Establishment in livestock farming systems in France: Issues and research agenda

Abstract

Setting up a livestock farming business is a key issue for the farming world, with the number of livestock farms falling sharply in both France and Europe. Yet the processes involved in setting up a livestock farm and the people behind the projects are increasingly diverse. We need to understand these processes and the people behind them so that those involved in providing support, who also need to be characterized, can develop the relevant tools and methods. This study was based on three corpuses: interviews with experts in setting up and running livestock farms, abundant grey literature and scientific literature with no forward-looking aspect. The review confirms the growing complexity of the setting-up process, the project leaders, the projects themselves and the local socio-ecosystems in which these processes take place. Levers and obstacles are proposed, particularly with regard to the creation of production resources: work collectives, land or buildings, equipment and livestock, where the trend is towards attenuating the specific features of the sector and hybridizing with other resources. The support systems and associated players are presented, highlighting the diversity of their roles and positions. Three major questions are put forward as part of a transdisciplinary research-for-action approach to supporting the setting up of livestock farms during a period of major multiple transitions.