Sheep-for-meat farming systems in French semi-upland area. Adapting to new context: increased concentrates and energy prices, and new agricultural policy

Marc Benoit and Gabriel Laignel

International Journal of Sustainable Development, 2014, vol. 17, issue 1, 35-48

Abstract: We used simulation to study how three French sheep production systems could adapt to a new context created by a surge in cereal prices associated with changes in common agricultural policy support. The evaluation criteria were economic performance, energy efficiency, emissions of greenhouse gases, and sensitivity to technical and economic fluctuations. We found the most intensive system was the most strongly affected, while the small size system with lower animal productivity was less sensitive to unforeseen events. The farm production of part of the grain needed for the flock, with a concomitant decrease in sheep numbers, significantly improved feed self-sufficiency. This mitigated fall in income and reduced the sensitivity of income to unforeseen events. The most self-sufficient system displayed greater energy efficiency, although lowered flock productivity could cause an increase in greenhouse gas emissions per unit carcass weight.

Keywords: sheep for meat; sheep production; farming systems; agricultural economics; energy prices; adaptation; agricultural policy; simulation; modelling; self-sufficiency; sensitivity; hazards; sustainable development; sustainability; France; semi-upland areas; economic performance; energy efficiency; GHG emissions; greenhouse gases; technical fluctuations; economic fluctuations. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=58435 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijsusd:v:17:y:2014:i:1:p:35-48

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Sustainable Development from Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sarah Parker ().