Abstract
The way farmers perceive the concept of sustainability as applied to their own farms must be better understood in order to help them evolve towards more sustainable production systems. Based on extensive discussions with 36 farmers on the Saïs plain (Morocco), this article explores farmers’ perceptions of sustainability and the strategies they are implementing for their farms to endure. Although these farmers are not formally aware of the concept of sustainability, they have several perceptions expressed through seven sustainability-related themes. The most frequently mentioned is the profitability of their agricultural activities (31% of responses). Three groups of perception were identified through a multiple component analysis (MCA) and an ascending hierarchical cluster (AHC) analysis: A combination of economic profitability and maintenance of the farm’s natural resources (Environment); a combination of economic profitability and a capacity to seize opportunities (Profitability); and setting up a modern agricultural model (Modernism). Additionally, farmers implement three types of strategies to endure also identified through MCA and AHC analysis: (1) Income security and farm survival with low-intensity practices involving farmers with low levels of investment (Security); (2) adaptation and valorization of the flexibility of the farm, bringing together farmers who intensify their practices according to economic opportunities (Adaptation); and (3) quest for productivity and income maximization for farmers with high levels of capital (Entrepreneurship). A certain coherence emerges between these two ways of grouping farms: Environment and Security linked to threats related to the degradation of soil fertility or water scarcity; Profitability and Adaptation in relation to land and economic opportunities; and Modernism and Entrepreneurship, which links economic sustainability, a modern production model, and capital accumulation.
Highlights
The limitations of the production-focused agricultural model based on the simplification of production systems and extensive use of non-renewable resources may be observed around the world [1]
Based on a survey conducted on a diversified sample of 36 farmers on the Saïs plain in Morocco, this paper aims to characterize how farmers translate their perceptions of farm sustainability into the design and implementation of their strategies to endure
The study was conducted on the Saïs plain in Morocco, where for the past 45 years, agricultural dynamics have been driven by the capacity of family farmers to innovate in response to various opportunities offered to them
Summary
The limitations of the production-focused agricultural model based on the simplification of production systems and extensive use of non-renewable resources may be observed around the world [1]. The few studies that explore how farmers perceive sustainability in a holistic way examine farmers’ values in terms of the concept of sustainability [11], the influence of the socio-economic context on their perceptions [12], or what motivates farmers to integrate the concept into their practices [4]. These studies were implemented in contexts where farmers are generally familiar with the concept of sustainability
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