Valoriser le naturel dans l'alimentation

The paper reacts to an article recently published by Denis Lorient in the Cahiers. The main purpose is to discuss his thesis according to which giving the natural values in food would be totally opposed to the scientific rationality. By taking the opposite view and against the polarisation it entails, the paper aims to show that the valorisations of the natural can stimulate knowledge production, technical progress and improvements in health. Three examples illustrate this idea: the relations between alternative dietetics and nutrition, especially through a holistic approach that is nowadays scientifically productive; technical innovations compatible with sustainability and knowledge production allowed by organic farming; congruence between organic consumption and dietary recommendations. Against the polarisation of discourses, the paper calls for a pluralism in knowledge and technical approaches.