Purpose: Knowledge Sharing (KS) is seen as a promising framework for renewing advisory systems in agriculture, but its practical application remains an important area of research. In particular, it is important to increase the motivation of farmers to participate in decision-making. Game-based support seems to be applicable to a long-term process of KS. Approach: The authors spent one year developing a methodology to help identify a common vision among multiple stakeholders in a PDO area. This area of cheese production (Fourme de Montbrison) faces important difficulties with sustainability issues and a very low degree of farmer participation. The methodology is based on game learning and incorporates three phases and six steps and is centred on two serious games. Findings: Results present an analysis of the farmers’ participation and the common vision for the future that the game-based methodology enabled us to identify. The games facilitated the farmers’ implication in collective decision-making and their continued engagement afterwards. Practical implications: the article discusses the advantages of the game-based methodology, such as involving local knowledge of farmers at all stages and encouraging their long-term engagement in collective decision-making. Theoretical implications: the article complements the existing scientific literature on KS by emphasizing the importance of long-term perspectives in a game-based learning approach. From a socio-constructivist perspective, it also highlights the potential of game-based learning to motivate farmers in collective decision-making. Originality/value: This support methodology could be a source of inspiration for extension actors facing similar development problems and the revitalization of their role as facilitators.

The analysis of the consequences of participatory foresight in agriculture over the long term is little studied in the scientific literature. In particular, it questions how farmers deal with the proposed scenarios afterwards and the modalities of their implementation. This article aims to overcome this by proposing an ex-post analysis of a foresight process with New World Kirkpatrick's Model (NWKM) carried out in mid-2018 in the Fourme de Montbrison cheese Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) area in the Massif Central (France). A set of 24 semi-structured interviews was conducted in spring and summer 2020 with the dairy farmers involved. Moreover, collective organization has been investigated through participatory observation and an analysis of project's progress reports until March 2021. The results show that while the engagement of farmers in the collective dynamic remains, it needs to be continuously rebuilt over time, particularly in order to overcome the effects of social risk-taking and insecurity that farmers must face. In addition, the place of stakeholders needs to be clarified. The article proposes a series of guidelines based on the project's experience and the “Monitor and Adjust” approach of the NWKM. It demonstrates the importance of establishing long-term follow-ups to foresight approaches to encourage farmers into action.

Cet article éclaire comment une représentation sociale spécifique, la représentation socio-professionnelle, permet d’expliquer le choix de la spécialisation d’étudiants dans l’enseignement supérieur, en dépassant la seule prise en compte de critères sociodémographiques. Pour illustrer notre propos, nous avons investigué la problématique du choix de la filière « rurale » dans l’enseignement vétérinaire français qui fait face à une désaffection marquée depuis de nombreuses années. Les résultats dégagés à la suite d’une enquête quantitative (n = 533) croisant plusieurs méthodologies suggèrent que le cursus d’apprentissage et, en particulier, les stages pourraient jouer un rôle important dans le passage d’une représentation sociale à une représentation professionnelle. Ces résultats remettent en cause la simple prise en compte des critères de recrutement des étudiants et mettent en avant l’importance de l’ingénierie pédagogique dans la construction représentationnelle et les choix de la spécialisation.

There is a large body of scientific literature examining mental maps from a variety of disciplinary approaches. In this article we propose a specific method combining geography and social psychology to elicit and analyze socio-spatial representations in mental maps. To illustrate this method, we chose a case study of rural career choices envisioned by veterinary students. We combined textual analysis of student discourses with choremes analysis of both graphical representations and discourse to reveal how students represent socio-spatial aspects of a rural veterinary profession in mental maps. The results show that students’ representations reflect various combinations of spatial organization principles. This method provides a means of better understanding socio-spatial representations.

Tick-borne diseases are a major human and animal health problem for Western countries, particularly in view of climate change. However, farmers’ practices and knowledge of tick management remain poorly addressed. This paper examines this issue through a micro-local case study in a Corsican valley, France. Interviews using several methods were conducted with 17 ruminant or horse farmers. Despite considerable field experience, the farmers exhibit poor spatial and biological knowledge of ticks and related diseases, thus leading to a lack of appropriate management practices. However, the data collected show that these farmers could be an effective sentinel population. More efficient prevention could be developed locally through a hybridization of knowledge among farmers and scientists.