FONCIMED 2026 Call for Papers

Several demands for land use, sometimes conflicting and sometimes compatible, are expressed within Mediterranean territories. They reflect contemporary societal changes, which affect territories that are multifunctional by nature. Characterized by accelerated climate change, Mediterranean mountains, where pastoral and tourist activities coexist but whose viability is now uncertain, are seeking solutions to adapt. Livestock farmers, guardians of pastoral systems that may be considered as centuries-old heritage, are facing new challenges in their effort to preserve pastures (pastureland modification of pastures, new zoonoses, predators, more frequent and more disastrous fires). Alongside, the tourism sector, a high value-added activity sometimes part of international service markets, is exploring new development pathways in response to uncertain snowfall. Furthermore, the role of pastureland for fire prevention is often barely acknowledged. In addition, new uses, particularly for green energy production, are competing with existing ones. Finally, the need for intra/inter-territorial mobility is also increasing, exacerbated by more limited access to land.

The articulation of these various demands characterized by different spatial scales, time frames, and administrative levels complicates the emergence of compromises that are essential to the viability of these territories and to the implementation of virtuous synergies that may improve their habitability. On the contrary, controversies, tensions, and conflicts seem to increase rapidly. While external constraints are manifold (accelerating climate change and biodiversity loss, heightened international competition, increased socioeconomic inequalities, and geopolitical conflicts), there are also strong internal pressures (demographic transitions, resource scarcity).

Many questions, generally based on the need to reconcile the different perspectives of the various stakeholders, arise at the territorial level, including in particular:

• Reconciling socio-economic development and environmental preservation
• Maintaining traditional activities and integrating modern activities
• Improving rural livability and seeking territorial competitiveness
• Balancing allocation of means of production and distribution of resources.

The many rural challenges, whose non-exhaustive list detailed above might be expanded, call for an in-depth examination of the territorialized political regulation of market mechanisms as well as the dynamics of the emergence of local social innovations that are necessary to meet the needs of rural populations in their specific socio-ecological and socio-technical contexts. In this context, sharing experiences and international cooperation can be beneficial for the socially sustainable development of Mediterranean territories.

The organization of this 15th FONCIMED Seminar in the Hautes Alpes, a region that perfectly highlights these controversies, tensions, and conflicts, will provide an opportunity for knowledge sharing and field visits to complement academic discussions, fostering a critical perspective on the development pathways taking place throughout the Mediterranean region.

Communication proposals should fall within one of these four areas:

All submissions will be reviewed through a fully digital peer review process by two referees for abstracts and two referees for short papers. Submissions will be handled through the EasyChair for FONCIMED 2026 Online Submission System.

The seminar will take place over three days, with an inaugural conference opening two days of presentations structured around the four research focuses outlined above. The third day will be devoted to a field visit. The seminar will be preceded by a Doctoral Forum from October 18 to 20, 2026 (details coming soon).

Proposal abstracts accepted by the Scientific Committee will be published in an electronic book released during the Seminar.

A selection of communications will be submitted for a special issue. Potential contenders are Economie Rurale for francophone communications and Canadian Journal of Regional Science and Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies for anglophone communications.

For further information, you may contact the Seminar secretariat using the following email address: foncimednetwork [@] gmail.com