degradation and a greater requirement for inputs. The rediscovery and use of plants that have best adapted to their growing territory is of crucial importance to preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable agricultural practices in a bioeconomy perspective. In recent years, carob's commercial value has increased due to its use as a raw material in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and biofuel industries. This is expected to give a new impetus to the crop. Since the Mediterranean basin is the place of the origin of the carob tree, its cultivation will contribute to the sustainability of the Mediterranean agro-ecosystems and increase the socio-economic status of the local population.JEL Codes: Q570

We go beyond the literature that argues for environmental innovation as an essential driver of the transition to a Circular Economy (CE), examining whether firms deploying specific innovation strategies are better placed to adopt this transition. Distinguishing four basic Schumpeterian innovation strategies (product, process, single, complex innovation strategy) and three others (frugal, organizational, business model innovation), we measure the transition to the CE by examining the adoption by firms of five categories of circular practices proposed in the Flash Eurobarometer survey, used extensively in the literature. Estimations of multivariate probit models show that product innovator strategy has a minor influence on the adoption of CE practices, while a process innovation strategy has a slightly stronger impact. Most influential strategies are complex and frugal innovations. Business model innovation influences the implementation of only two CE practices. Our study reveals specific innovation strategies which are more impactful regarding the transition to the CE.JEL Codes: L1, O31, O33, Q2

Does adopting eco-innovations lead to more satisfied employees? Eco-innovations have the potential to enhance (and sometimes decrease) the job satisfaction of employees for several reasons, such as their positive effects on performances and wages, contribution to the wellbeing of others, or increased alignment between employee and company values. We examine empirically the relationship between eco-innovations and job satisfaction in a large number of observations using a moderated mediation model. We posit that the effect of adopting eco-innovations is mediated by job recognition, while the effect of the latter is moderated by job insecurity. Our structural equation modeling findings based on a sample of 5,384 respondents show that (i) eco-innovations do not directly lead to increased job satisfaction, (ii) job recognition mediates positively the relationship between the adoption of eco-innovations and job satisfaction, and (iii) job insecurity moderates negatively the positive mediating effect between the adoption of eco-innovations and job satisfaction. JEL Codes: J28, Q59

Renewable energy technologies are essential innovations that firms can adopt with a view to achieve energy transition. Existing literature on green energy determinants has mainly investigated the role of energy prices, in order to explain renewables diffusion. However, if we include these technologies within the theoretical framework of environmental innovations, it is possible to extend the analysis to other factors. We investigate green energy determinants by focusing on the role of public policies, firms' structural characteristics, internationalisation, and pollution intensity. The analysis takes into account both internal and external factors related to the firm. We employ an original dataset of Italian manufacturing firms combining the energy audit database from ENEA with balance sheet data from Aida Bureau van Dijk and other variables selected from five different databases. Our empirical results emphasise the role of supply-side policies, companies' dimension, energy-related factors, and pollution intensity levels as determinants that increase the likelihood of adopting renewable energy technologies. JEL Codes: O33, Q20, Q42