Article Dans Une Revue Journal of Rural Studies Année : 2017

Green belts in the hands and minds of farmers: a socio-agronomic approach to farmers' practices

Pratiques et attitudes des agriculteurs face à la trame verte : une approche socio-agronomique

Résumé

There has been a dramatic decline in biodiversity over the last decades mainly due to urban sprawl and the development of intensive agriculture. In France, this issue is being addressed through the blue and green belt measures, which are part of the Grenelle Act. The objective of these measures is to preserve or re-create paths to allow animal or plant species to move from one habitat to another. This affects agriculture since many semi-natural features are located on farmland and are managed by farmers. This article presents the results of research where the aim was (i) to analyse farmers' practices and their social representations with respect to these semi-natural features and (ii) to highlight how and why these semi-natural features are integrated (or not) into farm system functioning. The study was part of the 'PASSAGES' research project, funded by the French Ministry of Ecology, which was itself part of the 'DIVA III' programme on public action, agriculture and biodiversity. The aim of the study was to determine the role of green belt features on farms and help public authorities implement green belt provisions at the farm level. The study was based on in-depth interviews with farmers in the French Alps. Farmers' practices and attitudes regarding semi-natural features were found to depend not only on their role in the farming system but also on a wide range of reasons unrelated to the farming system (linked to heritage, aesthetics or sensitivity to the environment, for example). Four farmers' profiles were identified based on their perception of 'nature' and the level of integration of these semi-natural features into their farming systems. The results suggest that the implementation of green belt provisions in agricultural areas should not only be based on technical and economic criteria, but should also take into account both the different types of natural or semi-natural features to be preserved and the different types of farmers' profiles.

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hal-01899071 , version 1 (19-10-2018)

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F. Alavoine-Mornas, Sabine Girard. Green belts in the hands and minds of farmers: a socio-agronomic approach to farmers' practices. Journal of Rural Studies, 2017, 56, pp.30-38. ⟨10.1016/j.jrurstud.2017.09.005⟩. ⟨hal-01899071⟩
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