Organic farming to preserve water quality?Comparison of three emblematic cases of successful management of drinking water catchment area

Protecting water resources from pollutants generated by agricultural activities is becoming more strictly regulated in Europe today, with an obligation to achieveresults. This means that towns willing to improve quality of their domestic water supply are required to regulate farmers’ practices in the water catchment areas. In this paper, we studied three cases (Munich and Augsburg in Germany, and Lons-le-Saunier in France) often listed as successful initiatives/ experiences of preservation of water quality by local authorities that have developed coordination with farmers. In this paper, we carried out a comparative analysis of the construction of city-farmer agreements, based on in-depth surveys and with a particular focus on the role of conversion to organic farming in these agreements. We highlighted several significant differences between these three case studies, with regard to the delimitation of the city’s field of action, the nature of compensation proposed to the farmers, the direct involvement of the city council in the acquisition of land in the vulnerable zone, and the importance granted to organic farming. However, in all three cases we also found similarities, such as the importance, for successful city-farmer coordination, of a facilitator as an intermediary between the two parties, as well as dialogue and contracts that span sufficiently long periods. When these conditions are met, which is the case in the two German cities, the results on the water quality are positive. From this point of view, the German water utilities’ status as “private companies owned by the city” seems to be highly conducive to the introduction of truly environment-friendly practices by farmers. In contrast, in the French case, the greater weight of regulatory constraints on the establishment of direct relations with farmers tends to prevent any fluidity in modes of action and to trigger tensions. Finally, the specific study of the role of conversion to organic farming in the solutions proposed and accepted by the farmers highlights a number of factors needed for the territorial development of this typeof farming: a strong political will that translates into high financial incentives, guaranteed local markets for organic products, and necessary technical support. These factors nevertheless remain insufficient in two of the three case studies, and only the city of Munich, starting off with a particularly favourable situation, has been able to achieve a territorial development of organic farming in tandem with the preservation of its water resources.