Technical and economic performances in organic sheep meat production: observations of breeding networks and experimental farms

A network of 42 sheep farms (including 13 in organic farming (OF)) shows that the gross margin per ewe is 24% lower in OF in the mountains because of high food costs and comparable in the lowlands because of the high level of food self-sufficiency based on the cultivation of fodder and grain; incomes are identical when structural costs are comparable. An analysis of four demonstration farms shows that, given the different conditions, specific livestock management is required depending on the presence of tillable land or not. If their proportion is limited, lambings are equally distributed between spring and autumn in order to maximise fodder self-sufficiency. When crops are possible, lambings are focused on autumn (with good sale prices), which requires the increased use of concentrates, some of which are produced on the farm. A five-year study revealed that these strategies lead to a convergence of between 80 and 90% food self-sufficiency. In suckling livestock in organic as well as conventional farming systems, high levels of forage and food self-sufficiency are essential to ensure economic viability within the context of rising grain prices

Production de viande ovine en agriculture biologique comparée à l’élevage conventionnel : résultats technicoéconomiques d’exploitations de plaine et de montagne du nord du Massif central

Durant les cinq dernières années, l’Agriculture Biologique (AB) a connu, en France, un développement inégalé : entre 1997 et 2002, la superficie conduite en AB a été multipliée par trois et les effectifs de brebis par cinq. Cette croissance s’accompagne d’un important besoin de références, en particulier technico-économiques. L’observation sur trois années de 24 exploitations ovines allaitantes en AB, comparées à 39 exploitations ovines allaitantes conventionnelles, met en évidence une certaine spécificité des élevages AB, tout en confirmant les principaux facteurs qui déterminent la marge par brebis et le revenu. Etant donné le prix des aliments concentrés en AB, 1,8 fois supérieur à celui des conventionnels, la quantité consommée est déterminante sur la marge par brebis. Elle peut être réduite en valorisant au mieux la surface fourragère. La plus-value sur la vente des agneaux en AB se réduit depuis trois ans, pour n’être plus en 2002 que de 16 % en zone de montagne et 0 % en zone de plaine. Le revenu hors aides CTE des éleveurs AB est de 39 % inférieur en montagne et de 57 % en plaine à celui des élevages conventionnels. Marge par brebis, productivité du travail et charges de structure sont déterminants sur le revenu. Dans le contexte actuel de cours favorables à l’agneau conventionnel, ne permettant que peu de plus-value sur l’agneau bio, le développement ou même simplement le maintien des élevages AB passe par des aides sur le long terme qui intégreraient les aspects environnementaux et, peut-être, la valeur santé des produits qui reste à démontrer

TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC CONSTRAINTS IN ORGANIC SUCKLER SHEEP FARMING IN FRANCE. ANALYSIS IN A GROUP OF FARMS

The structures and the technical and economic results of 12 farms practising organic farming (Org) (eight upland and four lowland) were compared with those of 25 conventional farms (Conv) (14 and 11), over three years (2002-2004). The Org farms had smaller structures, fewer workers, and lower numerical productivity, especially in uplands (-16 % on average over three years) owing to lower flock intensification and sometimes because of sanitary problems. The key questions were above all economic with (i) the high cost of concentrates, the consumption of which remained high (extra cost per kg from 40 % to 60 % in 2004), and (ii) steadily decreasing average premium on meat price; only 9 % in uplands and 2 % in lowlands in 2004. Hence the gross margin per ewe was 20 % to 23 % lower on average over three years, than that on Conv farms. The impact on earnings was marked. Income is also strongly dependent on public subsidies, which are set to diminis

Viande ovine bio Production économiquement rentable sous conditions : technicité, économie de charges, aides…

Dans le cadre du GIS Bio Massif Central, avec la participation de nombreux partenaires1, le Laboratoire d’Economie de l’Elevage de l’INRA de Clermont-Ferrand – Theix gère, depuis 2000, une base de données technico-économiques d’élevages ovins viande conduits en Agriculture Biologique (AB). Elle a fait l’objet, en 2004, d’une étude concernant les données de l’année 20022. Aujourd’hui, il semble opportun de faire le point sur les résultats obtenus dans ces élevages entre 2002 et 2004 en tentant de montrer les conséquences de la sécheresse 2003. La pérennité de ces exploitations, voire leur survie, est liée à un revenu minimum, qui justifie de s’intéresser aux facteurs de réussite économique

EX-POST EVALUATION OF GHG EMISSIONS AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN ORGANIC AND CONVENTIONAL MEAT SHEEP FARMS IN FRANCE OVER 26 YEARS

The environmental impact of livestock is an important issue, and organic farming (OF) is particularly questioned about greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. This study aims at comparing GHG emissions and non-renewable energy consumption in meat sheep production, in OF and conventional farming systems. These two criteria have been calculated ex-post on 1261 French year-farms monitored over 26 years. The functional unit used is the carcass weight and allocation between meat and wool is mass based. Regarding GHG emissions, the results show that organic farms emits 5% less GHG than conventional ones, with a higher proportion of methane and less indirect CO2 associated to less inputs use. Given the methodological difficulties, it is hard to argue if carbon sequestration in soil is different between OF and conventional. For non-renewable energy, there is no significant difference between OF and conventional farms, due to compensation (more mechanization and less concentrates and fertilizer purchased). Note the great variability in the results, both in OF and conventional farms. The two main explanatory factors are ewe productivity (for GHG) and forage self-sufficiency (energy consumption)

Performances techniques et économiques de 2 troupeaux ovins expérimentaux conduits en Agriculture Biologique (AB).

Deux troupeaux ovins allaitants en AB ont été comparés en ferme expérimentale, menés selon 2 conduites de la reproduction : 3 agnelages en 2 ans (système accéléré) ou une mise bas par an (système herbager). Leurs performances techniques et économiques ont été analysées et comparées à celles d’élevages privés. En système accéléré, la productivité numérique est légèrement supérieure (6 % : 161 vs 152 en moyenne sur 3 ans) mais, même lorsque l’écart est élevé (en 2002 : 193 vs 152), la marge par brebis est peu supérieure (90€ vs 86) du fait de coûts de production élevés. En effet, les concentrés utilisés atteignent 178 kg/brebis (+58 %) avec un prix 60 % plus élevé qu’en conventionnel. Par ailleurs, les résultats de ce système sont irréguliers. Le système herbager, moins intensif pour l’animal, est l’illustration d’un compromis entre niveau des performances zootechniques élevé et maîtrise des charges d’alimentation avec maximisation de l’utilisation des ressources fourragères

Does organic livestock husbandry uses less energy and produces less greenhouse gas than conventional husbandry? Analysis in lactating sheep farms

We have undertaken in this work an evaluation of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the Non-Renewable Energy (NRE) consumption on a sample of 1250 farms-years, operating in sheep meat production, in either organic (OA) or conventional (CA) agriculture, over the period 1987 to 2012, based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. There was no significant difference for NRE consumption (79.6 MJ in OA and 79.7 MJ in CA, per kg of carcass); indeed the gains in OA thanks to a lower use of chemical fertilizers and purchase of lesser concentrates feed were offset by the higher level of mechanization (here fuels and equipment). For GHG emissions, we found a significant difference of 5% beneficial to organic production systems (31.1 vs. 32.7 kg CO2 eq/kg carcass)

Animal health strategies in organic and conventional meat sheep production

Sixteen meat sheep farms (nine conventional and seven organic) in the centre of France were surveyed to evaluate their economic and production performances (previous interviews) and their strategies related to animal health with particular attention to internal parasites (present interview on health strategies). The organic farms were surveyed in mid-September 2006 and the conventional ones in October 2007. Each interview (1½ or 2 h) included a visit of the farm (with the collection of faeces for evaluation of internal parasites), followed by an open discussion on sheep production and health problems, and parasitic infections, in particular. The discussion was recorded and then transcribed into a word processor file and analysed. The farmers agreed on the fragile health of their animals (with special attention to internal parasites)and were confronted with the low value of each lamb or ewe, which does not allow for high health costs. Even under this limited economic situation, the farmers developed different health strategies. Conventional farmers rely on systematic treatments to prevent parasitic infection; they use low-cost effective synthetic drugs and accept lamb mortality rates ranging from five to eight percent. Their practices are homogeneous, which is possibly due to frequent exchanges with colleagues or veterinarians. The healthcare strategy of organic farmers may be divided into two distinct categories: autonomous (“self-made farmer”) and “creative”. The organic self-made farmers are experienced and aim at a sustainable flock (“cruiser flock”). The creative ones do not seem to easily handle the health strategy aspect and often spend more money on healthcare than their conventional or organic self-made colleagues. Health strategy is therefore not completely dependent on the type of production - conventional versus organic - but on the farmer’s conception of life and nature. The creative farmers believe that disease is a dysfunction that may be corrected with treatments (conventional or alternative ones), whereas the self-made farmers consider health as the result of a dynamic equilibrium between the many forces that interact within a flock. The latter is somewhat similar to the idea put forth in the book “The normal and the pathological” by Canguilhem

Relationship Between Climate Index (WMOI, SOI) and Rainfall Variability in Azib Soltane (Sebou basin Marocco)

The objective of this study is to understand the inter-annual variability of rainfall in the region Azib Soltane in the Sebou basin and determined the relationship with climatic fluctuations (represented by Western Mediterranean Oscillation Index [WMOI] and South Oscillation Index [SOI]). To attain this objective, the time series of precipitation at Azib Soltane is being studied by continuous wavelet analysis and wavelet coherence analysis, which are particularly adapted to the study of unstable process.The wavelet analysis of rainfall shows the existence of many groups of energy, from the annual to the inter-annual scales. These bands correspond to modes 1 year, 2-4 years, 4-8 years. The wavelet analysis of coherence shows a strong coherence between WMOI / rain, SOI/rain. The discontinuities can be observed in the late 1980s, 1995. The average contribution of climate fluctuations is about of 60%. Keys words: Climate fluctuation, Morocco, WMOI, SOI, wavelets, and coherence

Spatiotemporal and cross-scale interactions in hydroclimate variability:a case-study in France

International audienceUnderstanding how water resources vary in response to climate at different temporal and spatial scales is crucial to inform long-term management. Climate change impacts and induced trends may indeed be substantially modulated by low-frequency (multi-year) variations, whose strength varies in time and space, with large consequences for risk forecasting systems. In this study, we present a spatial classification of precipitation, temperature, and discharge variability in France, based on a fuzzy clustering and wavelet spectra of 152 near-natural watersheds between 1958 and 2008. We also explore phase–phase and phase–amplitude causal interactions between timescales of each homogeneous region. A total of three significant timescales of variability are found in precipitation, temperature, and discharge, i.e., 1, 2–4, and 5–8 years. The magnitude of these timescales of variability is, however, not constant over the different regions. For instance, southern regions are markedly different from other regions, with much lower (5–8 years) variability and much larger (2–4 years) variability. Several temporal changes in precipitation, temperature, and discharge variability are identified during the 1980s and 1990s. Notably, in the southern regions of France, we note a decrease in annual temperature variability in the mid 1990s. Investigating cross-scale interactions, our study reveals causal and bi-directional relationships between higher- and lower-frequency variability, which may feature interactions within the coupled land–ocean–atmosphere systems. Interestingly, however, even though time frequency patterns (occurrence and timing of timescales of variability) were similar between regions, cross-scale interactions are far much complex, differ between regions, and are not systematically transferred from climate (precipitation and temperature) to hydrological variability (discharge). Phase–amplitude interactions are indeed absent in discharge variability, although significant phase–amplitude interactions are found in precipitation and temperature. This suggests that watershed characteristics cancel the negative feedback systems found in precipitation and temperature. This study allows for a multi-timescale representation of hydroclimate variability in France and provides unique insight into the complex nonlinear dynamics of this variability and its predictability