Converting to organic farming as a way to enhance adaptive capacity

Bouttes, Maëlys; Darnhofer, I.; Martin, Guillaume

doi:10.1007/s13165-018-0225-y

Cited by 59 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…We expected that these three aspects would be modified during conversion to organic farming towards a decrease in intensity and an increase in diversity. These three types of variables have been used to explain the vulnerability of organic dairy systems (Bouttes et al 2018a(Bouttes et al , 2018b. Ultimately, we illustrated these key aspects with 10 explanatory variables: Among the explanatory variables, we discarded the initial measurement of the percentage of grazed area in the area used to feed livestock, as the data for this variable were collected in 2009 rather than 2008.…”

Section: Choice Of Vulnerability and Explanatory Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies showed similar results and the inability to simultaneously maximise farm productivity and economic performances in organic dairy (Bouttes et al 2018b), conventional dairy (Doole and Romera 2015) and sheep farms (Ripoll-Bosch et al 2012). Farmers' objectives for obtaining a given trade-off depend on their motivations for converting to organic farming (Cranfield et al 2010): some do so to improve their adaptive capacity (Bouttes et al 2018a), while others are motivated mostly by health and safety concerns (Cranfield et al 2010). Thus, the diversity in farmers' motivations for converting to organic farming may explain the trade-offs observed among vulnerability variables.…”

Section: Overview Of Farm Vulnerability Patterns: Diversity and Tradementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Responding and adapting to change requires experimenting and learning at the individual level, as well as at the group level by sharing experiences with peers (Marshall et al 2014). This stimulates individual creativity in how farm resources, specific regional advantages and the production context can be combined (Bouttes et al 2018a).…”

Section: Strategies To Convert To Organic Farming and Respective Vulnmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…productivity, economic efficiency or profitability) and failed to address trade-offs among these performances that explain farm vulnerability. In contrast, studies focused on the conversion to organic farming address mainly farmers' motivations and doubts during the conversion period (Flaten et al 2006;Lamine and Bellon 2009;Cranfield et al 2010). While this is a key determinant of farmers' vulnerability during and after their conversion to organic, it fails to encompass the entire issue, which may also include the adaptation strategies and farming practices that farmers implemented (Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their adaptations may result in multiple changes in farm performance patterns (Reed et al 2013;Lebacq et al 2015). When converting to organic farming, the trade-offs between farm self-sufficient milk productivity and economic efficiency that illustrate organic dairy farm vulnerability (Bouttes et al 2018a(Bouttes et al , 2018b could change drastically. Other key components of farm vulnerability are profitability per worker and independence from European common agricultural policy (CAP) subsidies, as profitability of the least vulnerable farms should not depend too much on CAP subsidies, the amount of the latter being subject to uncertainty in the future.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conversion to organic farming decreases the vulnerability of dairy farms

Bize

Maréchal²,

Michel

et al. 2019

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

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In the context of the European crisis in conventional milk production, conventional farms potentially dissimilar to organic farming models are converting to organic. This raises the issue of farm vulnerability during and after this conversion, i.e. the farm's ability to respond to the effects of technical, climatic and economic risks. Our objective was to show whether and how dairy farm vulnerability can decrease during and after conversion to organic farming. We surveyed a sample of 12 dairy farms in Brittany, France, from 2008 (their last year conventional) to 2013. Our method considered farm vulnerability a function of the initial level of and trend in farm self-sufficient milk productivity, economic efficiency, net profitability per worker and independence from European common agricultural policy (CAP) subsidies. We related these vulnerability variables to explanatory variables that illustrated farm exposure to climatic and economic variability and farming practices. The results show that nearly all farms improved their economic efficiency (11/12), about two thirds improved their self-sufficient milk productivity (8/12) and profitability per worker (7/12), and half improved their independence from CAP subsidies (6/12). Farms had diverse vulnerability patterns, with trade-offs between the initial situation and the trend followed during the conversion, and among vulnerability variables. We identified two main adaptation strategies: (i) pasture-based farms that were similar to organic farming models when conventional and that did not change much during the conversion, and (ii) farms based on maize and feed concentrates when conventional that drastically changed. The latter farms had the greatest decrease in vulnerability and improved their self-sufficient milk productivity, profitability per worker, economic efficiency and independence from CAP subsidies. Overall, variability in climatic and economic conditions had less influence on vulnerability than farming practices. Here, we showed for the first time that changing farming practices by converting to organic farming can be a powerful mechanism for reducing farm vulnerability.

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Section: Choice Of Vulnerability and Explanatory Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Overview Of Farm Vulnerability Patterns: Diversity and Tradementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Strategies To Convert To Organic Farming and Respective Vulnmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Conversion to organic farming decreases the vulnerability of dairy farms

Bize

Maréchal²,

Michel

et al. 2019

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Agroecological Transition from Farms to Territorialised Agri-Food Systems: Issues and Drivers

Magrini

Martin

Magne

et al. 2019

Agroecological Transitions: From Theory to Practice in Local Participatory Design

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Agroecological transition corresponds to a systemic transformation consisting in the ecologisation of agriculture and food. It concerns multiple stakeholders (farmers, supply chains, natural resource managers, etc.) and is characterised by a deliberate political intention to bring about change. This chapter highlights a set of determinants of agroecological transition at play in transforming the techniques and the values underpinning both agricultural production and food consumption choices -both of which can lead to various new agri-food systems. Based on the literature on transition studies, we focus on several considerations that could help stakeholders to better engage in such a process: (i) transition takes place over time intervals that vary, depending on the analysis scale (the farm or the agri-food system as a whole); (ii) transition is complex, systemic and requires changes of the whole sociotechnical regime; (iii) transition implies strong connections between nicheinnovations and the dominant sociotechnical regime; and (iv) changes in values and individuals' abilities are fundamental drivers. Hence, by focusing on the plurality of factors and stakeholders at work, we unpack the complexity of this transition, and in this way help the stakeholders to design and execute it. To conclude, we examine specific issues around the governance of agroecological transition.

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