Farmers in Europe are increasingly converting to organic farming. For farmers, the conversion is an uncertain period that requires multiple changes to comply with organic regulations while not obtaining the organic price for products. Previous research findings highlight the multiple risks of converting to organic farming, but they tend to neglect farmers’ satisfaction during the conversion. Our objective was to investigate whether and how farmers could improve their satisfaction during the conversion to organic. We surveyed a sample of 19 dairy farms in Aveyron, France, from 2016 (their last year as conventional) to 2018. We (i) characterised the evolution of dairy farmers’ satisfaction and the conversion strategies implemented from the last year of conventional farming up to the end of the conversion to organic, and (ii) identified which conversion strategies improved farmers’ satisfaction the most. Satisfaction was assessed by farmers regarding economic, agronomic, livestock-related, and social aspects as well as work conditions. We ran principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical clustering on principal components (HCPC), and partial least squares (PLS) regression to analyse the data. Our results revealed that all farmers were satisfied after conversion to organic. All observed conversion strategies were oriented towards pasture-based grazing systems and a reduction in land use and herd management intensities. It was not possible to relate specific conversion strategies to specific changes in patterns of satisfaction. This study was the first trying to relate the evolution of farmers’ satisfaction to changes in farming practices during the conversion to organic. In showing the strong increase in farmers’ satisfaction during the conversion to organic, our results strongly contrast with previous studies that highlighted the multiple risks of converting to organic farming. When supporting farmers considering a conversion, local advisers may consider farmers’ objectives and their potential satisfaction regarding their achievements beyond the risks of not obtaining the organic price for products immediately.

中文翻译：

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转换为有机农业可以提高奶农的满意度，而与实施的策略无关

欧洲的农民越来越多地转向有机农业。对于农民而言，转换是一个不确定的时期，需要多次更改以符合有机法规，同时又无法获得产品的有机价格。先前的研究结果强调了转为有机农业的多重风险，但它们往往忽视了农民在转基因过程中的满意度。我们的目标是调查农民在向有机转化过程中是否以及如何提高满意度。我们从2016年（去年为常规）到2018年对法国Aveyron的19个奶牛场进行了抽样调查。我们（i）描述了奶农满意度的演变以及从常规耕种到去年开始实施的转换策略到有机转换的最后，（ii）确定哪种转化策略最能提高农民的满意度。农民在经济，农艺，与牲畜有关的社会方面以及工作条件方面对满意度进行了评估。我们进行了主成分分析（PCA），主成分层次聚类（HCPC）和偏最小二乘（PLS）回归分析数据。我们的结果表明，所有农民改种有机食品后都感到满意。所有观察到的转化策略都以牧场为基础的放牧系统以及减少土地使用和畜群管理强度为导向。无法将特定的转换策略与满意度模式的特定变化相关联。这项研究是首次尝试将农民满意度的演变与有机转化过程中耕作方式的变化联系起来。在显示农民转变为有机农业的过程中，其满意度的显着提高时，我们的结果与以往的研究形成了鲜明的对比，后者突出了转变为有机农业的多重风险。当支持农民考虑进行转产时，当地顾问可能会考虑农民的目标及其对成就的潜在满意度，而不仅仅是无法立即获得产品有机价格的风险。