La difficile « naturalisation » du causse Méjean

Since the early 90’s “contractualisation” is seen as one of the major tools for biodiversity conservation in the Parc national des Cévennes (France). “Contractualisation” is considered to contribute to a better governance of nature. Furthermore, it is supposed to enhance the farmers’ sensitiveness and commitment toward biodiversity management stakes. However, it appears that since the “contractual turn” that occurred 25 years ago within the park, biodiversity didn’t find his way within the hearts and souls of the sheep breeders living in this place. Our explanation for this failure is that, one the one hand, biodiversity remains a technocratic and highly normative way of designing nature elements and natural processes that doesn’t fit in the breeders “lived environment”. On the other hand, we consider this failure as the result of a “contractual turn” that is disconnected with the principle of freedom that is theoretically at the heart of any contractual form. Indeed, in a context where almost a third of the breeder’s incomes come from such contracts, signing these latter is perceived less as a matter of choice than of necessity. The overall result is a low level of appropriation of the (local) stakes regarding nature conservation by the breeders and a co-management of biodiversity that is precarious and still strongly based on conflictual relations