Baeza 1, Jan Douwe Van Der Ploeg

Styles of Farming, landscapes and biodiversity (Part 1) Jan Douwe van der Ploeg Rural Sociology Baeza, Curso de Agro-ecología Enero 2009

Diversity and agrarian policy: 1969

Enlarged diversity: 1981

Four level definition of farming style:







Specific cultural repertoire Specific patterning of technical, economic and social relations within the farm Specific patterning of interrelations with markets and suppliers of technology (specific set of transaction and governing costs) Specific response to agrarian policies (and, increasingly, to Food Empires)

Farming Styles Agricultural entrepreneurs

Peasants

Farming Styles Tres (o cuatro) niveles de definición Agricultural entrepreneurs 1) Repertorio cultural 2) Prácticas específicas 3) Relaciones específicas 4) Respuesta política Peasants

Umbria, the green heart of Italy

Monte Subasio

Grazing herd of Chianina cattle

Economic impact of high quality food production (∆ NVA; EU-7, 1998 data) HQ

Total additional NVA

€2.3 billion

€ 5.2 billion Organic

Short supply

€0.4 billion

chains €2.5 billion

The hidden miracles

The explanation of the Umbrian ‘miracle’ + Resistenza contadina (peasant resistance) + Food culture (longing for quality) + Regional authority + Embedded in the local

- EU-policy (but changing) - ‘Global’ science (but increasingly focusing on specificity)

Contributing to the quality of life

Local self-regulation NFW (Northern Frisian Woodlands) Territorial Cooperative 40,000 hectares 850 members North East of Friesland

Historical continuity

1850

1990

Elevated cost levels

Typical hedgerow

Maintenance of the landscape:

Increasing biodiversity Additional income flow:€4 million/year

Finetuning of the processes of production: strong decrease of N-emissions

Food-web: the invisible part of biodiversity

Interacting with the surrounding ‘regime’

Adapted Technology: illegal

The construction of quality Outdoor grazing Fresh grass

Fresh and healthy milk Containing high CLA-levels

Introducing new qualities into the area Increased quality of life Improved food quality Increased biodiversity

Strengthened rural economy

Increased quality of the landscape Improved quality of natural resources

Landscape

New research: Interaction and optimalization

Production

New research: Repeated Pareto Optimalization 70

60

Nature value

50

40

100 1000

30

12000

20

10

0 1500

2000

2500

Profit (eur/ha)

3000

New research: Improving connectivity

New policy approach: Strategic niche management institutional analysis

space

Institutionalization of practices

“world”

multi-actor multi-level multi-aspect

evolving landscape

3

3 = transition

2

2 = system innovation & regime shift

patchwork of regimes

1

1 = no break through of novelties niche formation & novelty creation

niches “local” past

present

future

time

A dynamic multi-actor, multi-level and multi-aspect perspective on the coevolution of technical and institutional change (Roep & Wiskerke, 2004)

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