1. Organic farming: multiple conceptions

The agricultural context of our research is that of organic agriculture (OA). We'll use the full expression "organic farming" to refer to the concept in all its forms. More often, however, we'll refer to a simplified designation, "la bio", which is widely used by those who practice and consume it, and refers to its early, peasant form. Referring to its history is important for understanding its foundations, its various definitions and its positioning in relation to conventional agriculture, which dominates our European agricultural landscapes, and to agroecology, a new concept much used in today's scientific and political context.