Cours de vie d’agriculteurs allant vers l’économie en intrants : les plaisirs associés aux changements de pratiques

Abstract

Éditeur ARPACT-Association Recherches et Pratiques sur les ACTivités Référence électronique Cécile Barbier, Marianne Cerf et Jean-Marie Lusson, « Cours de vie d'agriculteurs allant vers l'économie en intrants : les plaisirs associés aux changements de pratiques »,

Why do farmers not convert to organic farming? Modeling conversion to organic farming as a major change

“…As proposed by many researchers, a major change like the conversion to organic farming is always related to dissatisfaction with the current situation (Chantre et al., ; Huet, Rigolot, Xu, de Cacqueray‐Valmenier, and Boisdon, ; Sutherland et al., ), and ultimately a need for profound transformation (Barbier et al., ). Farmers who perceive the current situation as satisfactory do not make any big changes (Öhlmér et al., ).…”

“…To some scholars, organic farming is not just a set of techniques and practices but also a social movement (Darnhofer, Schneeberger, & Freyer, ; Fairweather, Hunt, Rosin, and Campbell, ; Pavie, Dockès, and Echevarria, ; Rigby, Young, and Burton, ; Sutherland et al., ), and the conversion to organic farming has recently been qualified as a major change (Sutherland et al., ) or a transformational adaptation (Dowd et al., ; Rickards, & Howden, ). Conversion thus implies strong changes in a farmer's identity, social network and worldview, and begins with a strong need for change (Barbier, Cerf, & Lusson, ; Sutherland et al., ). More studies are needed to better understand this type of change that engages a number of social processes as well as a farmer's own changes in terms of relations with other farmers and the farmer's environment.…”

“…Most of them converted to organic farming without a “rational” or “official” economic impact assessment on the conversion move. Instead of focusing solely on economic issues, farmers told their stories on how they evolved in terms of strategy and practices (Barbier et al., ; Boisdon et al., ; Bui et al., ; Chantre et al., ; Coquil et al., ; Dockès et al., ) .…”

Converting to organic farming as a way to enhance adaptive capacity

“…4), a satisfaction heightened by the positive feedback they already receive for their decision to convert. The importance of such Bpleasures^when changing towards more ecological farming practices has been emphasized by Barbier et al (2015). Indeed, farmers want to be proud of the work they do, which requires a fit between their aspirations and the daily reality of being a farmer (Dessein and Nevens 2007).…”

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

“…The transition allowed these livestock farmers to overcome difficulties while more closely following personal and societal aspirations (ethical values), even if this meant not following the standards recognised by the profession in the dominant regime. For some farmers, the AET thus represented a hope of working conditions more satisfying on the professional level, allowing them to better align their aspirations and daily reality with society's standards (Dessein and Nevens 2007;Barbier et al 2015).…”