ABSTRACT

Concerns for the future of the French livestock sector are growing, amongst others due to the profession’ low attractiveness which is partly related to its difficult working conditions. Agroecology in its search for social sustainability could offer better working conditions to farmers. The objectives of this study are; i) to understand whether expected changes in working conditions are taken into consideration when cattle farmers decide to adopt or not agroecological practices, ii) to study the impact of these practices on their working conditions and ii) to discuss the use of a multidimensional framework to study farmers’ working conditions. A framework addressing seven dimensions known to impact farmers’ working conditions was used to interview 22 French cattle farmers adopting agroecological practices. Improving working conditions was rarely the main motivation of farmers to adopt agroecological practices. Although never completely anticipated, all farmers experienced an impact of the adoption of agroecological practices on their working conditions (e.g. changes in work organization, health or pleasure derived from work). Across farms, all dimensions were impacted but consequences on working conditions were situation specific. The framework allowed a comprehensive understanding, from farmers’ point of view, on how working conditions are constituted and showed that farmers make trade-offs between different dimensions.

摘要

对法国畜牧业未来的担忧正在增加，其中包括该行业的吸引力低，部分原因是其恶劣的工作条件。寻求社会可持续性的农业生态学可以为农民提供更好的工作条件。本研究的目标是；i) 了解在养牛户决定采用或不采用农业生态实践时是否考虑了工作条件的预期变化，ii) 研究这些实践对其工作条件的影响，以及 ii) 讨论使用多维框架来研究农民的工作条件。一个解决已知影响农民工作条件的七个方面的框架被用来采访 22 位采用农业生态实践的法国养牛户。改善工作条件很少是农民采用农业生态实践的主要动机。尽管从未完全预料到，所有农民都经历了采用生态农业实践对其工作条件的影响（例如工作组织、健康或工作带来的乐趣的变化）。在农场中，所有方面都受到影响，但对工作条件的影响因具体情况而异。该框架允许从农民的角度全面了解工作条件是如何构成的，并表明农民在不同维度之间进行权衡。工作组织、健康或工作乐趣的变化）。在农场中，所有方面都受到影响，但对工作条件的影响因具体情况而异。该框架允许从农民的角度全面了解工作条件是如何构成的，并表明农民在不同维度之间进行权衡。工作组织、健康或工作乐趣的变化）。在农场中，所有方面都受到影响，但对工作条件的影响因具体情况而异。该框架允许从农民的角度全面了解工作条件是如何构成的，并表明农民在不同维度之间进行权衡。