ABSTRACT

This chapter aims to characterize the diversity of grassroots initiatives observed in the metropolitan areas of Montpellier and Toulouse, to identify the components of the food system they activate, and to highlight their organizational links with local policy makers. It describes the agriculture of the metropolitan areas of Montpellier and Toulouse, and its new links with cities in a context of institutional changes. The scientific literature on urban food planning highlights the role that micro-initiatives play in the activation of urban food systems. The aim is to describe the process of emergence of a territorial governance based on multiple and intersected pathways between a multitude of initiatives. The discrepancy in the number of grassroots initiatives identified in each case study could be attributed to the different methodologies. The largest number of initiatives was related to food supply via the direct connection between producers and consumers.