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Study of Agro-systems of the Burren
Priscille GHESQUIERE & Dorian FLECHET
Aims of the Study
•To understand the evolution of farming in the Burren
•To help select adequate solutions for its future development
How we proceeded
• Five Steps:– Interpret landscape features linked with
farming– Grasp the recent evolution of farms in the
Burren and their trends– Build a farm typology based on interviews– Calculate economic results for each type of
farm– Look at the potential innovative fields
How we proceeded• Five Steps:
– Interpret landscape features linked with farming
– Grasp the recent evolution of farms in the Burren and their trends
– Build a farm typology based on interviews– Calculate economic results for each type of
farm– Look at the potential innovative fields
Landscape Features
• Localisation, geology, soil quality– Delimitation according to the geology:
• Shale / Wet lands• Limestone / Dry lands
– Focus on the winterage:• Central position in farming• Subsidies area based• Broader economic value (Tourism…)
(Burren-LIFE Project)
Summer lands
Silage Limestone
Winterage
Pasture
Farm
Slatted House
Hay, Calving sheds
How we proceeded
• Four Steps:– Interpret landscape features linked with
farming
– Grasp the recent evolution of farms in the Burren and their trends
– Build a farm typology based on interviews– Calculate economic results for each type of
farm– Look at the potential innovative fields
Evolution of Farming in the Burren
• The Traditional Farming-system after lands redistribution– Commonage on the uplands– Tillage and summer grazing in the lowlands- Finished traditional breed- Milk
• From 1950 – First tractors and first land reclamation– Introduction of Friesian and continental
breeds
Evolution of Farming in the Burren
• Joining the European Union 1973– Access to a new market, based on young
continental breeds– Policy to improve the production (subsidised
Land reclamations until 1992, Chemical fertilizers, introduction of silage…)
– Disappearance of tillage
• Milk quotas 1981, aggregation of the dairy farms
Evolution of Farming in the Burren
• The 90’s:– Premiums system is based on production– REPS in 1994– Economic Boom encourages Part-time
farming
• Decoupling in 2005, extensification– Single farm payment → Easier to apply for
REPS– Further development of the Part-time Farming
Effects of the History on the actual development of Farming
• Reluctance to sell land
• Readiness to adopt mainstream changes
• But progressive loss of traditions (Breeds, Landscape, Reputation of meat quality)
• Loss of independence (Labor, feed and fertilizers…)
• Subsidy dependency
How we proceeded• Four Steps:
– Interpret landscape features linked with farming
– Grasp the recent evolution of farms in the Burren and their trends
– Build a farm typology based on interviews– Calculate economic results for each type of
farm– Look at the potential innovative fields
Interviews
• Random sample of farmers by Hear-say and door knocking
• Trying to cover every major type of farming-system in the Burren
• Collecting Economic and technical data
• Compiling several farms to create a Type
Typology of Farming
Part-time farmers
Full-time farmers
Farmers from the BURREN
conventional organic
Part-time farmers
silage no silage
not in REPS in REPS
Typology of Farming
Suckler farms Dairy farmers
Full-time farmers
Small
Organic
Medium Big
Small Big
Mixed
farmers
no or few
winterage
Typology of Farming
How we proceeded• Five Steps:
– Interpret landscape features linked with farming
– Grasp the recent evolution of farms in the Burren and their trends
– Build a farm typology based on interviews
– Calculate economic results for each type of farm
– Look at the potential innovative fields
Economic Results
• The Net Added Value (NAV) =Gross Product – Costs – Depreciation
• Family Income NAV – Rents – Taxes – Wages
+ Subsidies• Global Income
(Includes extra incomes)
Economic Results: Suckler Farms
-10 000 €
0 €
10 000 €
20 000 €
30 000 €
40 000 €
50 000 €
60 000 €
70 000 €
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140Total number of Cows
Euro / Family Worker
Net Added Value Income from the Farm Global Income
Little
Part-time
Full-time
Economic results, suckler farms case
-10 000 €
0 €
10 000 €
20 000 €
30 000 €
40 000 €
50 000 €
60 000 €
70 000 €
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140Total number of Cows
Euro / Family Worker
Net Added Value Income from the Farm Global Income
Threshold = Average Wages in building sectorSmall Full-time
Part-time
Full-time
Full-time Suckler Farms and Organic
-20 000 €
0 €
20 000 €
40 000 €
60 000 €
80 000 €
100 000 €
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Total number of Cows
Euro / Family Worker
Net Added Value
Income from the Farm
Global Income
Small
Organic
No Winterage
Winterage
Large
Part-time Farming And Organic Part-time Farming
-10 000 €
0 €
10 000 €
20 000 €
30 000 €
40 000 €
50 000 €
60 000 €
70 000 €
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140Total number of Cows
Euro / Family Worker
Net Added Value
Income from the Farm
Global Income
Part-time Suckler, Silage
Full-time, Suckler
Part-time Suckler, Hay
Part-time Farming And Organic Part-time Farming
-10 000 €
0 €
10 000 €
20 000 €
30 000 €
40 000 €
50 000 €
60 000 €
70 000 €
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140Total number of Cows
Euro / Family Worker
Net Added Value
Income from the Farm
Global Income
Organic in REPS
Organic not in REPS
Dairy farms and mixed Farms
-20 000 €
-10 000 €
0 €
10 000 €
20 000 €
30 000 €
40 000 €
50 000 €
60 000 €
70 000 €
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Total number of Cows
Euro / Family Worker
Net Added Value
Income from the Farm
Global Income
Small
Mixed
Large
ConclusionsHow does the BURREN look today?- Little diversification- Decreasing added value- Dependency on subsidies and/or extra-
income How to ensure sustainability? How to improve? How to innovate?
How we proceeded• Five Steps:
– Interpret landscape features linked with farming
– Grasp the recent evolution of farms in the Burren and their trends
– Build a farm typology based on interviews– Calculate economic results for each type of
farm
– Look at the potential innovative fields
Different types of innovation
Product innovation:
New product
(diversification)
Process innovation:
new production process
(transformation, techniques)
Innovation
Organisation innovation:
Co – Op, Marketing
New type of subsidies
Where are the innovations in the Burren?
Product Process Marketing REPSDAIRY No No No No
MIXED FARMS Yes No No YesSUCKLER(full-time) No No No Yes
SUCKLER(part-time) No No No Yes
Organic Farms Yes Yes Yes YesVegetables / Fruits Yes No Yes No
DifferentCattle Breed
No Yes No Yes
Milk : Ice Cream Yes Yes Yes No
Organisation
Where are the innovations in the Burren?
Product Process Marketing REPSDAIRY No No No No
MIXED FARMS Yes No No YesSUCKLER(full-time) No No No Yes
SUCKLER(part-time) No No No Yes
Organic Farms Yes Yes Yes YesVegetables / Fruits Yes No Yes No
DifferentCattle Breed
No Yes No Yes
Milk : Ice Cream Yes Yes Yes No
Organisation
Where are the innovations?Product Process Marketing REPS
DAIRY No No No NoMIXED FARMS Yes No No Yes
SUCKLER(full-time) No No No Yes
SUCKLER(part-time) No No No Yes
Organic Farms Yes Yes Yes YesVegetables / Fruits Yes No Yes No
DifferentCattle Breed
No Yes No Yes
Milk : Ice Cream Yes Yes Yes No
Organisation
Innovative Farms Vs Part-time or Full-time suckler Farms
-20 000 €
-10 000 €
0 €
10 000 €
20 000 €
30 000 €
40 000 €
50 000 €
60 000 €
70 000 €
80 000 €
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Total number of Cows
Euro / Family Worker
Net Added Value
Income from the Farm
Global Income
Horticulture
New Breeds
Farming in the Burren relies on Subsidies– It seems the subsidies will be cut off– What are the consequences?
• Aggregation? From a family to industrial scale farming. Rent of the lands to bigger farms.
• Research of innovation for more added value (diversification, organic, pure breed cattle?)
• These innovations must be socially and environmentally acceptable = eco-innovations
Discussion
Go raibh mile maith agat!
Sláinte!
Acknowledgments