Fostering shared values in a deliberation between farmers and consumers to promote agroecological transition

Agroecological transition requires profound changes in practices and calls for new modes of coordination among the actors involved. Many authors emphasise that this transformation of practices relies on collective learning between actors, which implies the development of innovative approaches. We are interested in the properties of deliberation that foster such learning. More precisely, we focus on its potential to generate shared values that lead actors to reconsider their practices. The originality of this study lies in the use of a mediation tool or 'artefact' during deliberation. We applied this method to a case study on a region where public policies promote agroecological practices. Using the concept of 'quality' as a mediating artefact, we organised deliberations between farmers and consumers. Our results reveal this method to favour the reflexivity of the participants, elicit values, and induce a social learning, making their practices evolve towards agroecology.