Wolves were exterminated in France in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Therefore, livestock breeders and herders were unprepared when wolves arrived from Italy in 1993, the year after France committed to the European Union (EU) to protect wolves. Today, ~580 wolves, whose numbers are growing exponentially, are present in over one-third of France. During the last 10 years, livestock deaths from wolves have grown linearly from 3215 in 2009 to 12451 in 2019, despite France implementing extensive damage protection measures since 2004, including reinforced human presence, livestock guard dogs, secured pasture fencing and electrified night pens. The failure to prevent damage is clear. Wolves enter mosaic landscapes where grazing livestock are abundant and easy prey. Wolves are intelligent and opportunistic. As a strictly protected species, it seems they no longer associate livestock with humans and humans with danger. Half of the successful attacks now occur during the day, notwithstanding the presence of dogs and humans. Considering the high costs of unsatisfactory protection, France recently modified its wolf management policy. In addition to non-lethal means of protection, breeders that have suffered several attacks by wolves are now permitted, by derogation to the law, to defensively shoot wolves. Based upon evidence from other countries, we suggest re-establishing a reciprocal relationship with wolves. Breeders and herders should be allowed to shoot wolves to defend their herds against wolf attacks, not after several successful predation events. Defence shooting would also upgrade the efficiency of non-lethal means, as warning signals for wolves to respect. Rather than passive coexistence, we need to embrace a dynamic and ever-evolving process of coadaptation between humans and wolves, relying on the adaptive capacities of both.

Description of the subject. Today, the dairy sector is facing economic, social and environmental challenges. Agroecology seems to be one way of meeting those challenges. However, dairy market demand in terms of volume and supply periods may not be in line with an agroecological transition. Breeders must respond to the production conditions fixed by dairies. Objectives. We analyzed to what extent dairy farming practices are changing in two agropastoral territories after a change in the dairy process or supply period, and whether changes in practices induce a stronger uptake of agroecological practices or, on the contrary, a shift towards more conventional intensification of those practices. We were thus able to see if and how these livestock farming system dynamics contribute to and fashion agroecological transition in dairy production, in response to changes in local contexts. Method. To highlight the evolution of breeders' practices, we interviewed 41 dairy ewe farmers in the South of France and dairy cattle farmers in Western Burkina Faso. We then proposed a normative approach to evaluate to what extent changes in practices corresponded to an agroecological transition. For that purpose, we proposed a grid to analyze local practices in combination with agroecological principles. We evaluated practices before and after changes to the supply period or the dairy market. Results. In each of the territories studied, four trajectories emerged, some of which were part of an agroecological transition. The results showed that the market plays an important role as a driver of transition, in particular in situations of organic production, or limited access to inputs. Other drivers, such as resource management schemes, lead to changes in practices on rangelands towards a reduced use of pastoral resources. Conclusions. In these highly contrasting contexts with different issues, such as food security and land accessibility, farmers bring into play practices according to agroecological principles that appear to respond to the local situation.

L’ambition de l’Atelier de Réflexion Prospective sur l’élevage a été de repenser la place, les rôles de l’élevage et en quoi il doit se transformer pour contribuer pleinement au développement de systèmes agri-alimentaires plus durables ainsi que d’identifier des thématiques de recherches interdisciplinaires permettant d’explorer des fronts de science ou méthodologiques porteurs d’avenir pour lever les verrous de connaissances. La réflexion a été animée par un groupe de 15 chercheurs et en a mobilisé une centaine. À partir d’une analyse du contexte et des drivers d’évolution des systèmes nous proposons un nouveau cadre conceptuel et des voies de progrès pour penser l’élevage de demain. L’élevage doit s’inscrire dans le cadre de systèmes agri-alimentaires circulaires dans lesquels il doit contribuer, au-delà d’une efficience accrue des moyens de production, à la préservation de la qualité des ressources et à la production d’une alimentation à un prix abordable. Il faut repenser les systèmes pour qu’ils soient climato-intelligents et répondent aux enjeux de santé et du bien-être des animaux et des Hommes ; repenser les liens entre élevage, production végétale et territoire pour maximiser les recyclages et repenser les liens entre élevage, transformation et consommation des produits de l’élevage. Les innovations doivent être basées sur les principes de l’agroécologie complétés par ceux de l’économie circulaire et par la mobilisation des leviers des (bio)technologies et de l’innovation organisationnelle. Le texte décrit quatre grandes priorités scientifiques avec leurs enjeux de recherche et produit des recommandations pour un plan d’action.