Rehabilitating disrupted nutrient cycles through or ganic residue recycling in agriculture represents a win-win lever, particularly in urban-agricultural a reas, with benefits at both ends of the food chain. It carries the promise of enhancing agriculture's eco- efficiency and resilience while reducing environmental pressure in urban and downstream area s. The limits of the 'transfer of technology' paradigm to enhance RORAL have been acknowledged si nce well over three decades [1]. At CIRAD we develop an approach that represents a shift from the 'conflicting' paradigms of reductionism and holism towards one centred on the need for both. It s application to the situation of Reunion Island is presented. This isolated territory with very limite d natural resources, particularly arable land, and increasing demographic pressure represents one out of two types of high-potential areas.