Analyses of transition towards a more sustainable agriculture often identify two different pathways that can be linked to either strong or weak sustainability. In this interdisciplinary work, we aim at overcoming this narrow choice between these two alternatives, by offering a socio-agronomic characterisation of multiple agriculture models that currently coexist in Western economies. We use an agronomic typology of farming systems based on the role of exogenous inputs and endogenous ecosystem services in agricultural production, and on the degree of embeddedness of farming systems within local/global food systems. This typology identifies six agriculture models that we analyse in socio-economic terms. We then clarify the structuring principles that organise these models, and the social values underpinning their justification. This analysis enables us to discuss the efficiency conditions of political instruments.