Propositions for public policies and dissemination of organic farming based upon spatial analyses / Réflexion à partir d’une analyse spatialesur les politiques de soutien et la diffusion de l’agriculture biologique

Abstract

Building on three studies conducted on the spatial diffusion of organic farming (OF) in France, the objective of this article is to provide analysis on incentives and obstacles for the development of OF. What restrains the OF adoption is represented by three types of risks (agronomic, economic and moral) which reduce the propensity to convert to organic farming. Our work is based on national data bases on certified farms in 2010 and beneficiaries of aid for conversion to organic farming between 1993 and 2010. If these data do not make it possible to analyse the motivations at the individual level, they provide original findings by their completeness and the mobilization of different spatial and temporal scales, and a set of tools for exploratory and econometric spatial analysis. The main results are commented: characterization of the spatial heterogeneity of OF, relationship between OF and markets access, territories characteristics (agronomic, socioeconomic, institutional) that increase or decrease their propensity to host organic farms. They provide a basis to discuss the implications of public policies aiming to remove the bottlenecks and stimulate the development of OF in all territories, according to the national objectives