PhD Defence

Michele Schiavo will defend his PhD in front of the following jury:

• Franziska Appel (IAMO), referee
• Valentin Bellassen (INRAE), referee
• Dimitris Kremmydas (Agricultural University of Athens), examinator
• Eline Röös (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), examinator
• Catherine Laroche-Dupraz (Institut Agro Rennes-Angers), examinator
• Chantal Le Mouël (INRAE), supervisor
• Pierre-Marie Aubert (IDDRI), co-supervisor

Abstract

Agroecology is an approach to agriculture that seeks to optimize interactions between plants, animals, humans, and the environment. It promotes practices that enhance ecosystem services and leverage them to improve soil and environmental health, reduce reliance on synthetic inputs, preserve biodiversity, and optimize nutrient cycles. While the biophysical implications of agroecology are well documented, its economic impacts remain underdeveloped. This thesis tackles three blind spots in the literature on the economic impacts of the agroecological transition in European agriculture, with particular emphasis on France, the focus of two of the three chapters. The first chapter evaluates implications for land use, caloric trade balances, and food security within the EU and globally. The second chapter assesses the consequences of livestock reduction and relocation on the French meat industry. The third chapter investigates how various policies in favour of agroecology influence the structural evolution of both conventional and organic farms, as well as the expansion of organic farmland in three French dairy regions. This thesis employs a quantitative approach using the biomass balance model GlobAgri, along with two agent-based models developed specifically for this thesis. The results show that agroecology, when combined with a shift toward more plant-based diets, would not compromise the EU’s trade position or global food security. However, higher transport costs could significantly affect major meat processors in the most livestock-dense regions and reduce employment in the sector. Finally, the results indicate that policy instruments supporting agroecology have uneven effects across farm types, with different groups more adversely affected depending on the specific policy. Based on its findings, this thesis provides guidance for public policy to support agroecology and highlights directions for further research in this area.