Organics in 3D: Diversity, dynamics and design of Organic Agriculture

International audienceTogether with its growing recognition, organic agriculture continues to evolve. In this paper, we address this evolution with two paradigms - decomposition and identity –in the perspective of organic development. Our viewpoint combines research in the agronomic and social sciences. The proposed approach is threefold. First, we show that the tension between the diversity and identity of organics is resolved by the adaptation of its frameworks, thus connecting organics framing and farming. Then, we account for the main recent dynamics in the organic sector and translate them into research anddevelopment challenges, while specifying the roles of institutions in such orientations. This is supported by a vision of organic food and farming as a “prototype” for sustainable agricultures, but also questioned by other proposals such as agroecology. Finally, we address three issues related with the development of organics: the opportunities to redesign organic systems instead of favouring steady states; the redefinition of the expected performances for an organic agriculture in keeping with societal expectations, including the provision of public goods; and the balances to maintain within thediversity of organics to scale it up. A challenge is to maintain innovative capacities while preserving organic identity