Study of Agrosystems of the Burren

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Study of Agro-systems of the Burren
Priscille GHESQUIERE Dorian FLECHET
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Aims of the Study

• To understand the evolution of farming in the
  Burren
• To help select adequate solutions for its future
  development

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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

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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

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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)

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(Burren-LIFE Project)
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Winterage
Summer lands
Limestone
Silage
Farm
Slatted House
Hay, Calving sheds
Pasture
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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

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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

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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

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Evolution of Farming in the Burren

• The 90s
• 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

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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

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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

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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

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Typology of Farming
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Typology of Farming
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Typology of Farming
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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

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Economic Results

• The Net Added Value (NAV)
• Gross Product Costs Depreciation
• Family Income
• NAV Rents Taxes Wages
• Subsidies
• Global Income
• (Includes extra incomes)

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Part-time
Full-time
Little
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Part-time
Full-time
Threshold Average Wages in building sector
Small Full-time
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Large
No Winterage
Organic
Winterage
Small
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Part-time Suckler, Silage
Part-time Suckler, Hay
Full-time, Suckler
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Organic in REPS
Organic not in REPS
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Large
Mixed
Small
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Conclusions

• How 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?

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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

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Different types of innovation
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Where are the innovations in the Burren?
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Where are the innovations in the Burren?
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Where are the innovations?
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Horticulture
New Breeds
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Discussion

• 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

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Acknowledgments

• Go raibh mile maith agat!
• Sláinte!