Guide: Nurturing Third Places

 Nurturing Third Places are committed to the agroecological and food transition. 

This guide is the result of a collaborative effort between:

• FAB'LIM: The Laboratory for Mediterranean Food Regions 
• INRAE UMR Innovation
• AgroSYS Chair at the Institut Agro de Montpellier
• InCitu: an association supporting cooperation and action in local communities for the democratic co-creation of solutions to ecological and societal challenges
• DRAAF Occitanie: Regional Directorate for Food, Agriculture, and Forestry

  This brochure, intended for project leaders of food-focused third places, is based on the results of:

• a (non-exhaustive) survey of 125 third places related to agroecology and food in France,  initially termed “agroecological and food third places” and later “nourishing third places” to align with the terminology used by the Coopérative des Tiers-Lieux, adopted by France Tiers-lieux;
• in-depth interviews with managers and users of 15 of these spaces, selected because they were representative of the sample’s diversity and could be described as “mature,”  that is, with at least two years of fiscal activity. These interviews were conducted between 2019 and 2020.

This work allowed us to identify the characteristics or approaches through which food-focused third places stand out and prove relevant to the food and agroecological challenges of their region.  It also offers a deeper understanding of the trajectories of these places and the questions they raise, thereby providing guidance and avenues for action to other project leaders.

The guide begins by situating food-focused third places within the broader landscape of third places.  You will then find a positioning tool for project leaders, based on a typology of different spaces, detailing their agroecological mission, challenges, and successes.

Based on an in-depth study of 15 food-producing third places, we invite you, through these fact sheets, to explore together six challenges for the agroecological and food transition that these places address and which define their uniqueness.  Each fact sheet, illustrated with concrete examples drawn from the sites’ trajectories, offers suggestions for action. A “resources for further reading” section provides readings, documents, or tools to delve deeper into each topic. Enjoy reading!

Difficulty level: Easy