Système agraire et qualité de l'eau. Efficacité d'un concept et construction négociée d'une recherche

Abstract

The authors of this article present and analyse the overall approach used in an interdisciplinary research programme for which they were responsible. The programme was initiated by the following question, put forward by an important industrial company producing mineral water, Société Vittel: ‘What changes are required concerning the farming activity used on the site, and under what conditions, in order to reduce the rate of nitrates found beneath the roots of cultivated plants and grassland, and to ensure that this rate remains beneath the limit of 10 mg per litre?’ This led them to question the relevance and the limits of the agrarian system concept, as the concept on which an interdisciplinary approach was based. In the first part, the authors present the merging that occurred within this research programme of the agrarian system concept with that of sustainable development and with the systems approach. Drawing on past experience with this concept and several previous research projects, they focus on two perspectives. First, an agrarian system is a complex reality which links on a local level the people involved, the activities and a land area undergoing development. The second perspective underlines the gradual elaboration of the agrarian system; how it is formed by those involved. Keeping these two points of view in mind, an agrarian system model is presented here, which served as the basis for organising and conducting the research programme. Once the programme objectives had been discussed and the scientific structure established, the decision was made to conduct the research in a reactive way according to its own development and the evolution of the agrarian system being formed. This option was facilitated by the existence of a ‘mediator’ between the research team and the other players within the agrarian system. The authors propose the notion of ‘negotiated research’ to describe this approach. This same agrarian system model is used by the authors to make a critical analysis of the research programme itself; it serves as an analyser for controversial points. The water catchment area as an emerging spatial entity, or the difference in the points of view held by the researchers and the company as to the limits and subdivisions of the area needing protection are the two controversial points taken as examples. The evolution of local relationships between the people involved played a crucial role in solving the problem of water quality, and thus in building the agrarian system, through the development of learning processes by the different players: the industrial company, the farmers and the researchers. In short, in order to fulfil the two conditions required for sustainable development, i.e. first the creation of negotiation and consultation opportunities, and second the creation of knowledge, reference to the agrarian system concept appears relevant. The authors consider, as shown by the Vittel research programme, that constant shuttling between the two perspectives of the agrarian system concept has great potential in addressing the new challenges and the new players involved in the evolution of rural areas. Système agraire et qualité de l'eau Efficacité d'un concept et construction négociée d'une recherche Les auteurs présentent et analysent la démarche d'ensemble d'un programme de recherche interdisciplinaire dont ils ont été responsables. La question du rôle de l'agriculture dans le maintien d'un faible taux de nitrates dans des sources d'eaux minérales posée par la Société Vittel est à l'origine du programme. Cette question les conduit à s'interroger plus particulièrement sur l'intérêt et les limites du concept de système agraire, en tant que concept fondant une démarche interdisciplinaire. Les auteurs présentent le couplage, réalisé à l'occasion du programme, du concept de système agraire avec celui de développement durable et avec la démarche systémique. Un modèle de système agraire sert de base à l'organisation et à la conduite du programme de recherche. Pour remplir les deux conditions d'un développement durable, à savoir la création d'espaces de négociation et de concertation d'une part, la création de connaissances d'autre part, la référence au concept de système agraire apparaît pertinente.

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