Styles of Farming, landscapes and

biodiversity (Part 1)
Jan Douwe van der Ploeg
Rural Sociology

Baeza, Curso de Agro-ecología

Enero 2009
Diversity and agrarian policy: 1969
Enlarged diversity: 1981
Four level definition of farming style:

Specific cultural repertoire

Specific patterning of technical, economic and
social relations within the farm

Specific patterning of interrelations with markets
and suppliers of technology (specific set of
transaction and governing costs)

Specific response to agrarian policies (and,
increasingly, to Food Empires)
Farming Styles

Agricultural
entrepreneurs

Peasants
Farming Styles
Tres (o cuatro) niveles de
definición Agricultural
entrepreneurs

1) Repertorio cultural
2) Prácticas específicas
3) Relaciones específicas
4) Respuesta política
Peasants
Umbria, the green heart of Italy
Monte Subasio
Grazing herd of Chianina cattle
Economic impact of high quality food production
(∆ NVA; EU-7, 1998 data)

HQ
€2.3 billion Total additional NVA
€ 5.2 billion

Organic Short supply

€0.4 billion chains
€2.5 billion
The hidden miracles
The explanation of the Umbrian ‘miracle’

+ Resistenza contadina (peasant resistance)

+ Food culture (longing for quality)
+ Regional authority
+ Embedded in the local
- EU-policy (but changing)
- ‘Global’ science (but increasingly focusing on
specificity)
Contributing to the quality of life
Local self-regulation
NFW (Northern Frisian
Woodlands)

Territorial Co-
operative
40,000 hectares
850 members

North East of
Friesland
 Historical continuity

1850 1990
Elevated cost levels
Typical hedgerow
Maintenance of the
landscape:

Increasing
biodiversity

Additional income
flow:€4 million/year
Finetuning of the processes of production: strong
decrease of N-emissions
Food-web: the
invisible part of
biodiversity
Interacting with the surrounding ‘regime’
Adapted Technology: illegal
The construction of quality
Outdoor grazing
Fresh grass

Fresh and healthy milk

Containing high CLA-levels
Introducing new qualities into the area
Increased quality of life
Improved food quality
Increased
biodiversity

Strengthened
rural economy
Increased quality
of the landscape
Improved quality of natural resources
New research: Interaction and optimalization
Landscape

Production
New research: Repeated Pareto
Optimalization 70

60

50
Nature value

40 100
1000
30 12000

20

10

0
1500 2000 2500 3000
Profit (eur/ha)
New research: Improving connectivity
New policy approach: Strategic niche management
institutional multi-actor
space analysis multi-level
“world” multi-aspect

evolving
Institutionalization of practices

landscape 3 3 = transition

2 2 = system
innovation
patchwork & regime
of regimes shift

1 = no break
1 through of
novelties

niche formation &

niches novelty creation
“local”
time
past present future

A dynamic multi-actor, multi-level and multi-aspect perspective on the co-

evolution of technical and institutional change (Roep & Wiskerke, 2004)
THANK YOU!