Participatory integrated assessment of scenarios for organic farming at different scales in Camargue, France
Authored by Sylvestre Delmotte, Jean-Marc Barbier, Jacques Wery, Page Christophe Le, Jean-Claude Mouret, Phillipe Chauvelon, Alain Sandoz, Ridaura Santiago Lopez
Date Published: 2016
DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2015.12.009
Sponsors:
No sponsors listed
Platforms:
CORMAS
Model Documentation:
ODD
Flow charts
Mathematical description
Model Code URLs:
Model code not found
Abstract
Alternative agricultural systems, such as organic farming (OF), are
promising options to sustain both agriculture productivity and
environmental health. However, the adoption of OF by farmers is
occurring more slowly than is advocated. A key factor limiting farmers
is an inability to predict socio-economic consequences of converting to
OR To overcome this, we developed a novel method of integrated
assessment of agricultural systems (IAAS) and applied it to scenarios of
development of OF in the Camargue region, South of France. In
collaboration with the local stakeholders, we characterized the
agricultural systems at different spatial scales and defined scenario
related to the future of agriculture and to OF. We then used agent-based
modeling with farmers and bio-economic modeling with local stakeholders
for scenario assessment. We examined the effects on the development of
OF systems of key factors such as the ongoing reform in the European
Common Agricultural Policy and the effects of regulations for decreased
use of pesticides. The policy reform implied trends towards a
diversification of crops and greater possibility for conversion to OR.
Development of OF at the regional level led to improved environmental
performance, but caused a decrease in profitability of the rice supply
chains. In light of the observed trade-off between rice production and
OF development, objectives and options towards more sustainable
agricultural systems were discussed with farmers and local stakeholders.
Stakeholders' assessment of the framework provided insights on the
positive and specific aspects of the IAAS methodology requiring
improvement. The complementarities of agent-based and bio-economic
modeling provide stakeholders with a better-informed assessment of
diverse scenarios, for the development of more sustainable agricultural
systems. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Agricultural systems
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