Vertical Horizontal — Olivier Thiery
Field sociology, epistemology and actor-system analysis for agriculture, food and health
I am a French sociologist and philosopher of science. I trained at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) and at the Centre de Sociologie de l'Innovation of Mines Paris. I then worked at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin and at INRA, the French national institute for agricultural research.
Since 2015, through my independent practice Vertical Horizontal, I have carried out field studies, evaluations and advisory work for public and private organisations in France. These include ministries, national agencies, applied research institutes and farm advisory bodies. The work covers how people actually live and work, how actor systems are organised, how innovation projects unfold, and how scientific and socio-political controversies are built.
Method. I always start from concrete situations, through observation and careful listening, before any analysis or conceptual framing. From there I analyse individual actors (intentions and strategies, creativity, adjustments, but also values, meaning, constraints, the unconscious) and actor systems (strategies, alliances, power relations, institutions). I also take full account of technologies, knowledge, norms and living beings. See Approach.
Two proposals. My current work is organised around two linked proposals:
- Regenerative agriculture · Nutrient density · Metabolic health: three domains usually handled separately, which I argue can only move forward together.
- Farm work at the centre: no deep transformation of agriculture will scale unless the reality of farm work is placed at the heart of advisory systems and agricultural policy.
Posture. I trained in narrative practice in 2024. I see myself less as a detached expert than as an engaged consultant, someone who works alongside organisations and people in real processes of change. This posture includes the role of a social-science expert and of what I call a tiers veilleur, a critical third party who keeps watch. That role brings critical distance, epistemological vigilance, and attention to actor strategies and controversies.
Languages. Missions can be conducted in English or French.