Innovation for agroecological transition in animal and plant breeding: analysis and support of co-design processes and systems

• Title: "Innovation for Agroecological Transition in Animal and Plant Breeding: Analysis and Support of Co-Design Processes and Systems" INRAE.
• Postdoctoral Researcher: Philippine Coeugnet.
• Affiliated unit: INRAE, UMR 1326 - LISIS.
• Project duration: 2024–2026.

Project Summary:

The agroecological transition requires a revision of research practices and, notably, an opening of research to non-scientific stakeholders. Additionally, animal and plant breeding are most of the time isolated, while the agroecological transition necessitates linking different biological processes involved in agricultural systems. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new systems to recouple the design processes in animal and plant breeding and revise innovation processes by including non-scientific stakeholders.

In this context, the postdoc aims to address the following research question: What are the essential properties for the functioning of a co-design system for breeding schemes for the agroecological transition, mobilizing a diversity of knowledge and stakeholders? To answer this question, the postdoc aims to observe and support colleagues in the CoBreeding project responsible for implementing concrete co-design cases on various species: (i) the introduction of local chicken breeds into cropping systems, (ii) the design of disruptive cattle breeding schemes to meet the challenges of climate change, and (iii) the redesign of the Versailles Saclay experimental unit towards agroecology.