Agricultural innovation and development options, offered at Montpellier SupAgro (France)
The ACT specialization “Agricultural innovation and development options” focuses at training graduates able to grasp agricultural dynamics and the diversity of rural development issues in a context of climate change, and formulate practical solutions to these issues, particularly in the complex and changing context of developing country agricultural systems. The general aim is to prepare students to develop and implement technical innovations to increase resilience and to reduce GHG emissions on farms. But change in agriculture is not only a technical issue but also an ecological and a socio-economical issue. Then students must be able to identify the diversity of farming systems, to work at different scales (plot, farm, region) and to take the national and international environment into account.
The course provides the knowledge, methods and tools needed to analyse and assess agriculture on the regional scale, and identify and lead interventions that support or guide agriculture towards economic, ecologic and socially sustainable development.
Being professionally oriented the course alternates theory and practice: a series of courses in alternation with hands-on professional practice, in particular through (collective and small group) internships that place students into direct contact with the scientific and practical issues of agricultural change and climate smart innovations.
Beware: the course is given in French, while the presentations by the students, the participation in the groupworks and the exams can be done in English. The B2 level in French is hence required for entering the specialisation. Candidates who do not reach this level during the M1 will be asked to follow the whole summer campus Agri-culture organised at Montpellier in July and August in between the M1 and the M2.