Animal domestic biodiversity in farms: considering social interactions surrounding the farms together with farming systems specificities

Thème 2: Agroecology and new farming arrangements

International audience

anglais. Animal domestic biodiversity is recognized as a lever for agro-ecological transition in livestock farming. On territories, the consequences of the use of local breeds in terms of territorial dynamics and social interactions surrounding the farm, and their connection with food production need to be more investigated. We make the hypothesis that their use is a mean, for farmers, to create social links with others actors in a territory. We conducted case studies of two French farms, exemplary as regards their interactions with various stakeholders, using local breeds from deferent species (cattle and sheep) in contrasted territories. We propose an approach (i) to identify persons concerned by the farm and its production (goods or services) (ii) to characterize point of view of actors that interact with farmers on territories and their related practices. Related social interactions surrounding local breeds farms can be of importance, and not only as “side effects” but as part of farmers’projects. The development of educational projects for instance or the close links with consumers rest on specificities of the livestock farming systems, of breeds’ abilities, and the food produced but can also contribute to reinforce the visibility of the farmer, its activity and its products. We than discuss the possible contribution of such a focus (on social interactions surrounding the farm and links with farming systems and food production) to approaches of agroecological transition that takes into account both sociotechnical and socioecological dimensions.