ABSTRACT

In industrialized countries, maize cultivation is mainly associated with the use of hybrid varieties and input-intensive monocultures. Despite the homogeneity of European maize landscapes, alternative models of maize production based on landraces exist. Understanding the structures and values underlying these models is essential to enable the design of new strategies linking crop diversity, plant breeding, and food systems. This paper analyses the introduction of maize landraces by a farmers’ association in Aquitaine (France) and two farmers’ associations in Veneto (Italy), identifying what shapes and sustains different forms of landrace management. The Aquitaine group manages a broad panel of maize landraces collected from different regions of the world in a multi-site farm network. They have also developed new open-pollinated varieties, mostly for animal feed. In contrast, each of the Veneto groups has adopted only one maize landrace, within a cooperative system linking local maize and food practices. In both cases, the adoption and management of landraces are shaped by different productive priorities, but also by larger projects wherein new practices and values are created simultaneously. This is an ongoing process of developing new landraces as well as alternative forms of conservation, breeding and socialization among farmers.

摘要

在工业化国家，玉米种植主要与使用杂交品种和投入密集型单一栽培有关。尽管欧洲玉米景观具有同质性，但存在基于地方品种的玉米生产的替代模式。了解这些模型背后的结构和价值对于设计将作物多样性、植物育种和粮食系统联系起来的新战略至关重要。本文分析了阿基坦（法国）的一个农民协会和威尼托（意大利）的两个农民协会引入玉米地方品种，确定了哪些形成和维持了不同形式的地方品种管理。Aquitaine 集团在一个多地点农场网络中管理着从世界不同地区采集的一系列玉米地方品种。他们还开发了新的开放授粉品种，主要用于动物饲料。相比之下，每个威尼托集团都只采用了一种玉米地方品种，在一个将当地玉米和食品实践联系起来的合作系统内。在这两种情况下，地方品种的采用和管理都受到不同的生产优先事项的影响，但也受到同时创造新实践和价值的更大项目的影响。这是在农民中开发新地方品种以及保护、育种和社会化的替代形式的持续过程。