L’économie de la qualité, en ses secteurs, ses territoires et ses mythes

This text proposes a “régulationniste” framework to analyze the emergence of an “economy of quality” in the agrofood system, that is of a new productive model centered on the differentiation of the qualities. Methodological and analytical propositions of more general reach are confronted with the stylized facts which one can establish in this domain. The notion of productive model allows a joint analysis of the dynamics of the productive systems and of the institutional arrangements. The notion of “space of regulation” refers to the analysis of the “sector-based” and “territorial” dimensions of the mode of regulation. Sectors (agrofood chains considered both as productive and governance structures) and territories (considered in the same dimensions) are co-constructed. Transformation of the regime of accumulation integrating immaterial values modifies both nature and boundaries of sectors and territories. Two main lines of innovation appear, the one aiming at specifying always more in depth the functional characteristics of the food services by exploiting the scientific and technological developments, the other integrating identity attributes. Crisis of particular nature characterize this evolution.