The purpose of this research is to understand the paradoxical practices of territorial management and to look into ways of supporting the local actors of peri-urban agriculture. To do so, we conducted a case study into the policy implemented for the past 25 years by the urban community of the Pays d’Aubagne et de l’Etoile (Bouches-du-Rhône). Drawing on quantitative analyses of qualitative data, we demonstrate the relevance of these management practices in action. We go on to propose managerial tools that can be applied in the framework of public action in peri-urban agriculture.

Points for practitioners

The practical uses of the article are: first, to identify and understand the paradoxes, a recurring source of tension and deadlock in territorial public administration; and, second, to contribute concrete avenues of reflection and solutions to the territorial managers faced with these situations, especially in the management of peri-urban agricultural areas.