Document type: article published on the Laboratoire d'Innovation Territorial - Ouest Territoires d'Elevage (LIT Ouesterel) website
Author: LIT Ouesterel
Preview: In recent years, there has been a growing failure of understanding between farmers and consumers. The issue of animal welfare alone is so inflammatory that a controversy has developed over livestock farming. On one side of the divide, the public seeks greater transparency, greater traceability and less industrialization. On the other, livestock farmers feel misunderstood and denigrated, and no longer know how to respond to the demands of the public while still making a decent living. It is clear that no dialogue exists between these two parties, yet they must find common ground and get to know each other if they are to build a future for livestock farming together.
Restoring dialogue between livestock farmers and society
Given this situation, LIT Ouesterel has since 2021 been running a project to encourage livestock farmers to commit to a step-by-step approach, working at each stage to inspire the desire to act, to help participants to take the step once they want to, and to value the efforts they have already made. While this may be enough for some farmers to undertake actions independently, others may feel they have little room for manoeuvre in following group specifications. The LIT has therefore set itself a second objective for 2024, which is to encourage a positive and harmonious commitment by farmers by mobilizing producer organizations (POs).
Two workstreams have therefore been created: 1) the farmer in action, and 2) POs in action.
Farmers in action
LIT Ouesterel ran the project simultaneously in its three study regions (Normandy, Brittany, Pays de la Loire), using the complementary topics presented in more detail below:
- Studying the obstacles and motivations for farmers wanting to embark on an animal welfare improvement project (...)
- Identifying the levers to help farmers to embark on the project (...)
- Identifying ways of promoting these projects (...)
Organizing discussions between farmers to promote good practice: example, webinar on on-farm hatching
LIT Ousterel, ITAVI and INRAE organized a webinar on November 30, 2023 on on-farm hatching, inviting both farmers who already practiced it and those who did not. On the program were unpublished trial results that demonstrated the practical advantages of on-farm hatching techniques in conventional and free-range farming, with testimonials from experienced farmers using different approaches to inspire other farmers. It also provided an opportunity for LIT Ouesterel to present the results of its hunt for innovative practices in the area.
What next?: POs in action
The next stage of this project will take place in 2024 with the PO members of LIT Ouesterel. Its objectives are (1) to study the needs, obstacles and motivations for POs wanting to further commit themselves to improvements in animal health and welfare, and (2) to identify levers that could be used by the LIT to encourage this commitment.
