Optimizing activity organization through Social and Environmental Responsability: the case of the La Motte experimental unit

Abstract

In a pilot approach anchored in INRAE 2030’s Social and environmental responsibility (SER) strategy, the La Motte Experimental Unit (EU) initiated an organizational overhaul based on a SER management system. This initiative, led by an aware team, aims to structure the main and cross-functional missions in response to complex challenges: quality of service, adaptation to pedoclimatic changes, regulatory compliance, reduction of environmental impacts and consistency with stakeholder expectations. Supported by a SER facilitator and the SER manager of the Brittany-Normandy center, the EU adopted an agile methodology, centered on collective intelligence, in order to co-construct a strategy based on an activity diagnosis, the identification of stakeholders, a materiality matrix and the development of an action plan. The tool used – the Raworth Donut – made it possible to combine ecological imperatives and social needs. The unit has thus formalized decision-making tools, optimized its documentation, and established a structured dialogue with its partners. The results are numerous: improved clarity of processes, better synergy between missions, consolidation of partnership relationships, and strengthening of team cohesion. The project was well received despite initial reservations, particularly thanks to its operational anchoring. This feedback underlines the value of SER management as a lever for organizational transformation to serve sustainable development objectives, in an agricultural research context subject to strong societal and environmental expectations.