See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322676770 Presentation held at the community events in Moskosel and Arvidsjaur, Norrbotten (January 23rd, 2018) Presentation · January 2018 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.24148.91520 CITATIONS READS 0 21 1 author: Alexandre Dubois Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences 33 PUBLICATIONS 224 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Nordic inputs to the EU Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion View project Farming futures in small communities of Northern Sweden and South Australia View project All content following this page was uploaded by Alexandre Dubois on 24 January 2018. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.
What role for farming in future community development? Alexandre Dubois Moskosel & Arvidsjaur seminars Nov 23rd, 2017
Dr Alexandre Dubois Pr Dean Carson 2018-2020 SLU, Uppsala (SWE) Charles Darwin Uni. (AUS) ARCUM, Umeå Uni. (SWE) alexandre.dubois@slu.se Dean.Carson@cdu.edu.au F ARMING FUTURES IN SMALL COMMUNITIES OF N ORTHERN S WEDEN AND S OUTH A USTRALIA How agriculture-community linkages evolve in rural regions on climatic borderlines S UMMARY A IM Climate change, new production Investigate how changing local climatic technologies, urbanisation and increased conditions and urbanisation affect the interest in food security and ‘regional reconfiguration of agriculture-community cuisine’ are changing the prospects for linkages (ACL) in small communities that are farming in remote rural areas. located on critical climatic ‘lines’. Rural restructuring has led to a consolidation of the farming sector towards M ETHOD fewer and larger farm holdings. Small The project is a comparative analysis of two holdings diversify and value-add and are cases of ‘borderline’ regions in Sweden increasingly engaging in direct marketing (Western Lapland) and Australia (Mid North). relations. This engagement has been vital for the resilience of small rural centres. The project will use a mixed method Agriculture is still a critical activity in the approach: countryside lying at the crossroads of multiple rural development goals such as The study is a comparative analysis of the case study regions of Western Lapland in North (1) quantitative analysis of agricultural, multifunctionality, biodiversity preservation Sweden and Mid North South Australia (Source: Carson et al., 2017) demographic and economic historical data , and cultural heritage conservation Western Lapland Key features Mid North Forestry Staples industry Pastoralism (2) compilation and analysis of community The project will especially seek to identify, Dairy Main produce Wool survey data backed up by in-depth interviews in interaction with local stakeholders, how Agri-environmental, Rural policy context Competitive productivism, providing us with local relational data new agricultural practices contribute to multifunctional agriculture export-oriented sustainable community development . Inland thinning out, Demography Rural depopulation in the (3) a community-based foresight exercise Farmers’ markets, box schemes or place- growing urban coast outer margins of Adelaide identify how future prospects for local branded produce offer new outlets for More precipitations Expected climate change Drier agriculture may contribute to sustainable smaller producers to generate revenue community development. streams. Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences www.slu.se
What we know 1. a reduction in the total number of farms; FARMS BY SIZE IN SWEDEN 2. an increase in the average farm size; 2,1-5,0 ha 5,1-10,0 ha 10,1-20,0 ha 20,1-30,0 ha 30,1-50,0 ha 50,1-100,0 ha 3. a decrease in the number of small farms; 100,1+ ha 4. an increase in the number of large farms; 30000 and, possibly, 25000 5. a concentration of land among large 20000 farms. 15000 (Van der Ploeg, 2017) 10000 5000 This happens everywhere across Europe 0 1981 1991 2001 2011 2021
What we want to know Understand the diversity of farm development trajectories – Bigger farms (economies of scale) – Local quality food niches (low cost, high added- value) – Diversified businesses into multiple sectors – non-farming occupations in farming households Critical factors in Western Lapland – Availability of arable land + short season – (Van der Ploeg, 2017) Small local market for quality food Large farms may also disappear and – High transportation costs for transporting inputs small farms also appear and develop (e.g. foder ) and food products
Key trends FARMS IN WESTERN LAPPLAND Occupations in farming households in Western Lapland 2,1-5,0 ha 5,1-10,0 ha 10,1-20,0 ha 20,1-30,0 ha 30,1-50,0 ha 50,1-100,0 ha 450 100,1+ ha 400 600 350 300 500 250 400 200 300 150 200 100 50 100 0 0 Företagare Maka/Sambo Familjemedlemmar 1981 1991 2001 2011 2021 Nej Ja, som bisyssla Ja, som huvudsyssla -100
Participation of farms in other activities (Kombinationsverksamhet) • Lowest proportion are in Västerbotten and Norrbotten (below 40%) • The larger the farms, the more common diversification is. – Large farms -> contracting ( entreprenad ) • ”value-adding and marketing of farm products” significant for farms <2ha – Overall increased by 114% in Västerbotten S IDE ACTIVITIES IN W ESTERN L APLAND År Annan Jordbruksentrepr Total Gårdsförädl Träförädli Förnybar Hantve Övri Turis Vattenbr Utbildni Föret entreprenad enad entreprenad ing ng energi rk gt m uk ng ag 2016 48 38 . 30 11 11 38 23 28 - 22 400 Source: SCB 2010 41 16 . 21 11 5 11 16 21 - . 397 strukturundersökning
New economic models for small-scale farming Short Food Supply Chains – Reduce distance between where food is produced and consumed – ‘thickening’ of producer-consumer relations – No intermediary – Greater autonomy – Multiple contact interfaces – Retain higher profit margin But – Depends on external factors (broadband, roads…) – Requires acquiring new skills and crafts
Regular presence at the FM provides opportunities The routinisation of producer-consumer interactions fosters the introduction of new places and to maintain contact with moments which create new mobilities around how food is marketed and sold. Examples found are returning loyal customers seasonal markets, farm shops, at-door box deliveries or ‘happenings’ at restaurants or boutiques. and recruit new ones Unlike the participation at FM, producers have more leverage in influencing if and how they wish to interact face-to-face with consumers. Farmers’ M O B I L I T I E S Market U B I Q U I T I E S Interactions with customers for marketing and ordering of food products takes place through ‘remote’ communication means, such as emails, social media and webshops. Face-to-face interactions are not necessary for organizing the transaction as it is often remotely organized days or weeks prior to the actual delivery of the products.
Conclusions • Building on agro-ecology: low-cost, high quality and value-adding farming – New competences in food processing, marketing, labelling – Requires engagement of other local food actors: abattoirs, restaurants, local authorities, local food retailers – Find new markets giving higher profit margin. Ex: saluhall, delicatessen boutique, cafés • Small scale, wide range farming – Farming households contribute with stable workforce in other sectors of the local economy – Values-based food systems: create new values around landscape & animals – Development of farm gate shops create a more lively countryside • Social media is a powerful tool for small-scale farmers – free, outreach to multiple circles of social networks for recruiting local customers – Coordinate the transaction to solve the transaction and logistics issue
Thank you! More info on our project -> alexandre.dubois@slu.se View publication stats View publication stats
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