Labor as a driver of changes in herd feeding patterns: Evidence from a diachronic approach in Mediterranean France and lessons for agroecology

Ruminant livestock farmers rely on diverse resources to feed their herds and the ways they combine these resources play a significant role from an agroecological perspective. In French Mediterranean mountainous areas, feeding patterns for sheep herds have been changing over the past decades in a manner which may not be favorable for agroecology. We hypothesize that labor plays a key role in this evolution. To test this hypothesis, we carried out observations and interviews, using the agrarian systems framework, with retired and active farmers in two areas of France. We built 7 sheep farm models and defined indicators assessing the contribution of different feed resources and the physical labor productivity in feed units in 1970 and 2013. The comparison of farm models highlights that herd growth has led to a focus on less labor-demanding feed resources, namely: (i) purchased feed in the Cévennes; (ii) meadows for single transhumance farms in the Alpine foothills; (iii) lowland winter grazing for double transhumance farms in the Alpine foothills. These changes are problematic from an agroecological perspective. This focus on labor offers a new perspective on changes in trajectories of livestock farming in the French Mediterranean region and serves as a basis for discussion on the importance of labor in agroecological transition.