A method for assessing work productivity and flexibility in livestock farms

Abstract

Changes affecting livestock farming systems have made farm work a central concern for both the sector and for farmers themselves. Increased pressure on farms to be competitive and productive together with farmers' demand for greater autonomy, holidays or time to spend on private activities and the family converge to underline the two key dimensions of work -productivity and flexibility -required for the assessment of work organization. This paper proposes a method called the QuaeWork (QUAlification and Evaluation of Work in livestock farms) to assess work productivity and flexibility on a farm, and its use to identify how livestock management can contribute to work organization on dairy farms. The QuaeWork method was set up through an iterative process combining surveys conducted with farmers in two regions of France, discussions with different experts and literature review. The QuaeWork was applied on a sample of seven dairy farms in the southern Massif Central in France to identify patterns of how livestock management contributes to work organization. The QuaeWork was used to analyse work organization over the year through a systemic approach to the farm, integrating interactions between herd and land management, workforce composition, equipment facilities and combinations of activities through a characterization of 'who does what, when and for how long'. The criteria for assessing work productivity were work duration (routine work, seasonal work) and work efficiency (per livestock unit or hectare of utilized agricultural area). The criteria for assessing work flexibility were room for manoeuvre and adjustments to internal and external events. The three main patterns of livestock management practices to work organization were identified. In pattern-1, farmers used indoor stable feeding practices with delegated work, with moderate room for manoeuvre and efficiency. In pattern-3, farmers used simplified milking, reproduction and breeding practices to seasonalize work and make it efficient with consistent room for manoeuvre. The method suggests social sustainability criteria to assess work productivity and flexibility, which are important for making reasoned decisions on livestock farm changes, especially innovations. Researchers could usefully exploit the QuaeWork to integrate work objectives (productivity, flexibility) into technical and economic goals.

Work management as a means to adapt to constraints in farming systems: a case study from two regions in Morocco

“…It appears that work is used as a flexible adjustment variable to cope with the limitations of production factors, such as land and capital (Hostiou and Dedieu, 2011). In a context of numerous smallholding units, which are the main suppliers of staple food, such flexibility in the use of endogenous work availability is a key factor to ensure the sustainability of farming activities.…”

A new framework to analyze changes in work organization for permanent employees on livestock farms

“…The variables and categories that describe evolutions in the assignment of tasks, the trends between versatility and specialization, and the level of autonomy allow one to highlight both quantitative aspects of work, such as the number and frequency of tasks or number of jobs, and qualitative aspects, such as the nature of tasks or type of instructions (Table 1). These kinds of work characteristics are not considered in analyses of work organization on livestock systems, which are focused mostly on combinations of tasks with different rhythms (routine and seasonal tasks) to be performed by different groups of workers (basic group or out of basic group) (Madelrieux and Dedieu 2008;Hostiou and Dedieu 2012).…”

“…Compared to organizational approaches, which are based on the social and technical division of work (who does what) and rhythm of technical practices (e.g., daily tasks or seasonal tasks) (Hostiou and Dedieu 2012), our framework provides a new viewpoint about work on farms by integrating a temporal perspective of change and by considering the different natures of tasks, the diversity of tasks performed, and the room to maneuver to perform tasks.…”

Renforcer les capacités d’adaptation des systèmes d’élevage de ruminants: Cadres théoriques, leviers d’action et démarche d’accompagnement

“…Au niveau des surfaces, un chargement à l'hectare en deçà du potentiel productif des surfaces permet de faire face aux sécheresses sans modifier le système (Astigarraga et Ingrand, 2011). Ménager du temps disponible pour l'éleveur peut se faire, selon les cas, par une réorganisation du travail, la délégation à l'entreprise de certaines tâches, l'achat de matériel ou des bâtiments plus adaptés (Hostiou et Dedieu, 2011). Enfin, limiter le taux d'endettement permet de limiter la pression sur la productivité et les charges opérationnelles (tableau 1).…”