2019/04/12 by Veysset, Patrick, Delaby, Luc
#Beef cattle #Bovin #Dairy cattle #Diversity #Diversité #Filière #Livestock farming systems #Meat production #Production and processing chain #Production de lait #Production de viande #Sector #Système d'élevage
paper · doi:10.15454/k8iumd
Cattle farming is linked to the land. The diversity of soil and climatic conditions and potentials in France, leads to a diversity of production systems and of operation of cattle farms’ system. However, the concentration / agglomeration of the agro-industrial sector, as well as its search for competitiveness in international markets, entails a standardization of products. We thus observe an erosion of the diversity of cattle production within farms, with a standardization of the structural evolutions (enlargement, specialization). The conceptual ideal of "diversity" does not seem to be the development model of the cattle sectors. Next to these dominant systems, coexist "alternative" systems based on the valuation of available (and diverse) resources and the typicity of products. The concepts of economy of scale, size and scope should be better explored with a systemic approach in the field of agroecology, and knowledge in territorial ecology, industrial ecology and circular economy should be deepened.