Highlights from the 2nd Carbon Economics Day (JEC#2)

This event, organised on the initiative of Research Axis 4 of the FairCarboN programme — “Economic and Social Questions: Drivers and Impacts of Change” — by Cathie Laroche Dupraz, Hervé Guyomard and Stéphane De Cara, highlighted the need to better connect research, training and action in order to build strategies that are both effective and sustainable.

Key takeaways from the day:

1️ — The challenges are significant, and the time available to act is limited.

2️ — While food and distribution play a central role, most emissions occur upstream, at the production stage. It remains essential to act simultaneously on supply, demand, and the sharing of costs along the value chain.

3️ — The low‑carbon transition requires a coherent mobilisation of all actors — producers, processors, distributors, consumers and citizens — supported by regulation and public action.

Many thanks to all speakers and participants for the richness of the discussions and their contribution to this collective reflection. Special thanks to the students and alumni of the Agroeconomics and Public Policy specialisation at Institut Agro Rennes‑Angers.

Day program:

Introduction, institutional speech : 

Monsieur Olivier DEHAESE, Vice-Président de Rennes Métropole en charge du Climat et de l’Energie, Romain Jeantet, Directeur de l’Institut Agro Rennes-Angers, Pierre Barré,(CNRS) Directeur PEPR FairCarboN.

Morning session : What levers can support a low‑carbon food system? Demand‑side levers

The morning session was devoted to analysing food‑consumption behaviours and the tools that can support the transition:

Afternoon session – Differentiation and valorisation of low‑carbon food consumption: experimentation and perspectives from major retail actors

The discussions focused on the role of major retailers: are they allies or obstacles in the food‑system transition? Following a presentation of the Climate Action Network’s report on this topic, a roundtable — prepared and moderated by a student from Institut Agro Rennes‑Angers — brought together several representatives and stakeholders working with the retail sector.

Roundtable: Changing consumer behaviours to reduce greenhouse‑gas (GHG) emissions from the food system