
Integrating food chain objectives and local development 
contribution in French Mediterranean livestock farming systems
Aubron
3
C., Lasseur
1
J., Boutonnet
2
J.P., Moulin
3
C.H., Napoleone
1
M., Nozières
2
M.O.
1
INRA, UR 767 EcoDév, Domaine Saint-Paul, Site Agroparc, F-84914 Avignon
2
INRA, UMR 951 Innovation – INRA-CIRAD-Supagro, 2 place Viala, F-34060 Montpellier
3
Montpellier Supagro, UMR 868 ERRC– INRA-CIRAD-Supagro, 2 place Viala, F-34060 Montpellier
Context evolution for livestock production in French Mediterranean area:
- Reduction of subsidies for agri-food chain
- Increasing of eco-conditionality and modulation
- Enhancing of livestock implication in territorial development
- Increasing of uncertainty in market, environment
- Increasing of social expectation from livestock production 
⇒New trend: Do not control them; Have to do with
=> How to enhance adaptive capacity of livestok production systems?
Apreliminary study based on three case-studies
Sheep meat  in Cevennes
220 ewes
65% of lambs sold as store lambs for 
fattening
10% of lambs sold in direct sales
Territory project based on local 
slaughter house
Major area of cooperatives’ intervention 
outside of this territory
Dairy goat in Southern Rhône-Alpes
450 farmers - 50 % milk producers (120 ewes),  
50 % cheese producers ( 65 ewes)
2 industrial cheese factories
Some small size cheese factories for local niches
Picodon PDO
Changes in progress 
Increasing “industrial scheme” in milk factories
Emerging direct sales under collective 
organisation
Linking territorial projects and marketing chain  
projects at a local scale
Sheep meat in Southern Alps
From 300 to 1500 ewes
A strong expectation for indoor and out of 
season lambs 
Sheep farming involved in landscape 
management.
Marketing mainly driven by development of 
a PGI and concentrating slaughtering 
operations
New trend: Do not control uncertainty but  
“have to do with”
Figure 1: Transversal analysis of articulation between marketing chain and territorial projects
Situation A:
- Homogenisation of farming systems
- Exclusion of some systems
- Rationalizing delivery network
Recently: appearance of new organizations 
articulating marketing chain and territorial 
projects, closed to situation B
We suggest that supporting 
adaptive capacity of livestock 
farming systems needs to:
- Enhance articulation between 
marketing chain and territorial 
projects
- Enhance diversity at all scales and 
promote new types of production 
systems
Monitoring those three case studies in the MOUVE project   (MOUVE 
= Interactions between territory and livestock production in the stake 
of  the  ecological  intensification)  - financement accepted,    we  will 
analyse  how  adaptive  capacity of  livestock  production  systems  is
enhanced  considering  the  ways  marketing  chain  and  territorial 
projects are articulated.
Farming systems models based on intensification  and rationalization of production ‘s factors enhanced by food chains and organizations of development
Maintenance  of local models (darming systems diversified , based on grazing , using numerous type of ressources ( rangeland …
Appereance of farming systems extensified , using only rangeland pastures
Development of origin labels (PDO)                               PDO: re -negociation of specifications
/ re-definition of geographical area
Development of
transformation  and marketing 
cooperatives
Some local niches  with craft cooperatives
Appearance of short chains , with collective  organization
Appearance of territories projects , focusing on  « local  »
Emergencie
territories
projects
Removal (geographical or organizationnal ) from
territory of food chain
Need of territory rooting
Preserving products and pratices
Appearance of direct sales
Legend
Territorial  project
Sectorial project
Spatial area
62                80                          90         00         
WTO
A
B
; 
Law on livestock 
farming activities
/modernization
Spain and Portugal in 
common marcket
Law on French
mountain 
CAP: subsidies to 
agricultural  activities
CAP:  Decoupled
Payments, (50,%
in France)
-
CAP: Eco- conditionnality 
and modulation
Development
CAP: subsidies 
to agricultural 
products
CAP: subsidies per 
capita (in ovine  and
goat production)
Stakes around Sustainable
Rome treaty,
Community 
preference
Segmenting range of products
Segmenting range of products
Identities practicies-product- territorie