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Gastrointestinal parasitism with helminths and protozoa remains a major threat in cattle and small ruminant production and has been “rediscovered” in pig and poultry production systems operating under organic farming rules because of the requirement to grant outdoor access to the animals. The control of these parasitic infections is a key issue for the economic viability of farms and for animal welfare. Control solutions aim at: (i) providing the agronomical bases for parasite control through rational management of pastures; (ii) stimulating the host immune response through different means; (iii) exploring and evaluating the efficacy of new drugs (i.e., phytotherapy, homeopathy and nutraceuticals); and (iv) developing new concepts of application of chemical antiparasitic drugs (e.g., targeted selective treatments). These four control principles will be illustrated with examples taken from the different livestock production systems. The perspectives of current research are to provide both organic and conventional farmers with a “basket of options” to be adapted to the various situations, in order to achieve more sustainable, integrated approaches to parasite control.

Plant protection in organic farming has to simultaneously comply with two sets of regulations: regulations on organic production and pesticide legislation. This chapter describes the organic approach to plant protection, including the role of systems management versus direct interventions, the range of authorised substances and the procedures for authorising new substances and the withdrawal of old substances. External factors not related to organic farming also influence the availability of plant protection products. Scientific, regulatory and economic aspects may limit the registration of substances in a given country. On the other hand, there is an alternative route for the registration of fertilisers and plant strengtheners in some countries. As a result, the range of plant protection products available to organic farmers varies from one country to another. The history of the authorisation of sodium bicarbonate, spinosad, copper fungicides, clay minerals and granulosis viruses illustrates how the two sets of regulations can interact in very different ways, creating different patterns of availability. The practice of plant protection is illustrated for the prevention and control of apple scab, fire blight and codling moth in organic apple orchards. At the end of the chapter, research perspectives for a ‘self-regulating’ apple orchard where plant protection fully relies on systems management are presented. The level of environmental friendliness already achieved by organic plant protection is discussed, and approaches with the potential for improvement are identified.

In partnership with INRA, professionals from the organic vegetable sector in Brittany conducted a breeding programme for organically-farmed cabbage based on an evaluation programme of genetic resources collected from French (INRA) and European gene banks at the PAIS (Agro-biological platform of the Interprofessional Association for Organic Farming in Brittany), located in Suscinio. Between 2001 and 2003, the evaluation focused on quality criteria for commercial products and the suitability of varieties to the organic market, as well as on their adaptation to the environment. About 400 populations of cauliflower have thus been evaluated at the PAIS and/or by professionals in the sector in Brittany in order to evaluate their adaptation to organic production under different soil conditions and their suitability to various marketing channels. Ten of them were selected. Focused at first on cabbage, the programme was extended at the request of professionals and led to the breeding of several other species (tomato, carrot, lettuce, spinach, etc.). Breeding programs must now be optimized in order to satisfy consumer quality and adaptability requirements, and to design a coherent regulatory framework for participatory plant breeding and organic farming.

Colloque Dinabio mai 2008 à Montpellier. 3. Dynamiques de développement de l'AB; National audience; The creation of a professional degree in organic farming, known as an ABCD, is the result of the desire to provide training at the national level that is supported by the agriculture sector and that brings together the know-how of universities and higher education institutions specialised in agronomy and those of a network of teaching establishments specialised in technical education in the field. This degree aims at forming agents and advisors capable of working in a wide range of fields such as production, processing, distribution, control-certification and marketing. It is mainly intended for adults interested in career development and students who would like to further their education. Four training sites are involved and all teaching is done through a virtual digital university using information and communication technologies.; Le projet de création d’une licence professionnelle intitulée « Agriculture Biologique, Conseil et Développement » est l'aboutissement d'une volonté de proposer au niveau national, une formation, qui avec l'appui de la profession, fédère des compétences universitaires et de l'enseignement supérieur agronomique avec celles d'un réseau d'établissements d'enseignements agronomiques techniques. Cette licence vise à former des cadres moyens, polyvalents, spécialistes des questions de l'AB dans les domaines de la production, la transformation, la distribution, le contrôle-certification et la commercialisation. Elle est principalement destinée au public de la formation continue, en contrat de professionnalisation et aux étudiants issus de formation initiale (L2, BTS; DUT, ...). Conduite en alternance et en parallèle, sur 4 sites de formation, elle est réalisée intégralement via une Université numérique virtuelle au moyen des Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication (TIC).

France suffers from a large research deficit in most areas related to sustainable development and public health. The case of research on organic farming, within the framework of the broader sector of agronomic research, constitutes a largely under-investigated field. Even if the demand for organic products is rapidly growing in Europe, research in this field still suffers from a lack of funding and researchers. A bibliometric analysis based on key words from scientific publications (in English only) taken from Thomson Scientific’s ISI Web of Science reference database made it possible to determine sufficiently relevant indicators for a comparison of national research efforts from 2000-2006, and to therefore assess actual research priorities in the area of organic farming. Beyond traditional specialisation analyses, the ratio between the world share of publications of a given country in organic farming and its world share of publications in specific disciplines and sub-disciplines (according to the nomenclature of the French Observatory for Sciences and Techniques) allowed us to obtain these prioritisation indexes that act as policy and priority (or prioritisation activity) indicators for research institutions involved in the concerned area. An index above 1 indicates an over-specialisation, whereas an index below 1 indicates an under-specialisation. For the period 2000-2006, the European Union obtained a specialisation index of 1.52 in the area of organic farming, compared to 0.68 for the US, 0.98 for Brazil and 0.18 for China. However, this seemingly satisfactory average for Europe as a whole hides important disparities between European countries. Moreover, France is at the very end of the classification for all indexes with only 0.47 specialisation, compared to Germany with 1.19, Italy with 1.39, Austria with 2.78, Sweden with 3.99, Finland with 4.46 and Denmark with 12.19. The prioritisation index for organic farming in comparison to the discipline, “Applied biology and ecology”, is 1.65 for the EU27, 0.69 for the US, 1.7 for Germany, 3.98 for Austria, 3.84 for Finland, 9.45 for Denmark and 0.49 for France. In comparison to the subdiscipline, “Agriculture, plant biology” the index is 1.5 for the EU27, 0.98 for the US, 1.61 for Germany, 3.28 for Austria, 1.52 for Finland, 9.79 for Denmark, and 0.41 for France. Finally, for the sub-discipline, “Agro-food”, it is 1.86 for the EU27, 0.73 for the US, 1.98 for Germany, 6.92 for Austria, 7.39 for Finland, 9.39 for Denmark and 0.58 for France. These results confirm that research on organic farming is largely under-prioritised in France. The French national research effort is therefore far from meeting the ecological and economic challenges facing agriculture in the 21st century.

Clinical mastitis is the main concern in dairy farming today, but there are very few drugs that are compatible with organic specifications. Our study was conducted in order to evaluate the therapeutic efficiency of the intramammary infusion of three essential oils, Thymus vulgaris, Rosmarinus verbenone and Laurus nobilis. Fifty-five cases of mastitis were treated with 10 ml of a mixture of the three oils (1.5% each in sunflower oil). Forty-five others were treated with 10 ml of a mixture of Thymus vulgaris and Rosmarinus verbenone (6% of each in sunflower oil or in water). The recovery rate was only 40%, which is deemed unsatisfactory.

Colloque Dinabio mai 2008 à Montpellier. 1. Défis techniques de la production à la transformation; National audience; Organic farmers are interested in adopting conservation tillage to preserve soil quality and fertility and to prevent soil erosion. Within the framework of a French national study, we compared conventional (ploughing) and conservation tillage systems in organic farming for arable and vegetable cropping systems. Field experiments and on-farm surveys were conducted in several regions of France in order to assess the effects of different tillage systems on soil fertility (physical, chemical, biological) and on weed and crop development. Conservation tillage techniques induced a more compact soil, an increase of carbon and microorganisms in the first soil layer, and an increase of earthworm biomass for very superficial tillage. Weed control was only a major problem for the very superficial tillage, which in turn generated lower crop yields than conventional tillage. The main issues raised by this programme deal with the long-term effects of these techniques on soil fertility, and the improvement of conservation tillage techniques in organic farming.; En agriculture biologique (AB), le labour a plusieurs fonctions : préparation des semis, enfouissement des amendements organiques et contrôle des adventices. Cependant, les agriculteurs en AB s’intéressent aux techniques sans labour (TSL) dans la perspective de baisser leur coût de production tout en préservant leur sol. Des recherches menées en grandes cultures et maraîchage AB ont été développées dans différentes régions françaises à partir de sites expérimentaux et de réseaux de parcelles. L’objectif est d’évaluer l’impact des TSL en grandes cultures (travail superficiel à très superficiel sans retournement) et en maraîchage (planches permanentes) sur la fertilité du sol, le rendement des cultures et le contrôle des adventices. Dès les premières années d’adoption des TSL, on observe une prise en masse du sol, une augmentation du stock de carbone et des microorganismes dans les 0-15 cm. La biomasse lombricienne est plus importante en travail très superficiel qu'avec les autres techniques. La baisse du rendement n’est observée que pour un travail du sol très superficiel, et quelques situations de planches permanentes en raison du développement des adventices ou de problèmes d’implantation. Ainsi, peu de différences en termes d’adventices et de rendement sont mises en évidence entre le travail du sol superficiel (10-15 cm) et le labour en grandes cultures. Les travaux présentés étant récents, des interrogations demeurent sur l’impact des TSL en AB sur le long terme, et leur intérêt d’un point de vue économique, énergétique et environnemental.

Synthetic overview of the first workshop "technical challenges in organic agriculture from the production to the transformation.

Analysis of the distribution of organic farming and its determinants is a major challenge for the construction of scenarios related to the evolution of organic farming that take the set of factors that limit or facilitate conversions and their sustainability into account. In order to support different development scenarios for organic farming in view of environmental and marketing challenges, an econometric and geostatistic study was initiated in the PACA region. The approach consists of three stages. The first stage involves the construction, over a 20-year period, of a longitudinal spatial database concerning certified organic producers and distributors. This database is georeferenced at the plot level. It will then be necessary to statistically analyse the trends and the determinants of the organic farming distribution process over time and space. Finally, this knowledge will be used to build scenarios for the development of organic farming production on the medium term. Intermediary results presented within this framework well be based on the georeferencing of producers and distributors at the community level in 2007, without drawing on farm data issued by the MRA (French farmers mutual insurance system), and on the results of an exhaustive survey of all organic distributors implemented in 2008 in the PACA region.

Colloque Dinabio mai 2008 à Montpellier. 3. Dynamiques de développement de l'AB; National audience; With 67,000 ha and 1,200 organic farms (OF), the Midi-Pyrénées region is the biggest agricultural area in France and second only to the Pays de Loire region in number of farms. Organic farming has developed rapidly over the past 15 years due to the steep increase in the demand for organic products. However, this was not always the case due to several factors linked to technical difficulties: market access, wide use of imports, a trend towards industrialisation, difficulties in mastering techniques, particularly for the production of high quality durum wheat, the ineffectiveness or absence of organisations intended to help producers, etc. As a result, the Midi-Pyrénées Regional Council, which had supported organic farming for a long time, sponsored several studies to assess the sector’s development potential and future prospects (Demeter Conseil, 2005; Mondy, 2006). The conclusions of these studies will be used as a basis for our reflection on the means necessary to coordinate stakeholders in the field. The difficulties involved in the development of organic agriculture are real, but the importance of organisation requires particular attention. To address this issue, two research hypotheses were explored: the first one considers that the development of organic farming is not simply a question of technique or commercial advancement. The organisational dimension includes three elements that link the interactive dynamics between OF stakeholders in the region, the development of a regional governance network, and the enhancement of regional social capital. The second hypothesis clarifies the nature of the organisational dimension. It is not possible to apply a development plan similar to the one used for mainstream agriculture to organic farming. On the contrary, a new plan must be developed that takes the specificities of OF into consideration.; Si l’AB a connu ces quinze dernières années un développement important, notamment avec la forte croissance de la demande des produits biologiques, son développement en matière de production marque le pas depuis quelques années. A cela plusieurs raisons liées à des difficultés d’ordre technique, économique, financier, et organisationnel. Si l’ensemble de ces difficultés est réel, l’importance de la question organisationnelle attire particulièrement l’attention. Ce texte traite cette question organisationnelle de l’AB, en partant des conclusions de cette étude régionale réalisée en partenariat avec le Conseil Régional de Midi-Pyrénées. Il analyse les modes de coordination des acteurs en intégrant trois composantes qui renvoient aux dynamiques interactives entre acteurs de l’AB dans la Région, à l’élaboration d’un dispositif de gouvernance, à la valorisation du capital social régional. L’objectif, est de pousser la réflexion et l’analyse prospective en matière de développement de l’AB, en évitant d’appliquer à l’AB un schéma de développement et d’accompagnement similaire à celui qui a présidé au développement de l’agriculture conventionnelle.

Synthetic overview of the third workshop : development dynamics of organic farming.

This study reveals a wide variability in the major parameters of the energy analysis applied to 44 four-year-long organic crop sequences. The intensification level of the systems in terms of the use or nonuse of organic fertilisation on cereals and of irrigation on summer crops (mainly pulses) is largely responsible for this variability. Average energy consumption ranges from 5 000 to 12 270 MJ/ha/year depending on the intensification level. Energy production varies from 35 500 to 43 950 MJ/ha/year. Since energy consumption and production both vary in the same direction with the degree of intensification, the energy gain is stable at an average value of 29300 MJ/ha/year. Energy efficiency decreases from 7.1 MJ/MJ for unfertilised and unirrigated crop sequences, to 3.5 MJ/MJ for fertilised and irrigated sequences, where soy and faba bean are among the major crops.

The control of pests in organic orchards cannot solely rely on the use of direct control methods. The effect of manipulating the habitat of orchard pests and natural enemies through tree architecture and the increase of plant diversity has been investigated in an experimental organic apple orchard and in a pear orchard, in order to provide information about the potential benefits of these cultural practices. Tree training affected the development of the most detrimental pests of apple trees, and the centrifugal training system globally provided better aphid (Dysaphis plantaginea) and mite (Panonychus ulmi) control than the more classical Solaxe system, whereas codling moth (Cydia pomonella) was favoured compared to Solaxe. The study of an experimental hedgerow designed to optimise protection of the pear orchard allowed us to validate the basic principles of designing plant assemblages to increase plant diversity in the orchard surroundings, namely the introduction of a succession of resources favouring the natural enemies of the key orchard pests, and to avoid detrimental effects (pests or diseases shared with the crops). This experiment and other studies suggest that manipulating the plant diversity adjacent to the orchard has an effect on entomocenosis. However, the potential benefits for the orchard only concern the control of pests that can be tolerated at high infestation rates.

Colloque Dinabio mai 2008 à Montpellier. 3. Dynamiques de développement de l'AB; National audience; Organisation into Participatory Guarantee Systems was the main model for compliance with organic farming specifications until the beginning of the 1990s, even if it was not officially recognised as such. Control and certification by an independent body then became a requirement (standard EN NF 45011). This European project, initiated by IFOAM in 2005, showed that, among other things, an Internal Control System can provide a guarantee equivalent to that of a certification by an independent body, but on the basis of different tools: the transparency of local networks, the improvement of practices at the group level and the involvement of consumers. As a result, recognition of the Participatory Guarantee Systems by public authorities would reinforce consumer confidence while relocating production, issues of concern to a majority of the stakeholders in the sector.; L'organisation en Systèmes Participatifs de Garantie (SPG) était le principal modèle pour le respect des cahiers des charges de l'agriculture biologique jusqu'au début des années 1990, même s'ils n'étaient pas nommés de la sorte. Le contrôle et la certification par organisme tiers ont été imposés par la suite (norme EN NF 45011). Ce projet européen, initié par IFOAM en 2005, a, entre autres, montré qu’un SPG peut fournir une garantie équivalente à celle de la certification par tiers mais avec des outils différents qui sont : la transparence du réseau local, l'amélioration collective des pratiques et l'implication des consommateurs. Par conséquent, une reconnaissance des Systèmes Participatifs de Garantie par les pouvoirs publics renforcerait la confiance des consommateurs tout en relocalisant la production, enjeux largement partagés dans le secteur.

The objective of our work was to investigate innovative sustainable cropping systems to produce regular yields of wheat with a satisfactory grain protein concentration in organic farming systems. Achieving good production levels in stockless French organic farming systems is a major challenge due to strong N limitation. Our approach is mainly based on a better valorisation of the natural nitrogen resources from soil mineralisation and symbiotic fixation of legumes, and not by an increase in the use of organic fertiliser. Two experiments were carried out in southwestern France where winter wheat and durum wheat were grown for their use in human consumption (bread and pasta, respectively). On one hand, cover crops were sown in summer and were incorporated in early November just before the wheat was sown. On the other hand, wheat was cultivated in mixture (intercropping) with a grain legume such as winter pea or fababean. The cover crops were found to be effective in the case of rainy winter years i) because of their role as a nitrate catch crop to mitigate nitrate leaching and ii) because they made it possible to increase the yield and the protein concentration of wheat grains by increasing available N (role of green manure). In the case of intercropping, wheat yield was reduced in comparison to a wheat crop alone, as expected, but the protein concentration was significantly increased and the whole grain yield (wheat + legume) was increased. Thus, in organic farming, intercrops seem to be more effective for enhancing natural nitrogen resources. However, it is still necessary: (i) to optimise the technical sequences of these two farming systems, and; ii) to determine the role of intercrops within rotations and to analyse their effect for both pests and diseases management, which is crucial in organic farming systems.

National audience; This seminar confirmed that less greenhouse gas (GHG) is emitted per unit area under organic agriculture than under conventional agriculture, and that our eating patterns have a strong impact on factors involved in climate change. Moreover, it shed new light on and contributed original information to a variety of fields. The two major advantages of organic farming in terms of the mitigation of GHG emissions are its ability to store carbon in the ground and the non-use of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers. Means for improving practices and research priorities were identified.; Ce colloque a confirmé que l’agriculture biologique émet moins de gaz à effet de serre (GES) par unité de surface que l’agriculture conventionnelle, et que nos habitudes alimentaires ont un fort impact sur les facteurs intervenant sur le changement climatique. Il a par ailleurs apporté un éclairage nouveau et des informations originales dans de nombreux domaines. En matière de mitigation des émissions de GES par l’agriculture biologique, les deux atouts principaux de cette dernière, tels qu’ils sont ressortis de ce colloque, sont la séquestration de carbone dans le sol et la non utilisation d’azote de synthèse. Des pistes d’amélioration des pratiques et des orientations de recherche sont identifiées.

Colloque Dinabio mai 2008 à Montpellier. 1. Défis techniques de la production à la transformation; National audience; Common wheat bunt (caused by the fungus Tilletia caries or Tilletia foetida) is a disease whose incidence is clearly on the rise in organic farming, jeopardising the balance of the French organic cereal sector. Control methods adapted to organic farming must be found, especially since we know that no seed treatment is 100% effective. The use of varietal resistance appears particularly promising for limiting the spread of the disease. Since 2000, an experiment whose purpose is to assess the resistance of soft wheat varieties to Tilletia caries is conducted each year by the French plant institute, ARVALIS. These experiments make it possible to identify the existence of a wide behavioural variability with respect to this pathogen among the different varieties grown in France. However, no variety corresponding to the specific criteria imposed by organic agriculture has yet to show adequate levels of resistance. At the same time, a European testing network revealed a strong genotype X environment interaction, emphasizing the necessity of consolidating these initial observations by increasing the number of test sites and by identifying virulence genes present in France as well as resistance genes present in the different varieties.; La carie commune du blé (causée par le champignon Tilletia caries ou Tilletia foetida) est une maladie en nette recrudescence en agriculture biologique, mettant en péril l’équilibre de la filière des céréales biologiques françaises. La recherche de méthodes de lutte adaptées à l’agriculture biologique s’impose, sachant qu’aucun traitement de semences n’est efficace à 100%. L’utilisation des résistances variétales apparaît comme une voie prometteuse pour limiter la propagation de la maladie. Depuis 2000, un essai destiné à évaluer les résistances des variétés de blé tendre à Tilletia caries, est conduit chaque année par ARVALIS-Institut du végétal. Ces essais ont permis d’identifier l’existence d’une forte variabilité de comportements vis-à-vis de cet agent pathogène au sein des variétés cultivées en France. Mais aucune variété répondant aux critères spécifiques de l’agriculture biologique ne présente de niveaux de résistances suffisants. Parallèlement, un réseau européen d’essais a permis de révéler une forte interaction génotypes X milieux, soulignant la nécessité de consolider ces premières observations en augmentant le nombre de lieux d’essai mais aussi d’identifier les gènes de virulence présents en France ainsi que les gènes de résistances présents dans les variétés.

Colloque Dinabio mai 2008 à Montpellier. 1. Défis techniques de la production à la transformation; National audience; The peach aphid Myzus persicae Sulzer is one of the major pests found on peach trees. The CTIFL has been running tests since 2005 to assess the efficacy of Surround® WP, a product containing kaolin that is applied either at the time of leaf fall to prevent winter egg-laying or in the spring to prevent the establishment of fundatrices. The period of application and the production system (organic or conventional) were tested, allowing a comparison with chemical aphicides. The clay product used at leaf fall reduced winter egg-laying by about 50%. Autumn application of Surround® alone was not sufficient to control aphid colonies in the spring, but it could be used as part of a supervised control strategy, combined with the application of mineral oils in late winter.; Le puceron vert Myzus persicae Sulzer est un ravageur majeur du pêcher. Des essais ont été mis en place par le Ctifl depuis 2005, afin d’évaluer l’efficacité d’un produit à base d’argile kaolinite, le Surround® WP suivant sa période d’application, dans un verger conduit soit en agriculture biologique soit en protection raisonnée permettant la comparaison avec l’utilisation d’aphicide chimique. L’argile peut être positionnée soit à la chute des feuilles pour contrarier les pontes, soit au printemps pour empêcher l’installation des fondatrices. L’argile positionnée en automne permet de réduire d’environ 50 % les pontes d’oeufs d’hiver. Au printemps, le Surround® seul appliqué à l’automne n’est pas suffisant pour limiter les foyers de puceron, mais il peut s’intégrer dans une stratégie de protection raisonnée, associé à l’application d’huiles minérales en fin d’hiver.

La vitesse de minéralisation d’un engrais organique commercial a été évaluée durant trois années dans une rizière biologique en Camargue (France). L’effet de différentes doses d’engrais apportées à différentes périodes a été testé. En conditions inondées, l’engrais organique minéralise rapidement. Sur la base de ce résultat, nous montrons qu’une adaptation des pratiques de fertilisation organique, inspirée de celles appliquées pour des engrais minéraux, permet une meilleure valorisation des engrais organiques, découlant sur une meilleure rentabilité., The mineralization rate of a commercial organic fertiliser was evaluated over the course of three years in an organic rice field in the Camargue (France). The effect of different amounts of fertiliser applied at different periods was tested. The organic fertiliser rapidly mineralised under flooded conditions. On the basis of this result, we demonstrated that an adaptation of organic fertilisation practices, similar to those employed for mineral fertilisers, would result in the optimisation of organic fertilisers, leading to improved profitability.

Colloque Dinabio mai 2008 à Montpellier. 3. Dynamiques de développement de l'AB; National audience; This work highlights the ecological stakes and the drawbacks associated with the development of organic lamb production on the Causse Méjan, a calcareous plateau, part of which is included in the Cévennes National Park (PnC). It analyses the tensions underlying a valorisation project for organic lambs by a small group of stockbreeders that is supported by the national park because of the ecological quality of their practices. On the one hand, since breeders are highly dependent on the ecological characteristics of the environment, they are forced to multiply their marketing channels and to invest a great deal of energy to obtain good prices for their meat whose characteristics do not match the current standards of quality (homogeneity, clear meat). On the other hand, the Pac can neither fully support these stockbreeders whose practices are marginal at the local level without straining its relationships with mainstream local breeders, nor overstep its role as the protector of nature. Considering this unattractive context and the interesting economic outlooks offered by the mainstream breeding system, which options will the young breeders of the future choose? Supporting a microexperiment like this one appears to be an important step for the development of new production models that combine economic profitability and ecological effectiveness; Ce travail analyse les enjeux écologiques et les verrous associés au développement de l’élevage d’agneaux « biologiques » sur le causse Méjan, un plateau calcaire en partie intégré au Parc national des Cévennes (PnC). Il analyse les tensions qui traversent une expérience de valorisation d’agneaux Bio par un petit groupe d’éleveurs soutenu par le Parc pour la qualité écologique de leurs pratiques. D’un côté, ce système d’élevage fortement dépendant des caractéristiques écologiques du milieu, obligent les éleveurs à multiplier les types de mises en marché et à redoubler d’efforts pour valoriser une viande dont les caractéristiques s’écartent des standards actuels de qualité (homogénéité, viande claire). D’un autre côté, le PnC ne peut ni afficher pleinement son soutien à ces éleveurs aux pratiques marginales sans risquer de tendre d’avantage ses relations avec la profession agricole locale, ni dépasser sa mission de protecteur de la nature. Face à ce contexte peu attrayant, et alors que l’élevage de bergerie « raisonné » qui domine localement offre des perspectives économiques intéressantes, quels choix feront les jeunes décidés à l’installation dans les années à venir ? Se donner les moyens de soutenir ce type de micro-expériences n’apparaît-il pas comme un enjeu important pour que se développe à plus grande échelle de nouveaux modèles de production, alliant rentabilité économique et efficacité écologique ?

Cet article présente les pratiques et attitudes des responsables de magasins spécialisés envers l’approvisionnement local de leurs produits. Presque deux tiers de ces magasins y ont recours (en majorité des grands magasins), avec des appréciations mitigées : si des avantages évidents, comme la fraîcheur des produits régionaux, sont notés, les distributeurs regrettent un manque de professionnalisme et d’engagement de la part des fournisseurs agricoles. Les consommateurs sont quant à eux très sensibles à l’origine régionale des produits biologiques, plus parce qu’elle est synonyme d’accès direct et de transparence qu’en raison de préoccupations environnementales (« foodmiles » ou kilomètres alimentaires). Les résultats obtenus nous permettent de proposer plusieurs recommandations aux acteurs de la filière., This article deals with the regional or local origin of organic food in different supply channels. The first part presents results about supply practices and attitudes of specialised organic food shop owners with regard to regional or local supply. It shows that almost two out of three shops are directly supplied by farmers (mainly the bigger shops). Their opinions and experiences about working directly with farmers vary. Obvious advantages such as product freshness are mentioned, as well as important weaknesses such as the lack of professionalism in product and service quality on the part of many farmers. The article also addresses consumers’ viewpoints on the regional supply of organic products. Even though consumers are largely in favour of a regional origin of the organic food that they purchase, it is mainly for reasons of freshness and transparency and less for environmental issues (most consumers are not really concerned about food miles). Our results allow us to propose several recommendations for stakeholders in the sector.

Colloque Dinabio mai 2008 à Montpellier. 2. Evaluation et amélioration de la durabilité de l'Agriculture Biologique; National audience; Organic farming is often considered to be the most environmentally-friendly crop management system, even if integrated production also aims at decreasing the impact of agriculture on the natural environment. In order to establish references for the agro-environmental evaluation of these two production systems in relation to grape growing, INRA carried out an initial study from 2001 to 2004 at the plot scale. This study focused on two grape varieties (Merlot N and Cabernet Sauvignon) in its Couhins vineyard (Graves cru classé), located on two organically-farmed plots and two plots using integrated production, a system based on the implementation of decision rules aimed at limiting the number of pest control treatments. Production means only differed in terms of pest control management (choice of products and application strategy). Each of the parcels covered approximately 0.30 ha. An agro-environmental evaluation of these two systems was made for 2003, using the INDIGO Vigne method at the plot level. Because of their nature, the choice of parameters for the indicators used determines the interpretation of the results. Nevertheless, it appears that the environmental impact of integrated production is more favourable in this case than that of organic farming, particularly in terms of pest control and energy indicators. One of the reasons for this is the high number of applications of pest control treatments in organic farming and, as a result, higher energy consumption, as well as the use of copper that has a major impact on deep waters, the ground and the air. The two systems can decrease their environmental impact by limiting the number of tractor runs for soil maintenance. Flexibility appears to be greater in the case of integrated production since, contrary to organic farming, it can use herbicides under the row. The calculation of the agro-environmental evaluation on the parcel using integrated protection with chemical weeding under the row leads to a clear improvement of the energy indicator, without significantly decreasing the value of the pest control indicator. Natural sodding of the inter-row, when the vigour of the vineyard allows it, provides an effective solution since the decrease in the number of tractor runs leads to an improvement of erosion and organic matter indicators. This type of evaluation should be carried out at the scale of a group of plots or of an entire wine-farm. Ground maintenance is an important factor in decreasing the impact of grape growing on the environment. In this respect, organic farming offers some promising prospects.

Colloque Dinabio mai 2008 à Montpellier. 1. Défis techniques de la production à la transformation; National audience; This study is part of a research programme devoted to improving the quality of organic bread. It aims to identify and test prototypes of breads approved by consumers. This is achieved by analysing consumer representations and preferences and placing them within the framework of technological, sensory and nutritional dimensions of the products. The multidisciplinary approach implements an original qualitative approach that combines three consumer focus groups made up of both loyal and occasional consumers, and confrontation sessions with the programme scientific partners. Four prototypes of organic breads have thus been formalised and subsequently tested on a sample of 120 consumers from two sites (Angers and Strasbourg). From an operational point of view, proposals for organic breads approved by consumers are formulated. In terms of methodology, the contributions of a multidisciplinary study are discussed.; L'action s'insère dans une recherche sur l'amélioration de la qualité des pains issus de l'Agriculture Biologique (AB). Elle vise à définir et à tester des prototypes de pains biologiques bien perçus des consommateurs. Ceci est réalisé grâce à l'analyse des représentations et préférences des consommateurs et leur mise en confrontation avec les dimensions technologiques, sensorielles et nutritionnelles des produits. La démarche pluridisciplinaire met en oeuvre une approche qualitative combinant trois réunions de groupe de consommateurs tant fidélisés que ponctuels et des séances de confrontation avec les partenaires scientifiques du programme. De là, quatre prototypes de pains biologiques ont pu être formalisés puis testés auprès d'un échantillon de 120 consommateurs répartis sur deux sites (Angers et Strasbourg). D'un point de vue opérationnel, des propositions de pains biologiques bien perçus des consommateurs sont formulées. Au niveau méthodologique, les apports de la transdisciplinarité sont discutés.

The aim of this work was to identify the impact of farming practices on permanent grassland vegetation during the conversion from conventional to organic farming. We considered functional and species diversities in order to compare the different grassland categories based on the farming practices used over a period of six years - five years before conversion and one year after. We identified three categories of grasslands: those generally cut twice a year, those intensely grazed, and those that were used under diversified practices. We showed that grasslands characterised by cutting and low fertilization level have the highest species richness compared to the other two categories (23.2, 16.9 and 17 species, respectively), and the lowest pastoral index (45.9, 66.8 and 68.6, respectively). These cut paddocks also presented the highest functional diversity (i.e., richness of functional property attributes) for two of the properties studied: means of dispersal and establishment strategy as defined by Grime. Grasslands with diversified practices (grazing, cutting and nitrogen supply) were not characterised by any single or combined functional property attribute, to the contrary of the two other categories. Finally, farming practices alone do not explain all of the differences in vegetation. We therefore hypothesize that, first, the dynamics of permanent grassland vegetation following conversion to organic farming is only initiated by agricultural practices and, second, other key factors such as landscape characteristics affect these dynamics.

We compared the use of three farm grown cereal/protein mixes (oat/fava bean, barley/lupin, triticale/pea), that were used to complement lactating dairy cow diets based on hay consisting of alfalfa/orchard grass and perennial grassland. The trial took place in 2007 at the INRA experimental station of Mirecourt, where an organic mixed-crop dairy system is being prototyped. The experiment was carried out in a Latin square with three groups of eight cows (50% Holstein, 50% Montbéliarde). The cows were fed 4 kg/cow/day of one of the three cereal/protein mixes, 8 kg DM/cow/day of alfalfa/orchardgrass hay, and permanent grassland hay ad libitum. The three diets were indicative of the animals’ needs. Diets had no significant effect on milk production (20.3 kg/cow/d) and milk fat content (41.3 g/kg). However, dairy cows fed with the oat/fababean mix had a significantly lower protein content in their milk. This is the result of: (i) a nitrogen surplus in relation to energy, and (ii) a lower starch content compared to the two other diets. Therefore, in organic mixed-crop dairy systems with forages that are rich in nitrogen, the choice to cultivate mixtures of cereal/pulses and the composition of these mixtures must be primarily based on their agronomic interest and not on their zootechnical one since they are not essential to a balanced animal diet.

Colloque Dinabio mai 2008 à Montpellier. 3. Dynamiques de développement de l'AB; National audience; Organic farming originally deals with the problematic nature/technique within a holistic view. The order of things inspires organic agronomy and social thoughts on agriculture. The link between what is and what has to be socially is not thinkable within modern right and ethic, but it is in accordance with the ancient philosophy. A. Howard, R. Steiner, H.P. Rusch, M. Fukuoka, found their biology according to this fundamental way of behaving. The biology of those founders stands between various philosophical speculations, esoteric speculations, empirical observations, and scientific approaches. According to the ancient philosophy, these authors are suggesting an imitation of nature based on a cyclic understanding. Human intrusion in nature, although founding element of farming, remains hard to legitimate. Indeed the founders are anxious about the agricultural chemistry’s consequences on ecology and society. Today the biological foundation of organic farming could cross again with evolutionism and ecology. A more dynamic conception of nature will open new ways for agronomic reasoning. This also opens up on a more humanistic philosophy of farming. Nevertheless, the holistic ethic of organic farming remains an innovating source for its contemporary development.; Originellement l’agrobiologie est déterminée par une approche holistique, au sein de la problématique nature et technique. L’ordre des choses sert de modèle pour l’agronomie biologique comme pour penser l’agriculture dans la société. Tirer de ce qui est ce qui doit être socialement n’est pas conforme au fonctionnement éthique et juridique de la modernité. Mais cette conception du monde s’accorde avec la vision antique de la nature. Spécialement, la biologie est prise pour fondement de l’agriculture par A. Howard, R. Steiner, H.P. Rusch, M. Fukuoka. Cette biologie des fondateurs de l’agrobiologie se situe entre spéculations philosophiques, voire ésotériques, observations empiriques, et approches scientifiques. Ainsi, conformément à la dominante de la philosophie antique, ces auteurs proposent une interprétation cyclique de la nature à imiter. L’intervention humaine, pourtant fondatrice de l’agriculture, est alors difficile à légitimer, au sein d’une approche d’abord inquiète des conséquences écologiques et sociales de l’agrochimie. Aujourd’hui la fondation biologique de l’agrobiologie pourrait être recentrée sur l’évolution et l’écologie. Une approche plus dynamique de la nature ouvre à de nouvelles rationalisations de l’agronomie, comme à des visions philosophiques et sociales de l’agriculture plus évidemment humanistes. Néanmoins, l’éthique holiste de l’agrobiologie demeure un levier d’innovations pour son développement contemporain.