Localized development of organic farming to protect water quality: a new challenge

This article examines the territorially targeted development of organic farming as a strategy to safeguard water quality in France. Drawing on 42 semi-structured interviews with institutional actors (state services, local authorities, water agencies), elected officials, agricultural advisors, supply chain stakeholders, and farmers across four projects, the study identifies two main public action logics. The first concentrates agri-environmental measures supporting organic conversion in water-sensitive catchment areas, while the second focuses on broader development of organic farming through stakeholder coordination, awareness-raising, and supply chain structuring. The findings highlight the complexity and evolution of actor networks over time and suggest enriching organic farming development models with a territorial dimension.