Towards reduced pesticide use in agriculture: A multiple-case study of agrosupply business models for low pesticide solutions

Edwige Fain (), Stéphane Lemarié (), Aline Fugeray-Scarbel () and Adrien Hervouet ()
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Edwige Fain: ISARA
Stéphane Lemarié: GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes
Aline Fugeray-Scarbel: GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes
Adrien Hervouet: GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes

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Abstract: The agrosupply sector plays a key role in the transition toward reduced pesticide use by developing and commercializing alternative crop protection market offerings. This article examines the business models of agrosupply actors based on eight cases-including biocontrol, equipment, and digital tools. Results reveal diverse models, some mirroring pesticide approaches and others drawing on digital-economy logics, with providers generally aiming for pesticide-level performance while requiring limited changes to existing practices. In the discussion, we distinguish models according to their implications for ecological transition and suggest that lowsustainability pathways rely on business models largely compatible with pesticide models, with the risk of reinforcing structural lock-ins and hindering future shifts toward strong sustainability.

Keywords: Agrosupply sector; Multiple-case study; Business model; Biocontrol; Digital agriculture; Lock-in; Crop protection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-01-17
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05476198v1
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Published in Journal of Environmental Management, 2026, 399, pp.128558. ⟨10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.128558⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05476198

DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.128558

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