A localised development of organic
farming as a response to the problem
of water quality : a new challenge
Audrey VINCENT
ISARA-Lyon
Committee of the Regions
March 12th, 2015
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Context
 Water quality : a major
problem for member states
in Europe
 A growing demand for
organic products
 Water framework directive …
 A sceptical assessment of
policies for reducing water
pollution by agriculture
 A growing interest of local
citizens and of local
authorities for organic
farming
 Organic farming as a possible solution for water quality
protection
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Context
 Grenelle de l’Environnement :
 Quantitative objectives for the development of organic farming
- production (increase of the area cultivated organically)
- consumption (increase of the share of organic products in mass
catering)
 Organic farming should be developped in water sensitive areas :
« in water catchment areas, priority is to be given to organic farming
and low input agriculture » (Grenelle Law, 2009)
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A new challenge
Organic farming development was so far mainly an individual
initiative of farmer...
…. Developping organic farming for tackling water pollution
problems requires :
- to foster and target the development of organic farming in water
sensitive areas
- to have a substancial development of organic farming there (to
get a visible impact on water quality)
 Necessity to have a « localised » development of organic
farming
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Objectives
 Getting an overview of existing projects aiming at developing
organic farming to protect water quality
 Project leaders
 Stakeholder involved
 Actions carried out
 Policy tools implemented
 Infering recommandations for public policies
Methodology
 Inventory of the projects in France
 Case study approach
 Interviews of policy makers and local stakeholders involved in
the projects
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2 strategies for the development of organic
farming to tackle water quality problems
 Projects targeted at the scale of the
watershed
 Projects targeted at a larger scale
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Projects targeted at the watershed scale
 Objective: changing farming practices in the zones where
water quality is a priority (= on the areas with most impact on
water quality)
 Project leaders : local authorities, water managers
 Scale : water catchment areas (for drinkable water)/ watershed
 Actions mainly targeted at field or farm level
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Actions of Eau de Paris in the Vallée de la Vanne
 Context
 Priority water catchment
 Nitrate and pesticide pollution
 Size of the watershed :
45,000 ha (with 30,000 ha UAA)
 Objective : development of organic farming in the watershed
 Actions implemented
 Farmers’ training and awareness raising about organic farming
(extension services)
 Aquisition of land and tenancies with environmental conditions
 Reinforced financial support for conversion to organic farming (2nd
pillar of the CAP)
 Recently : partnership with economic playors (agricultural
cooperatives) for creating local organic supply chains (organic
seeds)...
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Projects targeted at a larger scale
 Objective: re-inforcing actions for the development of
organic farming (technical advice and training, creation of
organic supply chains…..)
 Project leaders : agricultural stakeholders (extension
services, agricultural cooperatives…)
 Scale : extensive areas, larger than just a watershed
 Actions targeted at groups of farmers and/or the whole
supply chain
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Example of Aiserey Mill (Burgundy)
 Context
 Closing of a sugar refinery
 Conversion into an
organic flour mill
 Objective
 Delivery of local grain to the mill (100 km radius)
 Increasing the demand for organic cereals  an incentive for farmers
of the area to convert to organic farming
 Market as a driver for the development of conversion
 Actions implemented
 Partenship between agricultural cooperatives and extension services
 Awareness raising and advise to farmers
 Project financially supported by the water agency Rhône
Méditerranée Corse
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Various tools to foster the development of
organic farming in water sensitive areas
Target
Development of new supply
chains for organic products
Collective
dynamics
Local activation to promote organic
farming and its practices
Reinforced financial
support for organic
conversion
Farmer and
Farm
Land acquisition
and tenancies with
environmental
conditions
Financial support for organic conversion
Watershed
Local
Regional
Scale
National
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Advantages and limits of both strategies
 Projects targeted at the waterscale scale:
 An efficient strategy in terms of its impact on water quality (targets
most sensitive areas)
 But, a necessity to take into account other features of organic farming
development: e.g. existence of operators capable of collecting /
processing organic raw material, ….
 Projects targeted at larger scale:
 A strategy that targets deep changes all over the supply chain (not only
at farmer and farm level)
 Takes into account processing and marketing aspects
 But what impact on water quality at catchment level?
 Necessity of combining both approches
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Conclusion
 Numerous projects associating organic farming development
and water quality protection
 Various actions and tools can be implemented
 Often a combination of different tools
 Keys for the success of such projects
 Strong political will to promote organic farming
 An identified projet leader and a territorial governance
 Policy support and local development plans for organic farming
Offering support to farmers (trainings, financial incentives,
administrative support…)
 Integrating the issue of collecting, processing and marketing of
the organic products
 Adapting projects to the local context

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Conclusion
Organic farming : a realistic solution to tackle water pollution
problems?
 A farming method that allows to combine maintenance of agricultural
activities and production of good water quality
 A long term strategy (such projects and transitions take time!)
 Organic farming rarely envisaged as the only solution (although it is a
possible strategy)
 A holistic strategy for local authorities and an answer to other problems:
 Local development
 Education about food and environment
 Supplies of local and organic food to mass catering (school canteens…)
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Thank you for your attention
Contact : [email protected]
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