Due to the confidence crisis in the conventional agri‐food system, an intense dynamic can be observed in the development of short supply chains (SSC), as we show in two different regions of France. The political support of these SSC emphasizes their role in better valorisation of farmers’ production and social recognition of their work. It also helps meet the great expectations of consumers. Nevertheless, as agronomists, we question the consequences of this dynamic on the technical management of the farms in SSC: first results show SSC farms practice general trends such as diversification of crops, of specific forms of SSC at the farm level and of activities specifically related to sales management. Hypotheses are made about two aspects of liveability for farmers: increasing workload and higher complexity of decision‐making. A set of hypotheses is proposed as well as a framework for further research.