Les Racines du Futur®: SIVAL and CTIFL Launch Their Podcast

Listen to the first 3 episodes today!

As it approaches its 40th anniversary, SIVAL—the international trade show for specialized plant production—is taking a new step forward by launching its own dedicated media platform. Les Racines du Futur® is a podcast co-produced with the CTIFL (Interprofessional Technical Center for Fruits and Vegetables), with support from Végépolys Valley and the French Institute of Vine and Wine (IFV) on the editorial board.

Every year in Angers, SIVAL brings together all stakeholders in specialized crop production—arboriculture, vegetable farming, viticulture, horticulture, seeds and seedlings, aromatic and medicinal plants, and more. For three days, the trade show serves as a venue for discussion, technical discoveries, and networking among producers, suppliers, researchers, and institutional representatives. Through Les Racines du Futur®, SIVAL extends this mission beyond the three days of the trade show: to share knowledge, showcase developments in the industry, and foster collective reflection throughout the year.

The choice of the podcast format is no small matter. At a time when Sectors facing profound and often simultaneous transformations, it is essential to take the time to explain, put things into perspective, and give a voice to those who are experiencing these changes on a daily basis.

Les Racines du Futur® thus gives a voice to those driving change in the Sectors producers, technicians, researchers, educators, and innovators. Its goal is to shed light on the major transformations taking place in specialized crop production—including climate change, water management, technological innovation, generational transition, and consumer expectations—by bringing together perspectives from the field and from research.

A monthly format designed to fit into your daily routine

Les Racines du Futur® releases a new episode every first Thursday of the month, each lasting 20 to 25 minutes—a format designed to fit easily into a workday. The first season, airing from June 2026 to January 2027, is structured around four themes: understanding our changing world; water resources as a central challenge; technical and human solutions in the field; and market dynamics, from producer to consumer.

The podcast is hosted by Nicolas Rafal and is aimed at all stakeholders in Sectors producers, project leaders involved in new installations, technicians, researchers, and public policymakers, as well as teachers, students, and consumers, with the goal of fostering an open dialogue on the agricultural and food challenges of the future.

The first three episodes

Episode 1 — From the Field to the Planet: Geopolitics and the Future of Plants. To kick off the season, Les Racines du Futur® welcomes Sébastien Abis, a geopolitical analyst and director of Club Déméter. An in-depth interview on the strategic dimension of food, at a time when population growth, climate change, and international tensions are reshaping the global agricultural balance.

Episode 2 — Planting the Future: Young People Changing the World of Crop Production. An episode dedicated to generational renewal and new farmers, featuring those who are currently getting involved in specialized crop production and reinventing the way crops are grown.

Episode 3 — Useful Innovation: The Life of a Farm Robot. How does technological innovation meet the practical needs on the ground? This episode explores the role of robotics on farms and the conditions necessary for innovation that truly serves farmers.

Where to listen to the podcast

Les Racines du Futur® is available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Amazon Music, and Podcast Addict, as well as on the SIVAL website. New episodes will be released online on the first Thursday of every month throughout the season.

A SIVAL × CTIFL production, with support from Végépolys Valley and the IFV.