Revisiting the filière concept: Evaluating its role in contemporary agri-food transitions

Conntext, research problem, practical and theoretical background: The aim of this paper is to question the analytical and operational relevance of the concept of « filière » and to explore the conditions for its renewal in the face of the challenges posed by the transition of agri-food systems. The « filière » approach considers a variety of interdependent actors and activities that contribute directly or indirectly to the production of a product and its distribution to end users, interacting with the wider agricultural and food system in which this filière is embedded (Fabre et al., 1997; Raikes et al., 2000; Temple et al., 2001). This concept was widely used in France in the post-war decades, but was then abandoned in favour of approaches focusing on firms and their interactions, with the aim of improving competition between firms and economic efficiency, or approaches focusing on the globalisation of the agrifood sector and its consequences in power asymmetries on markets, and therefore on added value sharing between economic operators and between countries (e.g. global value/commodity chain). More recently, research has emerged around the concepts of quality and territory, especially research on alternative models, favouring more systemic approaches through food systems (e.g. "localized agri-food systems", alternative food systems", "local food systems"). Purposes and questions : However, the current challenges we face, such as climate change, changing diets and consumption patterns, reducing synthetic inputs, digital development, renewal of agricultural workers or imbalances of power within agri-food systems, are leading us to simultaneously rethink the different stages and dimensions of filière. Given the few works attempting to develop filiere approach for understanding the capacity of actors to adapt together production, processing and retailing (e.g. (Cholez et al., 2023), we aim at revisiting this complex concept. Design, methodology, approach: Combining a historical approach to the filière concept with work on agri-food systems transition and empirical observations, this paper aims to demonstrate the value of re-mobilising this concept, from academic and practical perspectives. Findings, Practical implications and theoretical implications: While the concept of filière appears useful for mobilising socio-economic actors or guiding public action, the authors demonstrate that it can also be useful to analyse and support agri-food transition strategies by facilitating the integration of cultural and material dimensions, technical and socio-economic coordination issues, relationship between actors, knowledge construction, power relations and governance, value creation/sharing/expansion, territorial anchoring and production relocation, as well as environmental impact and resource management. Nevertheless, to renew the uses of the concept of filière to analyse and facilitate transition, it is necessary to consider its interactions with the systems in which it operates more carefully (environment, territory, sector, other filières, institutional framework, etc.).