Over the past decade, the transition towards sustainable agriculture has been a central theme in the work of many organisations. Ensuring that any transition that might be taking place does lead to more sustainability is a major challenge for societies in general and for agro-food systems in particular. In this context the relations between agronomic science, agricultural technologies, and public or private expectations are at stake. This leads to claims for "innovative innovation" concerning the purposes and ways of designing new technologies and practices, or new practices in relation to existing techniques. In fact, these claims indicate a need for a shift in the governance of research and innovation to achieve a sustainable future.