How do Farming Systems Cope with Marketing Channel Requirements in Organic Horticulture? The Case of Market-Gardening in Southeastern France

Abstract

Organic market-gardening farming systems are extremely diverse, ranging from the extensive to the very intensive, although all follow organic standards. This study aimed to analyze the extent to which the diversity of farming systems in southeastern France may be explained by the marketing channels adopted by growers. Eighteen organic market gardeners were surveyed. Three types of growers were identified, differentiated by the way they combine farming and marketing systems: (1) growers selling a diversity of food products through local marketing channels, which allows them to increase plant species biodiversity and enhance natural regulations in accordance with agro-ecology principles; (2) specialized growers selling a limited number of food products through long marketing channels at the few periods most economically favorable with regard to the export-market, a questionable strategy in terms of environmental sustainability; and (3) intermediate growers combining short and long marketing channels, who potentially may reconcile environmental and economic components of sustainability. The study confirmed the importance of better understanding the relationships between farming practices and marketing channels so that commercialization does not to become an impediment to sustainability in organic farming.