Projet SOCLE

The project in a nutshell

The SOCLE project aims to improve knowledge of the biophysical structure of agricultural product flow networks in France and abroad, as well as of their environmental impacts and their effects on employment. It follows on from the Référentiel Flux project carried out in 2022-2023.

Context and challenges

The development of the bioeconomy raises questions about competition for the use of agricultural resources, which must meet food needs (human and animal), energy needs and the supply of materials.

Moreover, the observation that planetary boundaries are being exceeded makes it urgent to identify precisely the causes of environmental impacts — causes that can be difficult to untangle because of globalised production-distribution networks.

Beyond these environmental questions, French agriculture must today face economic and social challenges in order to renew itself and meet consumer demands.

At the intersection of all these challenges, the SOCLE project proposes to improve knowledge of the biophysical structure of agricultural product flow networks in France and abroad, as well as of their environmental and employment impacts. To this end, it brings together research partners, supply chain stakeholders and two consulting firms.

Objectives

The main scientific objective of the project is to have, for a recent year, a database describing:

• National and international flows of agricultural products, building on the very detailed knowledge of a Référentiel Flux updated and deepened to describe French supply chains
• The environmental pressures exerted by French supply chains in terms of energy, nitrogen, land use and blue (irrigation) water, with a "footprint" perspective
• Direct and indirect employment linked to French supply chains

At the operational level, SOCLE aims to enrich discussions on supply chain strategies, considering simultaneously planetary boundaries, international dependencies, and social and economic realities.

Summary of results

SOCLE has a dual ambition, scientific and operational, which requires examining how stakeholders take up the analytical knowledge produced, and which blind spots may not have been addressed in the analyses.

On the environmental side, the SOCLE project will have indirect impacts through improved knowledge of the agri-food system and its footprints.

Project partners

The project relies on: - STEEP team, Inria / LJK Grenoble, project coordination

• 7 technical institutes or interbranch organisations, members of FILARMONI:
  INTERCÉRÉALES – cereals
  IDELE – beef and dairy
  IFCE – horse meat
  CTIFL – fruit and vegetables
  Terres Univia – oilseeds and protein crops

• BASIC: a consulting firm specialised in the collection and analysis of public data

• TerriFlux: expertise in flow modelling and visualisation through Sankey diagrams

• UMR SMART, INRAE Rennes

• Financial support from ADEME (the French Agency for Ecological Transition)

🔗 Related resources

• Material flow model – SOCLE project (ADEME)
  Project presentation page on the ADEME website.

• Material flow reference framework (RefFlux) – RMT Filarmoni
  Results of the flow mapping work carried out within the RMT Filarmoni.

• Référentiel Coefficients Unit flow diagrams of national agricultural supply chains derived from the RefFlux mapping

• Article on RefFlux Working paper: Flow diagrams of French agricultural supply chains from field to plate — towards the production of a common reference framework

• Presentation of the article
  Presentation of the article at the 2024 Social Science Research Days (JRSS)