Agricultural systems and the innovation process

Abstract

Why dedicate today such a symposium on animal production to innovation and the evolution of this notion in the Mediterranean area? Because innovation has become crucial in an uncertain world: innovation to anticipate, to adapt, to remain competitive or even to survive. In the near future, what would be the keys of the evolution of livestock systems? How to support the innovation process, how to guide it, how to articulate innovation with research and extension? We have shown that, in the present context of increasing globalization, the innovation process is core to multiple tensions that the actors of innovation cannot ignore. Facing such tensions, we suggest to take into account the need to prepare a range of solutions; but also to anticipate the economical, social and environmental effects of innovations; and more broadly, looking forward to the consequences of their emergence and dissemination on the development of agriculture and territories. Then, we have elaborated some proposals to stimulate capabilities of the livestock sector to innovate : how to create new ways of producing? If a model-based design is adapted for exploring breaking systems, a step-by-step design gives more room for learning process and reducing risk. So, it is suitable for a progressive involvement of breeders. However, methods for rule-based innovation (whose aims are fixed) are no more usable when aims are questioned (for instance by dramatically new environmental or social stakes). New competences are then required and new validation criteria should be invented. Such a process of exploration should be called ‘innovative design’ whose sources are themselves diversifying.