Living with: a utopia for the health management of animals and plants in agriculture?

In agriculture, the management of animal and plant diseases, as well as invasive species, has historically been based on eradication strategies. These strategies are now increasingly being questioned by some members of the public and stakeholders in the agricultural sector, particularly because of the harshness of the methods used to manage regulated pests—slaughtering livestock, uprooting crops—but also in light of the recurrence of health crises in agriculture, often perceived as a product of modern agricultural practices.

In response to these findings, numerous initiatives have emerged, based on solutions that work with nature rather than against it, on animal and plant health management based on an alliance with living organisms, and on production systems that are sometimes less efficient in the short term but also less vulnerable. This symposium therefore offers a collective reflection on research and field experiences that enable us to think about health in agriculture from the perspective of caring for living beings.

The program will be structured around three thematic sessions and a round table discussion devoted to new health management practices in agriculture, both at the local level and in production systems, as well as the development of collective action tools to support the greening of health in agriculture and livestock farming. The day will conclude with a public lecture by Mr. Jacques Tassin (CIRAD), entitled "Invasive plants: a perpetual adjustment to our world."

This event, part of the CLAPAS key initiative, is fully in line with the major challenges addressed by the I-SITE Program of Excellence (PEI), consistent with its overall scientific vision around the themes of "Feeding – Caring – Protecting." We chose to hold it atthe Charles Flahault Amphitheater at the Institute of Botany in order to showcase the University of Montpellier and its proximity to the city center, thereby encouraging the general public to attend the event.