Dairy cattle breeding in organic farming, a search for balance on all levels

Abstract

In France, organic dairy cattle farming has developed and the sector has reached a certain maturity. This review proposes an analysis of this development through the concept of balance against multiple risks. At the farm level, organic farming changes the balance between land and livestock. It renews health management and requires finding new balances to prevent the appearance of problems. It upsets economic balances with modified ratios between milk and input prices. It transforms work and the balance between professional and personal life. Finally, it modifies the relations between the farm and its environment, notably its intermediaries. At the sector level, its rapid development poses multiple challenges that question the balance of relations between production, collection and processing, and consumption. Organic milk production is seasonal, while processing and distribution require consistent deliveries throughout the year. Maintaining a balance between production and consumption of organic dairy products is fragile and relies on a complex interplay of actors with a market tending to globalize.