Study of Agro-systems of the Burren

Priscille GHESQUIERE & Dorian FLECHET

Aims of the Study

•To understand the evolution of farming in the Burren

•To help select adequate solutions for its future development

How we proceeded

• Five Steps:– Interpret landscape features linked with

farming– Grasp the recent evolution of farms in the

Burren and their trends– Build a farm typology based on interviews– Calculate economic results for each type of

farm– Look at the potential innovative fields

How we proceeded• Five Steps:

– Interpret landscape features linked with farming

– Grasp the recent evolution of farms in the Burren and their trends

– Build a farm typology based on interviews– Calculate economic results for each type of

farm– Look at the potential innovative fields

Landscape Features

• Localisation, geology, soil quality– Delimitation according to the geology:

• Shale / Wet lands• Limestone / Dry lands

– Focus on the winterage:• Central position in farming• Subsidies area based• Broader economic value (Tourism…)

(Burren-LIFE Project)

Summer lands

Silage Limestone

Winterage

Pasture

Farm

Slatted House

Hay, Calving sheds

How we proceeded

• Four Steps:– Interpret landscape features linked with

farming

– Grasp the recent evolution of farms in the Burren and their trends

– Build a farm typology based on interviews– Calculate economic results for each type of

farm– Look at the potential innovative fields

Evolution of Farming in the Burren

• The Traditional Farming-system after lands redistribution– Commonage on the uplands– Tillage and summer grazing in the lowlands- Finished traditional breed- Milk

• From 1950 – First tractors and first land reclamation– Introduction of Friesian and continental

breeds

Evolution of Farming in the Burren

• Joining the European Union 1973– Access to a new market, based on young

continental breeds– Policy to improve the production (subsidised

Land reclamations until 1992, Chemical fertilizers, introduction of silage…)

– Disappearance of tillage

• Milk quotas 1981, aggregation of the dairy farms

Evolution of Farming in the Burren

• The 90’s:– Premiums system is based on production– REPS in 1994– Economic Boom encourages Part-time

farming

• Decoupling in 2005, extensification– Single farm payment → Easier to apply for

REPS– Further development of the Part-time Farming

Effects of the History on the actual development of Farming

• Reluctance to sell land

• Readiness to adopt mainstream changes

• But progressive loss of traditions (Breeds, Landscape, Reputation of meat quality)

• Loss of independence (Labor, feed and fertilizers…)

• Subsidy dependency

How we proceeded• Four Steps:

– Interpret landscape features linked with farming

– Grasp the recent evolution of farms in the Burren and their trends

– Build a farm typology based on interviews– Calculate economic results for each type of

farm– Look at the potential innovative fields

Interviews

• Random sample of farmers by Hear-say and door knocking

• Trying to cover every major type of farming-system in the Burren

• Collecting Economic and technical data

• Compiling several farms to create a Type

Typology of Farming

Part-time farmers

Full-time farmers

Farmers from the BURREN

conventional organic

Part-time farmers

silage no silage

not in REPS in REPS

Typology of Farming

Suckler farms Dairy farmers

Full-time farmers

Small

Organic

Medium Big

Small Big

Mixed

farmers

no or few

winterage

Typology of Farming

How we proceeded• Five Steps:

– Interpret landscape features linked with farming

– Grasp the recent evolution of farms in the Burren and their trends

– Build a farm typology based on interviews

– Calculate economic results for each type of farm

– Look at the potential innovative fields

Economic Results

• The Net Added Value (NAV) =Gross Product – Costs – Depreciation

• Family Income NAV – Rents – Taxes – Wages

+ Subsidies• Global Income

(Includes extra incomes)

Economic Results: Suckler Farms

-10 000 €

0 €

10 000 €

20 000 €

30 000 €

40 000 €

50 000 €

60 000 €

70 000 €

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140Total number of Cows

Euro / Family Worker

Net Added Value Income from the Farm Global Income

Little

Part-time

Full-time

Economic results, suckler farms case

-10 000 €

0 €

10 000 €

20 000 €

30 000 €

40 000 €

50 000 €

60 000 €

70 000 €

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140Total number of Cows

Euro / Family Worker

Net Added Value Income from the Farm Global Income

Threshold = Average Wages in building sectorSmall Full-time

Part-time

Full-time

Full-time Suckler Farms and Organic

-20 000 €

0 €

20 000 €

40 000 €

60 000 €

80 000 €

100 000 €

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Total number of Cows

Euro / Family Worker

Net Added Value

Income from the Farm

Global Income

Small

Organic

No Winterage

Winterage

Large

Part-time Farming And Organic Part-time Farming

-10 000 €

0 €

10 000 €

20 000 €

30 000 €

40 000 €

50 000 €

60 000 €

70 000 €

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140Total number of Cows

Euro / Family Worker

Net Added Value

Income from the Farm

Global Income

Part-time Suckler, Silage

Full-time, Suckler

Part-time Suckler, Hay

Part-time Farming And Organic Part-time Farming

-10 000 €

0 €

10 000 €

20 000 €

30 000 €

40 000 €

50 000 €

60 000 €

70 000 €

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140Total number of Cows

Euro / Family Worker

Net Added Value

Income from the Farm

Global Income

Organic in REPS

Organic not in REPS

Dairy farms and mixed Farms

-20 000 €

-10 000 €

0 €

10 000 €

20 000 €

30 000 €

40 000 €

50 000 €

60 000 €

70 000 €

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

Total number of Cows

Euro / Family Worker

Net Added Value

Income from the Farm

Global Income

Small

Mixed

Large

ConclusionsHow does the BURREN look today?- Little diversification- Decreasing added value- Dependency on subsidies and/or extra-

income How to ensure sustainability? How to improve? How to innovate?

How we proceeded• Five Steps:

– Interpret landscape features linked with farming

– Grasp the recent evolution of farms in the Burren and their trends

– Build a farm typology based on interviews– Calculate economic results for each type of

farm

– Look at the potential innovative fields

Different types of innovation

Product innovation:

New product

(diversification)

Process innovation:

new production process

(transformation, techniques)

Innovation

Organisation innovation:

Co – Op, Marketing

New type of subsidies

Where are the innovations in the Burren?

Product Process Marketing REPSDAIRY No No No No

MIXED FARMS Yes No No YesSUCKLER(full-time) No No No Yes

SUCKLER(part-time) No No No Yes

Organic Farms Yes Yes Yes YesVegetables / Fruits Yes No Yes No

DifferentCattle Breed

No Yes No Yes

Milk : Ice Cream Yes Yes Yes No

Organisation

Where are the innovations in the Burren?

Product Process Marketing REPSDAIRY No No No No

MIXED FARMS Yes No No YesSUCKLER(full-time) No No No Yes

SUCKLER(part-time) No No No Yes

Organic Farms Yes Yes Yes YesVegetables / Fruits Yes No Yes No

DifferentCattle Breed

No Yes No Yes

Milk : Ice Cream Yes Yes Yes No

Organisation

Where are the innovations?Product Process Marketing REPS

DAIRY No No No NoMIXED FARMS Yes No No Yes

SUCKLER(full-time) No No No Yes

SUCKLER(part-time) No No No Yes

Organic Farms Yes Yes Yes YesVegetables / Fruits Yes No Yes No

DifferentCattle Breed

No Yes No Yes

Milk : Ice Cream Yes Yes Yes No

Organisation

Innovative Farms Vs Part-time or Full-time suckler Farms

-20 000 €

-10 000 €

0 €

10 000 €

20 000 €

30 000 €

40 000 €

50 000 €

60 000 €

70 000 €

80 000 €

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Total number of Cows

Euro / Family Worker

Net Added Value

Income from the Farm

Global Income

Horticulture

New Breeds

Farming in the Burren relies on Subsidies– It seems the subsidies will be cut off– What are the consequences?

• Aggregation? From a family to industrial scale farming. Rent of the lands to bigger farms.

• Research of innovation for more added value (diversification, organic, pure breed cattle?)

• These innovations must be socially and environmentally acceptable = eco-innovations

Discussion

Go raibh mile maith agat!

Sláinte!

Acknowledgments