Purpose: Agricultural advisory services are perceived by many actors involved in rural development as a key driver behind innovation processes in agriculture. However, changes in national and global contexts cause dramatic changes in the orientation of advisory services, their organisation and their methods of intervention. This article aims to analyse the major research topics related to agricultural advice. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on an extensive review of literature produced over a ten-year period that is accessible through the CAB, ECONLIT and Web of Science citation indexes. Using keywords related to extension and advisory services, we selected published articles according to the relevance of the results provided in relation to advisory services and the quality of the discussion on past or current controversies. Findings: The results show that the ongoing scientific debates are shaped by the diversity of disciplines, methods, topics and schools of thought. The scientific community largely has focussed on five main themes: (1) the institutional environment of agricultural advisory services; (2) the structures necessary for the operation of an advisory system; (3) the actors providing advisory services and the skills deployed in advisory activities; (4) the approaches, methods, tools and content of advisory activities; and (5) the assessment and impacts of advisory systems. Practical implications: This literature review is useful for researchers and practitioners to better understand research results in the field of advisory services. It paves the way for future research. Originality/Value: Although many articles have been written in recent decades on agricultural advisory services, few studies provide an overview of the contributions of, and debates in, the international scientific community.

Cet article présente le nouveau cadre conceptuel d’évaluation de la durabilité de l’exploitation agricole développé dans la méthode IDEA v4. Il combine une approche évaluative basée sur les objectifs assignés à une agriculture durable et une évaluation des propriétés des systèmes agricoles durables. Il s’ancre dans le champ de la durabilité forte, de la multifonctionnalité et prend en compte les enjeux globaux d’une agriculture durable. Ce cadre conceptuel a permis de construire 53 indicateurs permettant d’analyser la durabilité de l’exploitation agricole selon ces deux approches complémentaires. La première évalue la durabilité en organisant ces 53 indicateurs selon les 3 dimensions normatives du développement durable (agroécologique, socio-territoriale, économique), structurées en 13 composantes ; l’évaluation repose sur un système de notation basé sur 100 unités de durabilité pour chacune des 3 dimensions qui ne se compensent pas entre elles. La seconde évalue la durabilité en organisant les 53 indicateurs selon les 5 propriétés des systèmes agricoles durables (autonomie, robustesse, capacité productive et reproductive de biens et services, ancrage territorial et responsabilité globale) qui sont structurées de manière arborescente en 15 branches ; l’agrégation des indicateurs y suit une démarche qualitative et hiérarchique mobilisant l’outil DEXi. Le potentiel pédagogique du concept de propriétés des systèmes favorise une approche transdisciplinaire de l’exploitation agricole. À la suite de ses trois précédentes versions, IDEA v4 renouvelle son potentiel d’usage pour accompagner la transition agroécologique.

In the Global North, local inter-farm cooperation offers opportunities for farmers to better access and manage equipment, labor and material resources. Yet, its potential to pave the way to organize the local collaborations needed for the agroecological transition remains hidden. This paper, based on the experience of French farm machinery cooperatives (CUMA), shows how local inter-farm cooperation can help make farming systems more agroecological. We conclude by arguing that local inter-farm cooperation warrants more attention, both to help strengthen its development and to expand its potential for contributing to the agroecological transition.