Postdoctoral Researcher: Operational Environmental Assessment Framework for Territorial Livestock Systems

This postdoctoral position at INRAE (France) focuses on designing an operational framework for assessing the environmental sustainability of territorialised livestock farming systems. The successful candidate will collaborate across two research units (Montpellier and Rennes) to create a generic tool applicable to diverse case studies, integrating methods like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Planetary Boundaries. The work involves selecting environmental indicators, quantifying them via modelling, and testing the tool on contrasting agricultural contexts. The project aims to reduce resource pressure and environmental impacts through circularity and nutrient recycling. The role is part of the CEDRE project (2026–2031), funded by INRAE’s Priority Research Programme.

• Develop a generic environmental assessment framework tailored to territorialised livestock farming systems, integrating LCA, Planetary Boundaries, and Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment (AESA).
• Collaborate with project partners to select and quantify key environmental indicators using recognised assessment methods.
• Propose and implement a methodology for quantifying indicators, integrating modelling approaches and existing databases like Agribalyse.
• Translate the methodology into an operational tool adaptable to diverse livestock farming systems and contexts.
• Test the developed tool on two contrasting case studies representing varied animal species, farming systems, and environmental conditions.
• Publish results in a peer-reviewed scientific journal to disseminate findings and methodologies.
• Engage in interdisciplinary collaboration between Montpellier and Rennes research units, with up to 3 days remote work per week.