He has conducted research into the ways in which livestock farming systems adapt (management choices, practices and performance), taking into account changes in the economic (demand from sectors, price volatility) and environmental (extensification, agro-ecology, climate variability) contexts, as well as the socio-structural dynamics of farms (expansion, reorganisation of the workforce). In particular, it has studied how technical choices integrate the preservation of adaptive capacities to short-term hazards and long-term uncertainty, as well as several aspects of farmers' work (productivity, duration, organisation, personal well-being). This research was carried out in close collaboration with the Institut de l'Elevage and professional partners. The main areas of study have been grassland and mountain areas in France, but also South America (Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil), and recently Africa. Since its creation in 2017, he has chaired the International Association on Work in Agriculture and organised two international symposia on the topic (2016, 2021).
Benoît Dedieu was head of the SAD division at INRAE (Sciences for Action and Development, now ACT) from 2012 to 2020. This is a multidisciplinary department combining social sciences, agronomy, zootechnics and ecology. Since 2021, he has been project officer in the International Affairs Division, as part of the TSARA initiative (Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems through Research in Partnership with Africa). He is in charge of monitoring the scientific agenda, the thematic task forces and the INRAE call for expressions of interest for TSARA.