2018/02/20 by Catherine Experton, Experton, Catherine, Bellet, Véronique +7
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #0 #Agriculture and Rural Development Research #Agriculture biologique #Autonomie alimentaire #Environmental impacts #Filière #Food self-sufficiency #Impact environnemental #Income #Organic farming #Ovin #Ovine #Revenu #Social
paper · pdf · doi:10.15454/1.5191188300688562e12
openalex publication_date 2018/02/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
This study allowed to create the first national references about organic sheep production, meat and milk: technical, economic and environmental performances and working time. A network including 59 farms (49 producing meat, 10 producing milk) has been studied over 2 years (2012 and 2013). Compared to conventional systems, organic systems had a lower productivity but also a lower consumption of concentrates. For meat production, economic results are slightly lower than for conventional systems. Their environmental impacts (on climate change, energy consumption, water quality), expressed by hectare or kilogram produced, are generally equal or better. Even more than in conventional systems, the good use of grass is a condition to self-sufficiency in organic systems, which is the main way to improve incomes and makes it possible to reduce greenhouse effect thanks to carbon storage by soils. The sustainability of these systems was evaluated regarding development issues of organic lamb sector, which were identified thanks to a national observatory of organic sheep meat production recently put in place. A better structuration of the sector and a better consideration of production costs are likely to support the organic sheep production development.