CoEDiTAg

The CoEDiTAg project aims to understand the coevolution between the development trajectories of Equipment and Digital Technologies (EDiTs) and the transformation of structures, models, and organizations in the agricultural sector. This project starts from the assumption that the direction of this coevolution is not predetermined and largely depends on the strategies of the actors, their socio-economic interactions, and public policies. The goal is to ensure that EDiTs do not reinforce the industrialization of agriculture but, on the contrary, serve as a lever for its ecological transformation.

CoEDiTAg brings together a set of research in various fields of social sciences to comprehend the mechanisms of this coevolution and study the levers to influence it. It involves researchers in economics, geography, management sciences, sociology, as well as agronomy and digital sciences.

The project is organized into four complementary areas of work:

• The study of the industrial organization of the development of EDiTs.
• The study of the impact of EDiTs on knowledge production and innovation systems.
• The study of short and long-term effects of EDiTs on agricultural production models and work organization.
• The study of public policies targeting or using EDiTs as tools to promote agroecology.

This project will combine different theoretical frameworks and methods: case studies, ethnographic and socio-historical analysis, experimental economics, econometrics, modeling, focus groups, and more. It will also help build a French research community in the social sciences related to EDiTs, consisting of pioneering scientists with experience in this field of study and others bringing proven methods and concepts from other areas. A priority will be given to connecting this consortium with the international community.

The CoEdiTAg project brings together 16 research units. The consortium consists of approximately 50 permanent researchers and academics (including one-third of educators) in social sciences, possessing various skills and expertise related to the project's subject. Several joint research activities will be organized among the different partners: co-supervision of theses or post-docs, collective surveys, consolidation and joint analysis of databases, writing position papers and literature reviews.