Methodology for the conception and evaluation of multiperforming production systems : application to a dairy farm and broiler chickenp roduction

Abstract

Following the bidding by the General Commission for Future Strategy of the French government, INRA has analyzed the different évolutions possible in French practices and agriculture systems towards a more sustainable production that manages to combine productive, economic, environmental and social performances. A method to help design and evaluating the systems was thus developed. This method is based on over 200 basic agricultural practices whose impact was qualified on 35 performance indicators as well as on a compatibility index between these elementary practices. Two studies based on different uses of this method are presented: i) the step by step conception of a production system by progressively incorporating elementary practices from one entry practice with major effect, to increase food autonomy in dairy cattle production by valorizing grasslands; ii) evaluating the system performances a posteriori by transcribing the action levers and progress margins identified by an expert panel into elementary practices in order to improve competition of the broiler industry through the development of two very different but complementary production systems. The tendencies of the simulated or rebuilt performance evolution of these production systems are discussed. When situations present an ambivalent impact of a practice on one performance, using the detailed description of these practices often allows reducing the uncertainty by considering the situations associated with each type of impact.