Species diversification in market-garden farms and consequences on crop management, labour organization and marketing at farm and territorial scales

Summary

Most market-garden farms which converted to organic farming (OF) in the last decades are small and diversified. Larger farms are usually specialised on few vegetable species and frequently face technical and economic problems when they convert to OF. Diversifying production on medium and large farms may be a way to increase their sustainability because of larger crop rotations and varied marketing outlets. The increase in the number of species has various implications on farm management and sustainability, especially on labour organization and marketing. In this study we questioned how an acceptable degree in species diversification may be a potential lever to develop organic vegetable production. The study is based on multidisciplinary surveys carried out by sociologists and agronomists who compared market-garden farms in South East France varying in usable surface area and diversification degree. The article describes the various forms and dynamics of diversification either based on the increase in the number of vegetable species or on the combination of market-garden with arable crops, orchards or vineyards. The consequences are observed on (i) crop management (with a specific focus on the link between crop rotations and pest control), (ii) labour organization (especially knowledge and skills, division of tasks, use of hired labour) and (iii) marketing implications (with a specific focus on how collective marketing networks may be combined with individual short marketing chains). The results are analysed not only at farm level, but also at territorial level, as collective marketing initiatives, replacement services and cooperative use of agricultural equipments might be driving forces to facilitate the diversification process at farm level. The article concludes with theoretical considerations on the potential innovative organisations that could facilitate the transition to OF within the agrifood system.