Co-location of different animal production sectors within European countries: the French exception?

Abstract

Although the gains from the concentration of animal production have been relatively well identified, we have little knowledge about the combination of different animal production types at the territorial level in Europe. This article is aimed at i) studying the co-location of different animal production types within European territories, using a statistics indicator for measuring territory specialization, and ii) discussing the link between the nature of these specializations and the animal densities within an econometric analysis. This study highlights that, except for France, the major EU producers tend to specialize their territories in a unique animal production. Thissuggeststhat the co-location benefits are relatively low.In France, how agricultural, environmental and land policies are implemented seems to have slowed down the mono-specialization of territories, especially in the poultry, pig and dairy sectors.