The territory of Livradois-Forez, France
Project Facts
ANR Mouve, CASDAR Sociel, PSDR Inventer
Sylvie Cournut, Marie Houdart
Case overview/description
livestock farming is a major economic activity. It is largely based on grasslands (two thirds of the UAA are permanent grasslands) and cattle breeding dominates (dairy cattle, beef cattle, dual purpose cattle) although a variety of other farming orientations exists: sheep, goat, pork, poultry and mixed systems. Farms are small despite an enlargement tendency in recent decades (44 ha on average, against 55 for the national average). They suffer from climate and soil conditions, slopes and land splitting which impede high farm productivity Dairy production benefits from two PDO (protected designation of origin) for cheeses (Fourme d’Ambert and Bleu d’Auvergne); nevertheless the added value transferred to producers is not rewarding..
To understand and describe the forms and conditions of a better contribution of livestock farming to the sustainable development of the territory
In this area, land ownership structures are very small. The population density was high during 19th century (100 inhabitants / km2). Farms were very small and most of farmers were multi-active. They were home handworkers (making clogs, laces, rosaries…), and their farming systems mainly based on crop production for self-food consumption. During the 20th century, the population declined significantly, and farms turned to livestock systems while a lot of landowners choose to plant forest. But land ownership structures remained small. A lot of owners decided to keep their property when leaving the area, and nowadays, a large part of the land owners do not live on the territory. Most of the agricultural land is private property, but for some pastoral lands, on the highest areas, there is typical common property (inhabitants of the village) with special management.
based on grass (2/3 UAA is permanent grassland) ; animals are housed during 5-6 months of the year.
mainly cattle breeding (dairy, beef and dual purpose) ; small structures (44ha) fragmented
As for a lot of mountain areas in France, grassland management depends on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and on the agri-environmental measures contracted by farmers. Most of them chosed the PHAE measure which has implications on farmland and grassland management (maintain grasslands and some biodiversity elements, maximum level of fertilization, maximum level of stocking rate per ha). Since the end of 'quotas laitiers' in 2015, dairy farmers are involved in to contractualization with dairy industries (Sodiaal, local dairy called SFL)
UMR Territoires, Regional nature Parc of Livradois-Forez, chambers of agriculture and livestock institute (Idele)
comprehensive interviews; participatory workshops; aerial photos and geographic data, measurements in situ and analysis; bibliography, statistics (census), techno-economic data base and mapping, historical approach
Outcome/ Beneficiaries/ Issues
Economic for farmers but also for their impact on the territory, and tourism sector
Social , participating to the livelihood of rural areas and to the aesthetic quality of landscapes
Environmental, maintaining open and diverse landscapes
Through scientific seminars, through restitution and regular exchanges with the institutions, through partipatory whorshops, and through higher education (university and engineering school)
Dual vision of livestock development models in an economic and social changing context: two opposite trends are to be seen. The first one is an enlargement and specialization of farms structures linked to the increase in volumes produced per livestock farm and per worker. It is accompanied by an increase in production per animal, made possible by the intensification of the production of forages. It is also accompanied by the frequent recourse to feed coming from outside the territory. This trend is concomitant with the concentration of processing and the simplification or elimination of the rounds (costs: higher price of diesel and lower density of producers on the territory). The second trend concerns the maintenance or appearance of small livestock farms, with diversified productions, where the farming practices are based on the diversity of locally available resources looking for self sufficiency. Meat and milk are collected and processed by local structures like milk cooperatives or private enterprises, which are often looking for valorization of the products via quality and origin identification label or short local chains. Direct sales and local distribution channels are growing.
We identified three major lessons.First we formalized the fact that grassland management is the result of a multitude of factors that go far beyond the level of practices:
- The importance of the farm land (partition, ownership, etc.) at territories scale
- The role of different stakeholders, which are less identified in the literature, as supermarkets and, more generally, the importance of power relationships between producers, processors and retailers. This has to be linked with the importance of the development of the alternative food networks in grassland management.
- The importance of the production system on land use and grassland management (for example: through the spatial re-organization of the farm when switching production from milk to meat, the grassland management changes)
We conclude on the necessity to nuance the supposed environmental friendly characteristics of some practices of grassland management. For example, the promotion of feeding cows only by direct grazing or hay (and thus forbidding silage) has a very positive representation from an environmental point of view. Nevertheless, the adoption of this practice often involves intensification management of some fields/grassland.
Third, we observed that, on the area, maize keeps a positive and modern image, associated with livestock performances. Therefore maize is grown in every possible plot, and permanent grasslands are kept on more difficult fields, where nothing else is possible. Nevertheless, the emergence of organic farming and direct marketing leads farmers to use the diversity of grasslands present.
We identified different gaps and/or constraints identified for improving grassland management. Firts this management is largely constraints by the Common Agricultural Policy. Secon, it is depending on collective action and networks. Thus, our studies showed the importance of creating networks between farmers to ensure the acceptability of practices forbidding silage (entirely hay production specification). The collective action, for example the tripartite contractual partnership mentioned above, inspite of a reduced impact at a territory scale (because it concerns only 19 farmers), seems to be a way to create or reinforce these networks. The collective action appears to be an effective approach to ensure the durability of the adoption of these practices thank to the financial gain. And finally, we highlighted also the role of the retailers in the adoption of practices for grassland management. This has to be taken into account when thinking about solutions to improve grassland management: the importance of consumers’ expectations from an environmental point of view or from a localization point of view. Indeed; these expectations that are translated by retailers into the contracts they establish with agri- enterprises.
territorial approach, rural development, grassland systems, collective action, stakeholders' expectations and involvement