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Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2023

The role of alfalfa in the transition to organic rice production on farms in Camargue, France

Résumé

In Camargue (France), the development of organic rice production started in the 1990s. The area of rice under organic farming has increased rapidly, from 11% of rice areas to 25% between the years 2015 and 2020 (Mouret, 2018; Agreste 2020). This increase corresponds to the transition of many farms in Camargue, on the order of 90. In the same time, farmers diversified their cropping systems and extended the length of their crop rotations. Some authors reported that the introduction of forage crops, such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in particular, is a favourable factor for the transition to organic farming. They also focus on the interest of livestock, fed with these forages, to enable the transition (Delmotte et al., 2018). We distinguish two processes in this notion of transition. The first concerns the conversion to organic farming, requiring 3 years for the lands and 6 months for the herds. The second concerns the evolution of cropping systems after the conversion. Camargue farmers are actually experimenting with different cropping systems, introducing new crops such as rapeseed, lentils or open-field market gardening (melon, tomato), as well as intercrops for green manuring, which can also be used to feed livestock. The purpose of this communication is to show the roles of forage crops in the transitions. How did the farmers convert their farm to organic farming? What cropping systems did they developed to produce rice in organic farming? What were the interests and constraints of alfalfa in these transition processes ?

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Dates et versions

hal-04569573 , version 1 (06-05-2024)

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  • HAL Id : hal-04569573 , version 1

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Isabelle Michel, Jean-Claude Mouret, Laure Hossard, Marie-Jeanne Valony, Fanny Balma, et al.. The role of alfalfa in the transition to organic rice production on farms in Camargue, France. 4th International Conference Organic Rice Farming and Production Systems, Tohoku University Sendai - Japan, Sep 2023, Sendai, Japan. ⟨hal-04569573⟩
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