2023/12/13 by Nadège Garambois, Garambois, Nadège, Sophie Devienne +1
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Social Sciences · #Agriculture and Rural Development Research #French Urban and Social Studies
paper · doi:10.17180/v49b-r274
Since the 1950’s, labour productivity growth in dairy production systems in Bocage of Vendée has been based on specialization and increase in milk production per hectare and per worker. Grazing time has been reduced, giving place to conserved forage, mainly maize silage. Since 1990, some farmers have set up cattle grassland systems founded upon André Pochon‘s Brittany example and largely based on grazing of temporary grass-clover pastures. Adapted by farmers’ groups to the specific pedoclimatic conditions of this region, these innovative systems create high value added by important cost savings, in complete contrast to the main agricultural development in the region. This paper focuses on thedevelopment conditions of such systems, and on the functioning and economic results of the different production systems in the area. The comparison of the economic results shows that these grassland dairy production systems based on agro-ecology are intensive in added value creation and get high income per hectare and per worker, less dependent of subsidies.