Coping with heterogeneity. Typologies for agricultural research and development
Santiago Lopez Ridaura (Pablo Tittonell)
What is a typology?The study, analysis or classification based on types or categories
What are they used for in AgSci:Describe heterogeneity Simplify complexityTarget technical innovationsDevelop organisational alternativesAim policy measuresSelect collaborators for R&D projects
Different kind of typologies:A continum between structural and functional characteristics
STRUCTURAL
FUNCTIONAL
BiophysicalQuantitativeExplorativePredictiveMechanistic
Socio-culturalQualitativeDescriptiveExplicativeEmpirical
Economic
Farming StylesFarm Types
A structural typologyThe CMDT farm types in Mali
Farm characteristic A B C D
Household size (persons) 25.1 11.9 8.5 5.5
Labour force (persons) 11.8 5.7 3.9 2.5
Area cultivated (ha) 17.8 10.1 5.8 3.3
Cattle (TLU)* 23.1 3 .6 .1
Oxen (TLU) 5.8 2.7 1 .2
Ploughs 4.2 2.2 .9 .1
TYPE Brief description
Specialized large size rice producer Farm size > 265 ha.Rice surface > 80%
Specialized middle size rice producer Farm size < 265 ha.Rice surface > 80%
Large size rice producer More than 60% of their surface under Rice, the rest in durum wheat, more than 276ha
Middle size rice producer More than 60% of their surface under Rice, the rest in durum wheat, less than 276ha
Partially organic rice producer Same land use as middle sire rice producer but an average of 20% of LU in organic
Livestock breeder Around 35% of rice, 35% of forages and 30% of other crops
Organic livestock breeder Same land use as livestock breeder but with partial or total area in organic
Diversified crop producer More than 50% of durum wheat and other crops, an average of 35% of rice
Organic diversified crop producer Same land use as diversified crop producer but with partial or total area in organic
A structu-functional typologyFarms in Camargue, South of France
Typologie des types de sol camarguais
A functional typologyResponse of small scale coffee farmers to the price crisis in 2000
A) Clusters diferenciation
“AgronomicChanges”
(8 households)
“Off-farmdiversification”(5 househlods)
“Farmingdiversification”(10 households)
“Few Changes”(11 households)
Developpingnew activity
Developpingnew production
Using more thanone agronomic
change
50% ofhouseholds or
less
Less than25% of
households
More than75% of
households
More than75% of
households
More than75% of
households
Less than25% of
households
A functional typologyResponse of small scale coffee farmers to the price
crisis in 2000
Farm characteristics Agricultural activities
Farming orientation Intensity level
120 ha(20 flat sandy soils, 80 slope clay soils, 20 loamy slope)
Livestock and annual crops
ConventionalIntensiveExtensive
OrganicExtensiveIntensive
Perennial and annuals crops
ConventionalIntensiveExtensive
OrganicExtensiveIntensive
50 ha(10 flat sandy soils, 40 slope clay soils)
Annual crops
ConventionalInstensive
Extensive
OrganicExtensive
Intensive
Perennial crops
ConventionalIntensive
Extensive
OrganicExtensive
Intensive
But:Keep in mind that typologies are a social construct done in relation to the
objectives of research and development project
So:What kind of typology for what kind of
studies?