French Farms Research Articles

Konkurencyjność polskich gospodarstw ogrodniczych

W artykule przedstawiono konkurencyjność i efektywność polskich gospodarstw ogrodniczych na tle analogicznych gospodarstw wybranych krajów Unii Europejskiej. Analizą objęto gospodarstwa objęte systemem monitoringu FADN w latach 2007-2009 i 2011-2013, specjalizujące się w uprawie warzyw, truskawek, kwiatów i roślin ozdobnych, grzybów i w szkółkarstwie. Konkurencyjność badanych gospodarstw ogrodniczych określono wskaź­nikiem konkurencyjności, obliczonym jako stosunek dochodu z gospodarstwa rolnego do kosztów użycia własnych czynników produkcji: ziemi, pracy i kapitału (za W. Kleinhanssem).

Ergot and ergot alkaloids in French cereals: occurrence, pattern and agronomic practices for managing the risk

Ergot is a disease of cereals and grasses caused by the ascomycete fungusClaviceps purpurea (Fr.) Tul. This fungus infects young, usually unfertilised ovaries, replacing the seeds with dark mycelial masses known as sclerotia. The amount of sclerotia in marketable grain is strictly regulated in many countries. We found that ergot and its alkaloids were common in French farm fields during the 2012, 2013 and 2014 harvests. Before cleaning, ergot was present in harvest samples from 23 to 30% of wheat fields, 15 to 30% of durum wheat fields, 27 to 39% of barley fields, 45 to 66% of triticale fields, 12 to 29% of oat fields and 67 to 81% of rye fields. Triticale and rye were thus the cereals most prone to infection. The proportion of total ergot alkaloid in sclerotia varied, but the relationship between ergot sclerotium content and total ergot alkaloid concentration in the grain was strongly positive and independent of harvest year and cereal species. Ergot sclerotia content explained 75% of the variance for alkaloid content. We found that the main alkaloid and corresponding epimer, per gram of sclerotia, were ergotamine (29.2% of total ergot alkaloids), followed by ergosine (26.3%), ergocristine (18.5%), ergometrine (9.8%), ergocryptine (8.2%) and ergocornine (7.9%). The -ine isomers accounted for 70.5%, with the -inine isomers accounting for the remaining 29.5%. The mean total alkaloid content ofC. purpurea sclerotia was 3,103 µg/g. This survey identified and ranked agronomic practices for limiting the risk of ergot contamination in crops. Host plant, previous crop, grassweed presence and tillage system all had a significant influence on alkaloid content. We identified and ranked agronomic practices for limiting and managing the risks of ergot and ergot alkaloids in the field. However, the main factor driving ergot infection is weather conditions.

Risk factor analysis of equine strongyle resistance to anthelmintics

Intestinal strongyles are the most problematic endoparasites of equids as a result of their wide distribution and the spread of resistant isolates throughout the world. While abundant literature can be found on the extent of anthelmintic resistance across continents, empirical knowledge about associated risk factors is missing. This study brought together results from anthelmintic efficacy testing and risk factor analysis to provide evidence-based guidelines in the field. It involved 688 horses from 39 French horse farms and riding schools to both estimate Faecal Egg Count Reduction (FECR) after anthelmintic treatment and to interview farm and riding school managers about their practices. Risk factors associated with reduced anthelmintic efficacy in equine strongyles were estimated across drugs using a marginal modelling approach. Results demonstrated ivermectin efficacy (96.3% ± 14.5% FECR), the inefficacy of fenbendazole (42.8% ± 33.4% FECR) and an intermediate profile for pyrantel (90.3% ± 19.6% FECR). Risk factor analysis provided support to advocate for FEC-based treatment regimens combined with individual anthelmintic dosage and the enforcement of tighter biosecurity around horse introduction. The combination of these measures resulted in a decreased risk of drug resistance (relative risk of 0.57, p = 0.02). Premises falling under this typology also relied more on their veterinarians suggesting practitionners play an important role in the sustainability of anthelmintic usage. Similarly, drug resistance risk was halved in premises with frequent pasture rotation and with stocking rate below five horses/ha (relative risk of 0.53, p < 0.01). This is the first empirical risk factor analysis for anthelmintic resistance in equids. Our findings should guide the implementation of more sustained strongyle management in the field.

Evolution pathways of employees' work on dairy farms according to task content, specialization, and autonomy

Evolution of employees working on dairy farms is related to the increase in farm size and the decrease in the size of family workforce. Thus, maintaining employees on dairy farms is a major problem for dairy farmers. We hypothesize that maintaining employees is related to their evolution pathways of work according to the tasks assigned, the level of versatility vs. specialization and the level of autonomy. Our aim was to describe different pathways for employees according to these three dimensions of work. Eight farmers and 14 permanent employees on eight French dairy farms were interviewed individually. Eight variables were identified to describe the evolution of tasks assigned to employees, the trend toward versatility vs . specialization, and the evolution of autonomy. Five evolution pathways of employees' work were identified. The longer-term goal is to discuss these results with farmers, employees and agricultural advisors to validate the results and assess their usefulness in a reflexive process concerning employees' career on farm.

Involvement of swine influenza A viruses in the porcine respiratory disease complex.

Respiratory diseases constitute a major problem in pig farms, often resulting from multiple infections with different respiratory pathogens. This phenomenon is referred to as porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC). Swine influenza viruses of type A (swIAV) affect half of French farms and are often isolated from PRDC cases. The flu severity is recognized to be strongly influenced by the presence of other respiratory pathogens but interactions between microorganisms are still poorly understood. Development of experimental models of co-infections is required to better understand mechanisms underlying flu exacerbation that is a prerequisite for improving measures for disease control. This review summarizes current knowledge on flu disease in pig and swIAV's involvement in PRDC, as well as results of in vivo co-infections studies involving swIAVs. The mechanisms responsible for the flu exacerbation in case of co-infection with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhp) are more particularly discussed, the swIAV/Mhp experimental model having been the most studied to date. In this case, it appears that the severe flu is due to additive inflammatory responses rather than due to a synergistic effect between both pathogens.

Variability of winter wheat yield in France under average and unfavourable weather conditions

Winter wheat yield is affected not only by extreme climatic events like long-term drought or large-scale flood, but also by less severe unfavourable weather conditions that are liable to increase with future climate change. In this perspective, the goal of this paper is to assess the impacts of agricultural practices on yield robustness to unfavourable weather conditions. Toward that end, we develop a methodological framework based on a statistical typology of wheat cropping systems and a regression model relating wheat yield variability to an index of weather conditions. This framework is applied to a sample of French wheat-growing farms participating in the pesticide-reduction plan known as Ecophyto. The typology includes six classes of wheat cropping systems differentiated on the basis of two types of rotations (simplified versus diversified) and three types of management practices (high-intensive, inflexible management practices; moderately intensive, flexible management practices; and low-intensive, inflexible management practices). Wheat yield in normal or average weather conditions were significantly greater in the high- and moderately intensive cropping systems compared to the extensive cropping systems. By contrast, very few differences were statistically significant for wheat yield robustness to unfavourable weather conditions. This can be explained by the high variability of the robustness parameter derived from the regression model within each cluster. However, heterogeneity of wheat management practices emerges as a potential lever for increasing wheat yield robustness in the face of unfavourable weather conditions.

What prospective scenarios for 2035 will be compatible with reduced impact of French beef and dairy farm on climate change?

The agricultural sector is being called upon to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). A scenario approach was developed to explore the plausible futures of the French bovine sector and their impact on climate change. These scenarios encompass a Business As Usual scenario (S1-BAU) and alternative contrasting scenarios: (S2) cattle production increase to meet a high global demand under a liberal policy, (S3) refocus on internal demand within France, with an upmarket move to ‘green’ products, (S4) committed public policy to reduce GHG emissions. This paper analyses how key drivers of these scenarios (e.g. subsidies on investment, reduction of market risks, carbon tax, limitation of concentrate feed in animal diets) affect the evolution of production, economics, and environmental impact on climate change of typical French suckler cow and dairy farms, by means of simulations performed with a bio-economic model. To adapt their farming systems to the scenarios, farms can opt for variably intensive/integrated practices per animal and per unit land area. Some technological progress in animal production, crop production, and farm equipment is also modeled. Results show that in S1-BAU, milk production, net income and impact on climate change of dairy farms rise. Beef production and impact on climate change decrease slightly in suckler cow farms. Impact on climate change per unit of product decreases owing to higher productivity per animal and to a more integrated management of crop production. Alternative scenarios underline that reorienting public support toward farm investment would further intensify dairy farms and increase their income, but would reduce production and income of suckler cow farms and favor crop production (S2). Climate change impact per unit of product is more strongly reduced in S3 (organic farming with low feed concentrate) than in S2, but with a reduced production, particularly for milk. A carbon tax decreases emissions, but to the detriment of cattle production, especially suckler cow farms.

Implementation of the European legislation to protect farm animals: a case study on French inspections to find solutions to improve compliance

AbstractIn the European Union, at least 1% of farms are inspected every year and sanctions are applied to those that do not comply with the legislation on animal welfare. These on-farm inspections can result in measures to correct welfare problems detected. They can also highlight major risks that will require a focus of efforts and help prevent further non-compliances. Here, we analysed the reports from inspections of French cattle farms between 2010 and 2013 to check whether inspection stimulates improvement and to propose ways to improve how animal welfare legislation is implemented through the cross-compliance system. French inspectors use 32 items to assess overall compliance of farms inspected. We found that compliance improves on farms that are re-inspected but not in other farms (8% of severely non-compliant farms). Nine items do not influence the overall assessment whereas eight have a huge impact. The importance attributed to items varies from the first to the second visit to a farm. The major risks are absence of farm records, lack of basic care (practices or enclosures likely to harm animals, insufficient feeding) and inadequate skills (no veterinarian consulted, insufficient qualified staff). To improve compliance with EU animal welfare legislation and the efficiency of the inspection system, we suggest organising consultation between inspectors, ministry central services and welfare experts to: (i) refine the checklist and harmonise interpretations of item compliance; (ii) make sure all farmers are aware of the legislative requirements and the major risks of non-compliance; and (iii) define plans for a step-wise improvement of non-compliant farms.

Granulometry, microbial composition and biological activity of dusts collected in French dairy farms

BackgroundDairy working increases the prevalence of lower airway respiratory diseases, especially COPD and asthma. Epidemiological studies have reported that chronic inhalation of organic dusts released during specific daily tasks could represent a major risk factor for development of these pathologies in dairy workers. Knowledge on size, nature and biological activity of such organic dusts remain however limited. ObjectiveTo compare size distribution, microbial composition and cellular effects of dusts liberated by the spreading of straw bedding in five French dairy farms located in Brittany. ResultsMechanized distribution of straw bedding generated a cloud of inhalable dusts in the five dairy farms’ barns. Thoracic particles having a 3–7.5µm size constituted 58.9–68.3% of these dusts. Analyses of thoracic dusts by next generation sequencing showed that the microbial dust composition differed between the five French farms, although Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria represent more than 97.5% of the bacterial phyla detected in each sample. Several bacteria genera comprising of human pathogenic species, such as Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Thermoactinomyces or Saccharopolyspora were identified. Cladosporium and Alternaria fungal genera, which are potent environmental determinants of respiratory symptoms, were detected in dusts collected in the five farms and their levels reached 15.5–51.1% and 9–24.7% of assignable fungal sequences in each sample, respectively. Finally, all dust samples significantly and strongly increased the expression of the pro-inflammatory TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 cytokines at both mRNA and protein levels in human monocyte-derived macrophages. Their effects were dose-dependent and detectable from 1µg/ml. The intensity of the macrophage responses however differed according to the samples. ConclusionsOur results strengthen the hypothesis that organic dusts released during the distribution of straw bedding are mainly constituted of thoracic particles which are small enough to deposit on lower bronchial epithelium of dairy farmers and induce inflammation.

The impact of single farm payments on technical inefficiency of French crop farms

This paper analyses the effect of single farm payments (SFPs) introduced by the Luxembourg agreements (2003) of the Common Agricultural Policy, on the performance of crop farms in Eure-et-Loir, France, over the period 2005–2008. Technical inefficiency scores of these crop farms are first estimated. Then, the estimated technical inefficiency scores are regressed on SFPs received by farmers following a standard two-step procedure. The analysis shows a negative effect of SFPs on the technical inefficiency of Eure-et-Loir farms. This implies that subsidies granted to farms without production restrictions seem to reduce technical inefficiency.

Herd-specific interventions to reduce antimicrobial usage in pig production without jeopardising technical and economic performance

Pig farmers are strongly encouraged to reduce their antimicrobial usage in order to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance. Herd-level intervention is needed to achieve national and European reduction targets. Alternative, especially preventive measures, have to be implemented to reduce the need for antimicrobial treatments. However, little is known about the feasibility, effectiveness and return on investment of such measures. The objective of this study was to assess, across four countries, the technical and economic impact of herd-specific interventions aiming at reducing antimicrobial usage in pig production while implementing alternative measures.An intervention study was conducted between February 2014 and August 2015 in 70 farrow-to-finish pig farms located in Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden. Herd-specific interventions were defined together with the farmer and the herd veterinarian. Farms were followed over one year and their antimicrobial usage and technical performance were compared with values from the year before intervention. Compliance with the intervention plan was also monitored. Changes in margin over feed cost and net farm profit were estimated in a subset of 33 Belgian and French farms with sufficient data, using deterministic and stochastic modeling.Following interventions, a substantial reduction in antimicrobial use was achieved without negative impact the overall farm technical performance. A median reduction of 47.0% of antimicrobial usage was achieved across four countries when expressed in terms of treatment incidence from birth to slaughter, corresponding to a 30.5% median reduction of antimicrobial expenditures. Farm compliance with intervention plans was high (median: 93%; min-max: 20; 100) and farms with higher compliance tended to achieve bigger reduction (ρ=-0.18, p=0.162). No association was found between achieved reduction and type or number of alternative measures implemented. Mortality in suckling piglets, weaners and fatteners, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio did not significantly change over the course of the study, while the number of weaned piglets per sow per year slightly increased. The median change in net farm profit among Belgian and French farms was estimated to be €4.46 (Q25-Q75:-32.54; 80.50) and €1.23 (Q25-Q75:-32.55; 74.45) per sow per year using the detererministic and stochastic models, respectively. It was more influenced by a change in feed conversion ratio and daily weight gain than by a change in antimicrobial expenditures or intervention direct net cost. Therefore, costs of alternative measures should not be perceived as a barrier, but rather as an opportunity to optimise production practices for sustained productivity and improved animal health.

French labour-force participation in organic farming

Many farms are converting or plan to convert their production towards environmentally-friendly practices. This article analyses the essential contribution of labour force - holder, family and employees - on the adoption of organic farming. We use the 2010 exhaustive census of French farms for its accuracy. To comprehend to what extent labour force influences the decision to adopt the organic farming certification, a logit model is implemented. The results emphasize that organic farming translates into different labour patterns which highlight the participants’ involvement and their degree of qualification and experience. Their qualifications rather than the number of stakeholder groups appear essential in the development of organic farms.

Environmental footprint of the integrated France–Italy beef production system assessed through a multi-indicator approach

This study aims to evaluate the environmental footprint of the integrated France–Italy beef production system (extensive grassland-based suckler cow-calf farms in France with intensive cereal-based fattening farms in northeastern Italy) using a multi-indicator approach, which combines environmental impact categories computed with a cradle-to-farm gate Life Cycle Assessment, and food-related indicators based on the conversion of gross energy and protein of feedstuffs into raw boneless beef. The system boundaries were set from the calves' birth to their sale to the slaughterhouse, including the herd management, on- and off-farm feed production and materials used on the farms. One kilogram of body weight (BW) sold was used as the functional unit. The study involved 73 Charolais batches (i.e., a group of animals homogenous for age, finishing period and fattening farm), kept at 14 Italian farms. Data from 40 farms originating from the Charolais Network database (INRA) were used to characterize the French farm types, which were matched to the fattening batches according to the results of a cluster analysis. The impact categories assessed were as follows (mean±SD per kg BW): global warming potential (GWP, 13.0±0.7kg CO2-eq, reduced to 9.9±0.7kg CO2-eq when considering the carbon sequestration due to French suckler cow-calf system permanent grassland), acidification potential (AP, 193±13g SO2-eq), eutrophication potential (EP, 57±4g PO4-eq), cumulative energy demand (CED, 36±5MJ), and land occupation (LO, 18.7±0.8m2/year). The on-farm impacts outweighed those of the off-farm activities, except in the case of CED. On average, 41MJ and 16.7kg of dietary feed gross energy and protein were required to provide 1MJ or 1kg of protein of raw boneless beef, respectively, but nearly 85% and 80%, respectively, were derived from feedstuffs not suitable for human consumption. Emission-related (GWP, AP, EP) and resource utilization categories (CED, LO) were positively correlated. Food-related indicators showed positive correlations with emission-related indicators when the overall feedstuffs of the diet were considered but negative correlations when only the potentially human-edible portions of the beef diets were considered. In conclusion, the integration of the pasture-based France suckler cow-calf system with the cereal-based Italian fattening farms allows for the exploitation of the resources available, increasing the share of non-human-edible feedstuffs while maintaining good livestock productive efficiency. Combining indicators of impact categories with indicators of feed net supply may improve the assessment of the environmental footprint of livestock systems.

Field efficacy of Porcilis\xae PCV M Hyo versus a licensed commercially available vaccine and placebo in the prevention of PRDC in pigs on a French farm: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundA controlled, randomised, and blinded trial performed on a conventional French farrow-to-finish farm compared the efficacy of a one-shot bivalent ready to use vaccine, Porcilis® PCV M. Hyo (group PCVM), to that of two commercial vaccines (Ingelvac® Circoflex® + Ingelvac® Mhyo, group ICIM), and to a placebo (group CTL), in preventing the health and economic impacts of Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex (PRDC).Material & MethodsIn this small-scale clinical study, all piglets in each group were administered the vaccine/placebo at weaning age (27 days old). Piglets from either of the three groups were bled at regular intervals from 3 weeks of age until slaughter, in order to assess the infection by the main PRDC infectious agents: Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, PCV2 and PRRSV. Performance, lung checks and slaughter data were collected and analysed.ResultsPCV2 viremia was significantly reduced in both vaccinated groups as compared to the placebo group. Lung lesion score was significantly lower in group PCVM, as compared to groups CTL and ICIM. Average daily weight gain during the finishing period was not significantly different between both vaccinated groups and was significantly higher than in the placebo group (849 g/d in the latter). Carcass results provided a numerical advantage to PCVM group, through improved part of production eligible for premium payment, and superior farmer income; this was a trend and did not reach significance.ConclusionThe one-shot bivalent vaccine Porcilis® PCV M Hyo proved to be efficacious and convenient to use in a field context of active PCV2 and M. hyopneumoniae infections.

Detection of habitats colonized by Omphiscola glabra (Gastropoda: Lymnaeidae) on acid soils using indicator plants

The lymnaeid Omphiscola glabra is known to be an intermediate host in the life cycle of Fasciola hepatica and knowing its distribution in the field is important to determine that of the parasite. Looking at indicator plants has been proposed by several authors as one of the most practical ways of carrying out a malacological survey in pastures of a farm. Field investigations on 361 French farms breeding cattle or sheep on acid soils were thus carried out for 36 years in March or April to list indicator plant species in seven types of habitats colonized by O. glabra , and determine the characteristics of their habitats (area, snail density) for each indicator plant. Six plant species: Agrostis stolonifera , Dactylis glomerata , Glyceria fluitans , Juncus acutiflorus , Juncus effusus and Lotus uliginosus , were examined in 3137 snail habitats. J. effusus was the best indicator species to detect snail populations in five habitat types, while J. acutiflorus was the best indicator for snail populations living in spring heads. The other four plant species characterized only a few populations. Snail habitats detected with J. acutiflorus , J. effusus or L. uliginosus were significantly larger in area, while the density of overwintering snails was significantly lower in habitats with G. fluitans . These initial results suggest that J. effusus is a good indicator for the detection of O. glabra in the acid soils of central France. However, additional studies are required to test its limitations in the field.

Molecular epidemiology of Coxiella burnetii in French livestock reveals the existence of three main genotype clusters and suggests species-specific associations as well as regional stability

Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. In domestic ruminants, Q fever main clinical manifestations are abortions. Although the clinical signs may differ between ruminant species, C. burnetii's genetic diversity remains understudied in enzootic areas. Here, we focused on France, where Q fever is enzootic, with the aims to (a) identify potential associations between C. burnetii genotypes and ruminant host species; (b) assess the distribution of C. burnetii genotypes both within French farms and across France's major livestock-farming regions; and (c) suggest a subset of markers for future genotypic studies. We used DNA samples collected between 2006 and 2015 from 301 females (160 cows, 76 ewes, 65 goats) aborted of Q fever within 7 different farming regions. C. burnetii diversity was determined using a multiple-locus variable-number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) considering 17 markers. Using a phylogenetic approach, we identified 3 main genotypic clusters divided into 12 sub-clusters. These clusters were significantly associated with ruminant species: almost all the cattle genotypes were found in a “cattle-specific” cluster whereas small ruminants genotypes essentially grouped into the two other clusters. The clusters also proved stable over space and time, some genotypes being more specifically observed in certain farming regions. We also observed some within-farm diversity but this diversity was restricted to a same genotypic cluster. Finally, we identified 6 MLVA markers that maximized the representativeness of the diversity described. Overall, we highlighted that molecular epidemiology is a relevant approach to assess C. burnetii's genetic diversity and to reveal the existence of species-specific associations and regional stability. These results will be valuable in the field to trace genotype circulation among ruminants and from ruminants to humans. Ultimately, the potential links between genotypes and virulence traits need to be investigated to adapt control measures in livestock farms.

Risk factors associated with the different categories of piglet perinatal mortality in French farms

We aimed to identify mortality patterns and to establish risk factors associated with different categories of piglet perinatal mortality in French farms. At farm level, the analyses were performed on data from 146 farms that experienced perinatal mortality problems. At piglet level, the analyses were performed on data from 155 farms (7761 piglets). All data were collected over a period of 10 years (2004–14) by a consulting company, using a non-probability sampling at farm level and a random sampling at sow level. Six main categories of mortality, determined by standardised necropsy procedure, represented 84.5% of all the perinatal deaths recorded. These six categories were, in order of significance: Death during farrowing, Non- viable, Early sepsis, Mummified, Crushing and Starvation. At farm level, the percentage of deaths due to starvation was positively correlated to the percentage of deaths due to crushing and the percentage of deaths during farrowing (r>0.30, P<0.05) .The percentage of deaths due to crushing was negatively correlated to the percentage of deaths due to early sepsis (r<−0.30, P<0.05) and positively correlated to the deaths due to acute disease (r>0.30, P<0.05). Patterns of perinatal mortality at farm level were identified using a principal component analysis. Based on these, the farms could be classified, using ascending hierarchical classification, into three different clusters, highlighting issues that underlie farm differences. Risk factors were compared at piglet level for the different categories of death. Compared to other categories of death, deaths during farrowing were significantly fewer during the night than during the day. Compared to other categories of death, the likelihood of non-viable piglets tended to be higher in summer than other seasons. A smaller number of deaths in the litter was also identified for the piglets classified as non-viable or mummified. For the six main categories of perinatal mortality, the piglets which died from a specific category tended to have more littermates which died from the same category. Parity and litter size also had more significant effects on certain categories of death compared to others. The study provides novel information on the risk factors associated with specific categories of piglet perinatal mortality. The classification of farms into the 3 different clusters could lead to a more targeted management of perinatal mortality on individual farms.

Movers and Stayers in The Farming Sector: Accounting for Unobserved Heterogeneity in Structural Change

SummaryThe paper investigates whether accounting for unobserved heterogeneity in farms' size transition processes improves the representation of structural change in agriculture. Considering a mixture of two types of farm, the mover–stayer model is applied for the first time in an agricultural economics context. The maximum likelihood method and the expectation–maximization algorithm are used to estimate the model's parameters. An empirical application to a panel of French farms from 2000 to 2013 shows that the mover–stayer model outperforms the homogeneous Markov chain model in recovering the transition process and predicting the future distribution of farm sizes.

The influence of public subsidies on farm technical efficiency: A robust conditional nonparametric approach

The objective of this paper is to assess the influence of public subsidies on farm technical efficiency using recent advances in nonparametric efficiency analysis. To this end, we use robust conditional frontier techniques as well as insights from recent developments in nonparametric econometrics. The paper contributes to the ongoing methodological discussion on how to model the effect of public subsidies on farmers’ production decisions. The analysis is conducted using an unbalanced panel data of 1604 observations from 313 French farms located in the French region Meuse over the period 2006–2011. The estimates indicate that public subsidies influence negatively the conditional technical efficiency of farms. This suggests that public subsidies affect both the range of the attainable set for the inputs and outputs and the distribution of the efficiency scores inside the attainable set.

The Relationship of Dairy Farm Eco-Efficiency with Intensification and Self-Sufficiency. Evidence from the French Dairy Sector Using Life Cycle Analysis, Data Envelopment Analysis and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling.

We aimed at quantifying the extent to which agricultural management practices linked to animal production and land use affect environmental outcomes at a larger scale. Two practices closely linked to farm environmental performance at a larger scale are farming intensity, often resulting in greater off-farm environmental impacts (land, non-renewable energy use etc.) associated with the production of imported inputs (e.g. concentrates, fertilizer); and the degree of self-sufficiency, i.e. the farm’s capacity to produce goods from its own resources, with higher control over nutrient recycling and thus minimization of losses to the environment, often resulting in greater on-farm impacts (eutrophication, acidification etc.). We explored the relationship of these practices with farm environmental performance for 185 French specialized dairy farms. We used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling to build, and relate, latent variables of environmental performance, intensification and self-sufficiency. Proxy indicators reflected the latent variables for intensification (milk yield/cow, use of maize silage etc.) and self-sufficiency (home-grown feed/total feed use, on-farm energy/total energy use etc.). Environmental performance was represented by an aggregate ‘eco-efficiency’ score per farm derived from a Data Envelopment Analysis model fed with LCA and farm output data. The dataset was split into two spatially heterogeneous (bio-physical conditions, production patterns) regions. For both regions, eco-efficiency was significantly negatively related with milk yield/cow and the use of maize silage and imported concentrates. However, these results might not necessarily hold for intensive yet more self-sufficient farms. This requires further investigation with latent variables for intensification and self-sufficiency that do not largely overlap- a modelling challenge that occurred here. We conclude that the environmental ‘sustainability’ of intensive dairy farming depends on particular farming systems and circumstances, although we note that more self-sufficient farms may be preferable when they may benefit from relatively low land prices and agri-environment schemes aimed at maintaining grasslands.