Territorial determinants of the “spatial anchorage” of a soybean industry in Hauts-de-France region, France: the role of collective dynamics and proximity

Our work proposes to highlight the role of territorial determinants and more particularly those of socio-economic nature in the development of a territorial soy industry in the Hauts-de-France region, France. The approach consists of highlighting how and what are the conditions and the forms of the determinants of social capital to anchor a sustainable local soy industry. Thus, in our paper, these socio-economic determinants take the form of the collective dynamics of farmers which constitute a major factor in the establishment of soy culture in different territories of Hauts-de-France region. In this paper we have chosen a qualitative approach using a grid of semi-directive interviews with agricultural stakeholders, as part of the DOP Picardie project . The various players involved in the soya commodity chain were interviewed, with a comparative analysis of two study areas, Bourgogne Franche Comté and Marne. Our surveys and their interpretations yielded numerous results in the form of motivations, constraints, and recommendations for the sustainable establishment of soya sector in Hauts-de-France, as well as the identifying the socio-economic, agronomic, and regulatory factors that come together as collective actions to promote this sector.