Agronomic Advisory and Pesticide Reduction: Resources for Facing a New Professional Challenge

Over three years, twenty agricultural research and advisory organizations collaborated in the CasDAR 'Conseillers demain' ('Advisers Tomorrow') project to explore the internal and external resources needed for agronomic advisers to guide a sharp reduction in pesticide use. A dedicated job-group of advisers designed and field-tested a variety of tools, identified the associated competences, and proposed organizational frameworks favorable to adaptive advisory practices. Framed by Y. Clot’s four professional dimensions (personal, impersonal, interpersonal, transpersonal), the project demonstrated how advisers can engage in a process of professional adaptation. The insights can inform local and regional technical teams revising their practices and standards collectively and individually.