What was the challenge/problem addressed?

The problem stems from the isolation of farmers and the asymmetry of power between the players in the dairy supply chain. The objective is to create interactions between farmers to create group of farmers, firstly, and create intercation with the economic biotope to innovate and share new sources of value. Farmers develop their entrepreneurial skills and become partners capable of innovating and to participate in the creation of an innovation process allowing access to projects and finally to a virtuous circle of innovation.

How did you solve the problem?

It is an endless problem whose objective is to include farmers in a dynamic of creating new projects with a growing business ecosystem. From a small number of local actors, it is a question of moving on to many diverse actors: research, politics, advisors, funders, dairy and trade unions. Then, once the first project was completed, the regularities of the process were discussed to duplicate them on other projects with an ever-expanding group of actors. Finally, these achievements have been made possible thanks to the ability of farmers to rise to the rank of partners. The acquisition of new skills was an important lever to establish the reliability of the farmers.

 

What is innovative in your practical case?

The creation of new forms of interaction between players in the same sector to build a common process of innovation is innovative. No longer thinking of farmers as naturally “partners” but as capable of creating a common culture of partnership thanks to the construction of new skills is also innovative. This work led to the export of new products, change of production period to reach new areas of the world (USA, China, Arab countries…)

What are the success factors in solving the problem?

The rise in skills of farmers, the establishment of growing partnerships, the routinization of a recognized innovation process are key factors of success.

Lessons learned

skills come from new projects, by assembling new skills, thanks to new intercations and new partnerships, the questions no longer arise in the same way, the problems themselves change form.

 

What role does the advisor or advisory service play with the practical case?

The role of facilitator, of translator of theoretical and modeled elements, therefore between research and the other partners to move constantly from the abstract to the concrete and from the facts to the taking of height was very important.

 

Can your approach be transferred and/or adapted for other innovation challenges and regions?

Yes

Estimated transferability on a scale from 1 to 5

(where 1 is easy and 5 very difficult)

2

 

For sharing the experience on the good practice, please contact

Ugo DENIS

ugo.denis@normandie.chambagri.fr 0033 6 72 44 66 28

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