Arnaud Cosson, Sociologist at INRAE and member of the Conseil d’orientation, recherche et prospective (CORP) of the Fédération des parcs naturels régionaux (testimonial from the dossier “Regional nature parks and INRAE, a partnership for regional transition” – 2024)
“I’ve been working on natural areas since 2008: national and regional parks and nature reserves. These public policies look at the territory from a variety of angles: heritage, social, economic and environmental. They are genuine forums for territorial dialogue, acting on the basis of their charters. As deputy director of the Cévennes National Park between 2000 and 2007, I went on to write a sociology thesis on the 2006 reform of national parks. This reform established the national park charters and network. I also took an interest in the interface between research and public action, and in particular in protected areas’ scientific councils. As part of my role as a researcher, I work with natural areas and the French Office for Biodiversity to analyse and reflect on their practices. I conduct surveys, then lead collective intelligence sessions based on my observations. That’s all the added value that’s expected: asking the right questions and enabling learning based on the analysis of action ‘in the making’.”
Testimonial from our thematic dossier
Thematic dossier
Regional nature parks and INRAE, a partnership for regional transition
The regional nature parks (PNR), set up in 1967 and now numbering 58, are important partners for INRAE. This partnership has been strengthened since the signing of a framework agreement with the Fédération des PNR in 2021. INRAE’s scientists, who are committed to the issues of sustainable development of territories and transitions, are involved in a variety of ways, ranging from research collaboration to expertise on scientific councils. This dossier illustrates the rich and diverse partnership between the two partners, which makes the NRPs innovative laboratories for change and research areas for public policy support.
