This article provides an overview of the current state of knowledge on pastoral systems and territories in France, focusing on the key issues that affect them. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the factors contributing to the decline of pastoralism in a context of intensified production and herd expansion, adaptation to climate change and market fluctuations, and the return of wild predators. Five priority areas for research are identified: animal selection and breeding in pastoral environments; pastoralism as a specific agroecological model, with its strengths and weaknesses; multi‐stakeholder pastoral territories, as spaces for confrontation and development of collective projects; pastoralism occupations and their attractiveness; and data derived from methods for monitoring changes in vegetation, biodiversity, and livestock systems. While not identical, many of these issues are notably similar to those in pastoral contexts in other parts of the world, particularly West Africa.
Dedieu et al. (Fri,) studied this question.