The food we consume covers many kilometres before it arrives at our table. Driven by local initiatives, and in order to ensure "responsible" consumption, new forms of contractualisation have recently grown up, such as the Associations for the Maintenance of Family Farming (Associations pour le Maintien d'une Agriculture

Paysanne, AMAP) which target greater proximity with producers. However, the notion of "food miles" that has appeared in this context raises certain questions. In Montpellier, the INRA Laboratory for Theoretical and Applied Economics (LAMETA) and the Joint Research Unit for Markets, Organisations, Institutions and Actor Strategies (MOISA) have tried to review this concept and clarify the ambiguities regarding its application.

The resistance of dietary proteins to digestion forms the basis for food allergy phenomena. Work by scientists in the INRA Science and Technology of Milk and Eggs Research Unit (STLO) in Rennes has incriminated the effect of excessive thermal treatments for an increase in the resistance to digestion of certain dairy proteins,

caseins, in infants. These findings may explain the upsurge of cases of milk allergy.

Around the Mediterranean rim, and in many other parts of the world, fruit production and quality are strongly dependent on the salt stress tolerance of trees. At a global level, citrus fruit culture is developing in geographical regions where the problems caused by soil salinity are of increasing importance. An understanding of the mechanisms

associated with salt tolerance is the research path chosen by the teams from CIRAD (AGAP: "Breeding of Plants with Vegetative Propagation" team) and INRA (Genetics and Ecophysiology of Citrus Fruit Quality Research Unit, San Guiliano). This work, carried out in the context of a thesis project for the University of Corsica, offers some innovative opportunities to generate new rootstocks of agronomic importance.

In order to increase the use of plant ingredients and thus replace fish meal in aquafeeds, scientists in the Nutrition, Metabolism and Aquaculture Research Unit (UR 1067 NuMéA, previously NuAGe) have studied the energy metabolism of the trout. They were able to show that in vitro, amino acids modified the expression of genes related to

hepatic intermediary metabolism. This study, carried out in the context of the European project AQUAMAX and the ANR Young Researcher project CHAAINS, opens new perspectives for the formulation of trout feeds.

Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) is a highly contagious disease that has already threatened salmon farming in many countries. Researchers in the INRA Molecular Virology and Immunology Unit (VIM) have focused on completing the genome map of the virus causing this disease and then producing diagnostic tools (monoclonal antibodies).

Their work should now make it possible to envisage the development of new vaccine strategies.

The use of green materials in order to reduce dependency on oil is a strategy that has been adopted by the motor industry equipment manufacturer FAURECIA for several years. In the context of the BIOMAT research project, associating the company with INRA and four other partners, a further step has been made towards developing a

composite, plant fibre-based material with properties that are equivalent to those of a conventional plastic. Market applications are anticipated as soon as 2012.

COLLECTO, a software to simulate sunflower oil yields at the scale of a production area

The INRA Joint Technology Unit (UMT) on Sunflower, which associates CETIOM, INRA and INP-ENSAT, has developed Collecto, a software that can simulate the yield and seed oil content of sunflower within the supply area of a cooperative.

Forest edges are key components in rural landscapes. They participate in important ecological processes (structural biodiversity, water retention, nesting, food resources for fauna, etc.) and, as a biological continuum, form part of green infrastructure at the junction of territories. In addition to their importance to the management and

conservation of biodiversity, they also play social, aesthetic and recreational roles. To ensure the preservation and management of forest edges, land managers require tools to identify and map them so that they can be recorded as tangible elements in their development and management plans. Researchers in the “Dynamics and Ecology of Landscapes”, Joint Research Unit (DYNAFOR) in Toulouse are proposing the development of a novel mapping tool, MAPEDGER, which indeed enables the identification and characterisation of forest edge segments.

The mechanical junction of wood materials is performed by various physical processes (junction pieces) or chemical processes (adhesive), the latter being limited by the use of petroleum-derived compounds and/or compounds with a certain toxicity, generating pollution. Moreover, these processes have some limitations, particularly in terms of

waterproofing of the joint obtained. It is therefore important to develop new processes that are easy to implement, low-cost, and environmentally friendly for applications concerning the wood Industry (wood or lignocellulosic materials (chipboard, pressed, laminated, etc.), especially for companies working on the assembling of materials in contact with the outside, water, wet, or solvents.

An emerging strategy of pest control is to use (natural) compounds that elicit plant defenses, rather than to use biocides.

To meet food demands and preserve environmental resources, agriculture needs to increase the quantity and quality of harvests while reducing its ecological footprint. This is the context in which the European, four-year project "PURE" (standing for Pesticide Use Reduction in Europe ) has been launched. This new project*, coordinated by INRA,

involves fourteen European research institutions or universities, two agricultural development organisations, five industrial partners and one project management and consulting company. It will facilitate the adoption of innovative integrated protection solutions.

The FUTUROL PROJECT aims to develop and market an end-to-end process for producing second generation bioethanol. On 11 October 2011, the project forged ahead to a new stage in its development with the commissioning of a first French pilot plant

on the Pomacle-Bazancourt site. This decisive step makes the production of second generation bioethanol a reality and will validate, on a pre-industrial scale, the findings of research conducted since 2008. Over the next three years, the technology choices needed to kick-off industrial production will be confirmed.

Launching “Breedwheat”, a French Stimulus Initiative Project
Developing new wheat varieties for sustainable agriculture

The French Stimulus Initiative project “Breedwheat” was launched in Clermont-Ferrand (France) on September 29th, 2011, in the presence of Laurent Wauquiez, Minister of Higher Education and Research, and Marion Guillou, President of INRA. The project

aims at strengthening the competitiveness of the French breeding sector while addressing the societal demand for sustainability, quality and safety. Bringing together 26 partners from the public and private research and breeding sectors, it has a total budget of €34 million for 9 years.

Office of Industrial Relations (DPE)
The Information Service for companies

For further informations about research results, european programmes and partnership with INRA, please contact Jacques LE ROUZIC :

info-entreprise@inra.fr

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