When social innovation re-orientates technological innovations in agri-food systems: The case of local chains around wheat

In recent years, the technological lock-in of the wheat industry has led to the emergence of alternatives which are now taking on a new dimension with regard to consumer concerns about gluten. Based on a research-intervention in Occitanie and a national survey, this article proposes an interdisciplinary and systemic approach to the development of local wheat chains. It shows how farmers and artisans are carrying out social innovations that reorient technological innovation towards a new agri-food system taking into account new indicators of wealth. While taking part in the work on the scaling up of short food chains, it thus calls to study further the coupling between social innovation and technological innovation in the history and transition of agri-food systems.
JEL Codes: Q13