What is Agroecological Transition of TERritorial for ATTER?

In Agroecological Transition of TERritorial food systems (ATTER) all terms are important and linked. We use agroecology as a promising framework to engage necessary transitions for food systems. For us these rather refer to an open ended process than to a fully predefined target to reach or a model to apply according to a strict definition of what agroecological practices have to be.

Morevover, food system changes should not be restricted to one end of the agrifood chain: on the contrary, agroecological transitions imply a reconnection of agriculture, food, environment, and health.  This is why the territorial level, because it is the scale of diverse processes of interaction between these fields and issues, is the appropriate level to (re)create or reinforce this reconnection and design transition pathways.

ATTER's spirit and key principles

As we consider agroecological transition of food systems could take different pathways, we will build knowledge and tools based on a diversity of case studies where transition is experienced in different national and territorial contexts. To take full advantage of this diversity, we organise ATTER around cross-case studies work between researchers and practitioners. The process we want to promote does not only aim at gaining a better knowledge of what is happening elsewhere but also at producing collectively generic knowledge and context-sensitive methods and tools based on knowledge, skills and visions exchanges. These exchanges will be generated through mobility and diverse activities such as joint field work on case studies, cross-fertilisation workshops, trainings etc. It is a strong challenge and the reason why we describe ATTER as an action-research eco-system aimed at boosting the emergence and dissemination of knowledge and innovations for the agrifood systems transitions

• WORKING AT TERRITORIAL SCALE to allow direct interactions between ecological and social processes, that support the reconnection of agriculture, food, environment, and health.
• BUILDING ON THE DIVERSITY OF CASE STUDIES AND CONTEXTS to set up a shared OBSERVATORY and identify a typology of transition pathways
• PRODUCING GENERIC PRINCIPLES AND INNOVATIVE METHODS AND TOOLS aimed at facilitating transitions in other contexts, in link with practitioners and policy makers.
• WORKING in close interaction with a SECOND CIRCLE

ATTER's organization

ATTER is organized in 5 scientific workpackages