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Agriculture, Environment, and Biodiversity (AEB) Division

Established in December 2017 within the MUSE Foundation, it was designated as an intermediary body of the University of Montpellier when the university was created as an experimental public institution in 2022.
It serves as a hub for fostering synergy among research organizations and scientific collaboration to develop joint initiatives among I-Site members.
This cluster brings together more than 3,000 permanent staff members from various research organizations—such as BRGM, CIRAD, CNRS, IFREMER, INRAE, and IRD—as well as higher education institutions such as the University of Montpellier, Institut Agro / Montpellier SupAgro, and CIHEAM-IAMM. Each year, approximately 600 doctoral dissertations are in progress.

Governance of the Division

Director of the Agriculture, Environment, and Biodiversity Division: Daniel Barthélémy

Deputy Director of the Agriculture, Environment, and Biodiversity Division: Rutger de Wit

Administrative and Management Support Officer: Yasmine Lecuyer

Administrative Officer and Manager of Long-Term Thematic Projects: Aude Montout

Head of the Human Resources Committee (CRH) for Biology and Agrosciences: Pierre Czernic
Administrator of the Human Resources Committee (CRH) for Biology and Agrosciences: Sabrina Lecourt

Head of the Human Resources Committee ( CRH ) for Biology , Ecology, Evolution, Environment, Earth and Water Sciences : Mathilde Dufaÿ
Administrator of the Human Resources Committee (CRH) forBiology, Ecology, Evolution, Environment, Earth and Water Sciences: Yasmine Lecuyer

Division Office

The AEB division has an office consisting of the director, the deputy director, and the managers of Long-Term Thematic Projects.

Strategic Steering Committee (COS)

The Strategic Steering Committee serves as a link between the Research Cluster Research its institutional partners. It helps define the Research Cluster’s broad strategic scientific directions Research provides input on the action plan proposed by the Director of the Research Cluster.

Division Council

The Cluster Council issues advisory opinions on the direction and implementation of the Cluster’s initiatives and strategy.

Human Resources Committee (HRC)

The “Human Resources” Committee addresses issues specific to the staff of the University of Montpellier. Each “Human Resources” Committee issues an advisory opinion in accordance with the statutory provisions specific to the Professors researchers.

Key Figures

37 Laboratories in Agriculture, Environment, and Biodiversity
9 Service, research support, experimental, or scientific platform units
9 Partner Institutions
1 Main Doctoral School (GAIA: Biodiversity, Agriculture, Food, Environment, Earth, Water)
19 ongoing ERC (European Research Council) projects in 2024
1,800 Professors researchers
175 dissertations defended each year
38 CIFRE contracts
1 UNESCO Water Center ICIREWARD
1 UNESCO Chair on World Food Systems

Missions

Facilitate, Communicate, and Highlight Scientific Strategy and Future Outlook
Uniting and Promoting Partnerships
To increase visibility and contribute to the Region’s excellence in agronomy, the environment, ecology, and biodiversity at the national and international levels
Strengthening the Link Between Education and Research
Facilitate a collective discussion on platforms and infrastructure in collaboration with institutions and organizations
Facilitate a collective discussion on coordinated planning for jobs, skills, and human resources in collaboration with institutions and organizations

Scientific Scope

The Cluster comprises 46 research, experimental, or service units with primary affiliation and 10 other laboratories with secondary affiliation. It encompasses agricultural, environmental, and water sciences, as well as ecology and evolution. Within these disciplines, it carries out four long-term thematic projects:

Plant Adaptation to Global Changes
Agroecology and Food Systems
Biodiversity, Ecology, Evolution
Georesources, Risks, and Societies (presentation document)

Structured around these four interrelated thematic areas, the AEB cluster is a highly multidisciplinary group that addresses a wide range of issues and questions related to the promotion of sustainable and ecologically innovative agriculture, food safety and security, the characterization, documentation, management, and conservation of biodiversity, the structure and functioning of ecosystems, and environmental health and quality—while explicitly taking into account the impact of environmental and global changes, particularly climate change, on all of these topics.

Institutional Partners

The AEB Cluster brings together staff from several research organizations:

BRGM (French Bureau of Geological and Mining Research)
CIRAD (Center for International Cooperation in Research for Development)
CNRS (National Center for Research )
IFREMER (French Research Institute Research Exploitation of the Sea)
INRAE (National Institute for Research Agriculture, Food, and the Environment)
IRD ( Research Institute Research Development)

or higher education:

University of Montpellier
Institut Agro (National Institute of Higher Education for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment) / Montpellier SupAgro
CIHEAM-IAMM (International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies—Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Montpellier)

It also maintains close ties (and even hosts researchers in its laboratories) with other research organizations such as INRAP (National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research) and INRIA (National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology), as well as higher education institutions: AgroParisTech (Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences and Industries), ENSCM (Montpellier National School of Chemistry), ARMINES ParisTech (IMT Mines Alès), EPHE (École Pratique des Hautes Études), UPVM (Paul Valéry University of Montpellier), UPVD (Perpignan Via Domitia University), University of Avignon, University of the Antilles, University of Réunion, Mayotte University Center.

Research Organizations

Partnership-based research organizations:

key bodies and programs

Locally:

Four long-term thematic projects:
- Plant Adaptation to Global Changes
- Agroecology and Food Systems
- Biodiversity, Ecology, Evolution
- Georesources, Risks, and Societies
A UNESCO International Water Center (ICIREWARD)
A Foundation for Scientific Cooperation: One Science Montpellier
The Research Environmental Research Observatory (OSU OREME), which is part of the Observatories of the Sciences of the Universe at the National Institute of Sciences of the Universe of the CNRS.
A Convergences Institute for Digital Agriculture #DigitAg
A “Territoires d’Innovation” Fablab (Occitanum)
A UNESCO Chair in “ World Food Systems”
Two Regional Challenges in Occitanie: Biodivoc and Rivoc