Paths to last in mixed crop–livestock farming: lessons from an assessment of farm trajectories of change

Abstract

Mixed crop-livestock systems, combining livestock and cash crops at farm level, are considered to be suitable for sustainable intensification of agriculture. Ensuring the survival of mixed crop-livestock systems is a challenge for European agriculture: the number of European mixed crop-livestock farms has been decreasing since 1970. Analysis of farming system dynamics may elucidate past changes and the forces driving this decline. The objectives of this study were (i) to identify the diversity of paths that allowed the survival of mixed crop-livestock farming and (ii) to elucidate the driving forces behind such survival. We analysed the variety of farm trajectories from 1950 to 2005. We studied the entire farm population of a case study site, located in the 'Coteaux de Gascogne' region. In this less favoured area of south-western France, farmers have limited specialisation. Currently, half of the farms use mixed crop-livestock systems. The data set of 20 variables for 50 farms on the basis of six 10-year time steps was collected through retrospective surveys. We used a two-step analysis including (i) a visual assessment of the whole population of individual farm trajectories and (ii) a computer-based typology of farm trajectories on the basis of a series of multivariate analyses followed by automatic clustering. The European Common Agricultural Policy, market globalisation and decreasing workforce availability were identified as drivers of change that favoured the specialisation process. Nevertheless, farmers' choices and values have opposed against these driving forces, ensuring the survival of some mixed crop-livestock farming systems. The trajectories were clustered into five types, four of which were compatible with mixed crop-livestock systems. The first type was the maximisation of autonomy by combining crops and livestock. The second type was diversification of production to exploit economies of scope and protect the farm against market fluctuations. The other two types involved enlargement and progressive adaptation of the farm to the familial workforce. The survival of mixed crop-livestock systems in these two types is largely dependent on workforce availability. Only one type of trajectory, on the basis of enlargement and economies of scale, did not lead to mixed crop-livestock systems. In view of the current evolution of the driving forces, maximising autonomy and diversification appear to be suitable paths to deal with current challenges and maintain mixed crop-livestock systems in Europe.

Biophysical and economic water productivity of dual-purpose cattle farming

“…nutrient contents and impacts on both milk production and live weight gain) (Le Gal et al, 2009). Moreover, the integration of crops and livestock increases farms' resilience (Ryschawy et al, 2013). However, few studies have analyzed complementarities between crops and livestock, particularly from a water productivity viewpoint.…”

Productivity and technical efficiency of suckler beef production systems: trends for the period 1990 to 2012

“…This potential economic fragility pushes livestock farmers to aim for more sustainable, resilient and self-sufficient production systems (Lebacq et al, 2014), chiefly via strategies for farm-scale feed selfsufficiency (Ryschawy et al, 2013;Coquil et al, 2014;Havet et al, 2014). Feed self-sufficiency is widely associated with livestock systems that are low-input with a high profitability (Ripoll-Bosch et al, 2014) and that create value added (Garambois and Devienne, 2012), including grass-based farm systems.…”

Changes in the pastoral sheep systems of semi-arid Mediterranean areas: association with common agricultural policy reform and implications for sustainability

“…Battershill, 1998;Dubeuf, 2011). In view of the current evolution of the driving forces, maximizing autonomy and diversification seem to be suitable paths to deal with the challenge of maintaining extensive sheep as well as mixed crop-livestock systems in the Mediterranean basin and more generally, in much of Europe (Ryschawy et al, 2013).…”

“…Their current organization and resource endowment are the result of long-term historical, geopolitical and socio-economic changes (de Rancourt et al, 2006;Castel et al, 2011;Ryschawy et al, 2013). Additionally, variable ecosystems and socio-cultural contexts have given rise to highly variable production systems (Robinson et al, 2011).…”