In partnership with AgroParisTech and the French Polynesia Department of Agriculture, Iram is publishing a book with Karthala Editions about the agroecological transition and food systems in Polynesia. This work is the outcome of a research program based on the "agrarian diagnosis" approach, designed in close coordination with the process of developing an Agricultural Master Plan (2021–2030) led by the Polynesian authorities.
The territory of French Polynesia—in all its diversity, and particularly its constituent agricultural and food systems—has undergone significant transformations. Some date back to the colonial era, while others are more recent, such as those resulting from the establishment of the Pacific Experimentation Centre and the subsequent cessation of nuclear testing in the late 1990s. Added to these are the impacts of climate change and the reorganization of international trade following the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the emerging new international order.
In this context, considering agricultural and food sovereignty for small island economies means situating agricultural prospects within the diversity of the territory’s islands and archipelagos, understanding the divergent trajectories of agricultural production systems, and grasping the flows within food systems across a territory larger than Europe.
As the authorities began the process of drafting an Agricultural Master Plan (2021–2030) in 2018, a research program focused on agrarian diagnoses was launched to update knowledge regarding the state of the agricultural sector. Driven by a structured partnership between the Department of Agriculture, Iram, and the Comparative Agriculture Department at AgroParisTech, six agrarian diagnoses were conducted between 2019 and 2023 across the Territory's various archipelagos. This book aims to present the key findings of research that supported the development of a typology of agricultural production systems and to discuss the associated development implications—specifically regarding the relocalization of food systems, the agroecological transition, and the creation of diverse jobs and economic activities within the Polynesian territory.
The book, published by Karthala, is based on analyses of agrarian systems. Its production was coordinated by Philippe Couraud, François Doligez, and Samir El Ouaamari. The authors of the analyses are: Loïck Bullier and Agathe Paul (South Tahiti), Mickaël Lardenois (Raiatea), Geoffroy Oudoire and Oscar Godin (Rurutu & Rimatara), Elie Boillot and Philippine Dupé (Nuku Hiva), and Maé Podechard (Mehetia, Reao & Puka Puka). The studies were conducted with the support of the Directorate of Agriculture (DAG), as part of a partnership established with the Institute for Research and Applications of Development Methods (Iram) and the Comparative Agriculture Department at AgroParisTech. The preface was written by Marc Dufumier.
Click here to order the book (in French).