The aim of the ‘Torsades’ project was to identify the methods, impacts, constraints and levers for reconnecting sustainable agricultural production and food consumption. A method for analysing territorial food systems was developed to take account of the flows of materials exchanged, the diversity and spatial organisation of farms, as well as their marketing channels and the relationships between players at local level. The project was based on 3 contrasting situations in north-eastern France: the peri-urban areas of western Paris, the ‘dairy’ Brie region and the western Vosges. The work involved discussing the analysis of the current situation and alternative ways of reconnecting agriculture and food with a wide range of stakeholders in the 3 areas.