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IntroductionRecent works in economics have attempted to show the influence of information and communication technologies (ICT), which are usually used to store and transfer data, not only on the organisation and performances of firms, but also on their location. Although it is generally accepted that an efficient use of ICT is dependent on the organisation of the firm, the analysis of their spatial impacts has resulted in contradictory conclusions. Some authors support the hypothesis that the diffusion of ICT is likely to modify the geography of the firms' locations by facilitating long-distance communications. Thus, contradictory locational tendencies, expressing different spatial logics, are evidenced (Cornford et al, 2000). On the one hand, by facilitating coordination within and between firms, ICT are thought to provide more independence in location choices. This could give rise to spatial reorganisations of firms, leading to the phenomenon of a spatial decentralisation of activities:``the new telecommunication technologies facilitate the decentralization and relocation of industrial and administrative establishments, especially for those where the rapid acquisition of information and knowledge is not essential'' (Thisse and van Ypersele, 1999, page 24). On the other hand, ICT could reinforce the tendency towards industrial concentration: thanks to the fall in the costs related to geographical distance, firms could decide to set up in highly industrialised areas in order to take advantage of complementarities and externalities (Ellison and Glaeser, 1997). Other authors bring to the fore the view that ICT have no influence by emphasising the irreducible character of local interactions, particularly in the case of activities which mobilise or necessitate complex knowledge combinations (Lung et al, 1997;Storper, 1996).

Les coopératives agricoles françaises sont confrontées depuis plusieurs décennies à un changement radical de leur environnement, des évolutions de la politique agricole commune en passant par la concentration croissante de la grande distribution. Cet article examine leurs évolutions organisationnelles au regard des stratégies qu'elles déploient pour faire face aux contraintes réglementaires et concurrentielles. Les coopératives ont modifié leur organisation en se complexifiant sous forme de groupes d'entreprises ou en diversifiant leurs activités. Au-delà des stratégies de concentration, elles ont développé des stratégies d'intégration verticale, de diversification et d'internationalisation. De nouveaux défis se posent alors aux coopératives agricoles. Si l'essor des coopératives ne peut désormais plus faire abstraction de la prise en compte du consommateur, l'article montre qu'elles doivent concilier les tensions liées à leur insertion sur les marchés et les territoires dans la perspective du maintien du pouvoir de l'adhérent propriétaire, de la gestion de la volatilité des marchés et du développement durable.French agricultural cooperatives have been facing a radical change in their business environment for several decades, ranging from the reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy to the growing concentration of the retail sector. In response, they have turned into complex groups of companies and/or diversified their business activities. Beyond concentration strategies, they have developed strategies for vertical integration, diversification and internationalization. Agricultural cooperatives now have to face new challenges. While agricultural cooperatives can no longer ignore the consumer as they grow, they have to deal with tensions due to their position on the markets and in their regions as they juggle preserving the member-owner's power, market volatility and sustainable development

[fre] La pression concurrentielle des marchés entraîne- t-elle systématiquement une distanciation des relations entre la coopérative et ses adhérents, corrélée à un relâchement de son ancrage territorial ? Au-delà de l'hétérogénéité des coopératives, nous avons choisi d'analyser les changements organisationnels des coopératives à partir de la notion de proximité et à l'aide de critères caractérisant les relations entre ces structures et leurs adhérents. Cette lecture nous permet de montrer trois modèles d'organisation stylisés. Ces derniers sont appréhendés à partir de trois critères qui en spécifient l'originalité : le lien à l'adhérent le partage du risque et la nature de l'ancrage territorial. Contraintes de s'investir fortement dans les procédures de traçabilité et de sécurité alimentaire, les coopératives doivent s'assurer l'implication et la stabilité de leurs adhérents, renouvelant ainsi leurs relations. L'émergence d'un troisième modèle, dit de co- construction des avantages compétitifs, place l'adhérent au cœur de la constitution de savoirs spécifiques. Il traduit une articulation des dimensions géographique et organisée de la proximité qui relève, avec la revalorisation de l'ancrage territorial, d'une solidarité des liens entre la coopérative et ses adhérents. [eng] Models of organisation in agricul tural co-opera tion a need for proximity and territorial solidarity - Does market competition pressure systematically lead, because of a loosening of territorial ties, to a deterioration of the relationship between cooperatives and their members ? Beyond the heterogeneity of co-operatives, we have chosen to analyse the organisational changes in co-operatives, basing ourselves on the notion of proximity and on aspects that characterise the relationship between these organisations and their members. This approach enables us to describe three stylised organisational models. We examine them, basing ourselves on three aspects that make them original: the group's relationship with its members, risk sharing and the nature of the territorial ties. Forced to commit to traceability and food safety requirements, co-operatives must ensure that their membership is stable and fully committed, thus reinforcing their relationship. The emergence of a third so-called model of competitive advantage co-construction, situates the member at the heart of the generation of specific knowledge. It reflects an articulation of geographical and organisational dimensions of proximity that is related to a solidarity between the co-operatives and their members, and to the revalorization of territorial ties.