Characterizing and understanding the complexity of numerous interactions occurring in mixed farming systems is still a methodological challenge. We hypothesize that farm functioning features in terms of crop-livestock integration practices impact the agroecological performance of the system, which will be also affected by the farm context. In order to analyze crop-livestock integration in a holistic way, a set of seventeen mixed farming systems from three contrasting socioeconomic regions of the humid tropics (Guadeloupe, Brazilian Amazonia, and Cuba) was selected in order to cover a wide range of crop-livestock integration situations. The ecological network analysis was applied to each farm in order to study the nutrient flow networks, expressed in nitrogen. The activity and flow organization of crop-livestock integration practices were characterized and the agroecological performance has been evaluated in terms of efficiency, resilience, productivity, and dependency of N flow networks. Here, we show for the first time that the range of crop-livestock integration is well characterized by the activity and organization of flows. Gradients of crop-livestock integration were well detected and described. Some agroecological performances were related to a particular socioeconomic context. Resource endowment influenced efficiency, according to the intensification level. The crop-livestock integration however contributed partially to the productivity of the system, being especially effective in promoting resilience. This study applies a suitable framework to analyze complex farming systems while linking their functioning and performance in an agroecological approach. Thus, comparison of contrasting systems was feasible here with the support of numerical and tangible figures for interpreting complex indicators (e.g., resilience), representing a useful tool for monitoring sustainability of agricultural systems in a dynamic and holistic way.
Crop-livestock integration determines the agroecological performance of mixed farming systems in Latino-Caribbean farms
Résumé
en
Characterizing and understanding the complexity of numerous interactions occurring in mixed farming systems is still a methodological challenge. We hypothesize that farm functioning features in terms of crop-livestock integration practices impact the agroecological performance of the system, which will be also affected by the farm context. In order to analyze crop-livestock integration in a holistic way, a set of seventeen mixed farming systems from three contrasting socioeconomic regions of the humid tropics (Guadeloupe, Brazilian Amazonia, and Cuba) was selected in order to cover a wide range of crop-livestock integration situations. The ecological network analysis was applied to each farm in order to study the nutrient flow networks, expressed in nitrogen. The activity and flow organization of crop-livestock integration practices were characterized and the agroecological performance has been evaluated in terms of efficiency, resilience, productivity, and dependency of N flow networks. Here, we show for the first time that the range of crop-livestock integration is well characterized by the activity and organization of flows. Gradients of crop-livestock integration were well detected and described. Some agroecological performances were related to a particular socioeconomic context. Resource endowment influenced efficiency, according to the intensification level. The crop-livestock integration however contributed partially to the productivity of the system, being especially effective in promoting resilience. This study applies a suitable framework to analyze complex farming systems while linking their functioning and performance in an agroecological approach. Thus, comparison of contrasting systems was feasible here with the support of numerical and tangible figures for interpreting complex indicators (e.g., resilience), representing a useful tool for monitoring sustainability of agricultural systems in a dynamic and holistic way.
1
UMR Innovation -
Innovation et Développement dans l'Agriculture et l'Alimentation
( 422966 )
- A l'INRA : Campus La Gaillarde – 2 place Viala – Bat 27 - 34060 Montpellier Cedex 02
Au CIRAD : Campus Lavalette – TA-85/15 – 73, rue J.F. Breton - 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5
A l'IRC : 1101, avenue Agropolis - BP 5098 - 34093 MONTPELLIER Cedex 05
- France
Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement UMR85-2007 ( 11574 )
;
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique UMR0951 ( 92114 )
;
Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques ( 92699 )
;
Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier ( 474617 )
2
UMR SELMET -
Systèmes d'élevage méditerranéens et tropicaux
( 412595 )
- TA C-112 / A - Campus international de Baillarguet ou Avenue Agropolis 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
- France
Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement UMR112 ( 11574 )
;
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique UMR0868 ( 92114 )
;
Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques ( 92699 )
;
Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier ( 474617 )
3
UFPA -
Federal University of Para - Universidade Federal do Pará - UFPA [Belém, Brazil]
( 441981 )
- Rua Itaipu, 36 - Vila Permanente, Tucuruí - PA, 68464-000, Belem - Brésil
- Brésil
4
Central Espana Republicana
( 1031585 )
- Cuba
Partenaires INRAE ( 1031275 )
5
URZ -
Unité de Recherches Zootechniques
( 37699 )
- INRA Domaine Duclos Petit-Bourg F-97170 Guadeloupe
- France
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique UR0143 ( 92114 )
Agronomy for Sustainable Development
(ISSN : 1774-0746, ISSN électronique : 1773-0155)
Publié par Springer Verlag/EDP Sciences/INRA
Revue non référencée dans Sherpa-Romeo
Comité de lecture
Oui
Numéro d'article
4
Licence
Paternité
Audience
Internationale
Domaine(s)
Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]
Informatique [cs]
Sciences de l'Homme et Société
Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]/Génétique
Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]/Génétique/Génétique animale
Fabien Stark, Eliel González García, Livia Navegantes, Taymer Miranda, René Poccard-Chapuis, et al.. Crop-livestock integration determines the agroecological performance of mixed farming systems in Latino-Caribbean farms. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 2018, 38 (1), 11 p. ⟨10.1007/s13593-017-0479-x⟩. ⟨hal-02626056⟩