Innovation et industrie agro-alimentaire

The food industry is, for a large number of national economists and politicians, a major point of policy that the French nation must endeavour to promote in future years. It is consequently extremely important to examine the conditions of the development of the food industry, particularly if we accept the basic assumption of this article. The alimentary customs of developed countries are on the eve of a complete change. A general view of converging tendancies (greater risks of famine in the under industrially developed countries, the discovery of new supplies of alimentary provisionment, the emergence of « collective restauration », development of the consumer's defence associations and in a more general field, the ecological element, etc.) make this upheaval foreseeable. In a domain in complete evolution, innovation for industry becomes a peremptory measure of survival. Although this innovation seems to be a keystone in the development of food industry to-day, it is still necessary to understand its nature and orientation. A swift retrospective analysis allows us to suppose that innovation within this sector, has progressed on the same lines as the development of industrial societies. More or less « pushed » by technological progress during the first decades of industrial Revolution, innovation has become rather « pulled » by consumer needs, with rising purchasing power, urbanization growing practice of « journée continue ». With the slowing-up of growth we may think that innovation will know new orientations. These new commercial opportunities are already identifiable. — On the product level : the dietetical and « collective restauration » markets will likely appear as a privileged field for innovation. As for the traditional food market, it could be characterized by the growing supply of services incorporated to the product. — On the processing level : the present accusation against a certain number of manufacturing procedures and the difficulties made apparent by the economical crisis, might be translated by the appearance of new activities such as the production of biosynthetic additifs or more generally the valorisation of by-products. If we admit preponderant role of innovation in the development of the sector, nevertheless there is room for uneasiness et capacities of the French food industry to meet one's new liabilities. Indeed, this one has an important retardation in comparison with its foreign rivals. The number of barriers to innovation that we have found there, is on the other hand, very disquieting. But above all, the weakness of innovation results from lack of will to innovate. So, the innovation process is proving to be improductive, not only because of many barriers which restrain its development, but principally, because of a certain suspicion, even irritation towards innovation strategies, that threatens its very existence. A development policy in this field should not then limit itself to half-baked measures. A genuine policy of organization must be built up, tending to substitute a spontaneous innovation process whose productivity is insufficient for an organized innovation process. A success in this field, however, would not do without any risks...