A methodology to go from stakeholder’s expectations to research questions: implementation on organic food processing

Summary

To develop research projects on organic food processing, the French Research Institute of Organic Farming and the French National Institute for Agricultural Research co-organised a participatory meeting to define shared research questions and involve stakeholders (researchers, private companies, representatives of funding agencies and consumers). Based on the Town Hall Meeting method, it enabled attendees to express and discuss their points of view on proposals they made together. This led to twenty-two research questions about bio-compatibility, conservation, sustainability, adaptation to the food system and flexibility, socio-economic or health. It also led to mid-term strategic agenda. Some of these questions are currently used to build multidisciplinary projects in the framework of a French organic processing network.