Barriers and enablers to crop diversification: a case study from France

Rural areas and farms in France have become more and more specialized, while there is evidence that crop diversification can largely contribute to reducing input use in agriculture (pesticides, fertilizer, irrigation) and related negative environmental impacts. This study analysed potential obstacles to crop diversification at various levels of the supply chains through two approaches:• Interviews with stakeholders, to conduct a cross-cutting analysis of impediments to the development of various diversification crops; • A detailed study of the value-chains and of their modes of coordination, focusing on three case studies: pea and linseed for animal feeding, hemp for insulation and biomaterials. A lock-in was identified around the dominant species, such as wheat, rapeseed, and maize, which are more and more profitable with increasing investments in genetics, agronomic references, markets... This situation has been favoring short rotations over time. This lock-in caused several inter-connected impediments hindering crop diversification, such as: • the lack of availability of crop varieties and methods of crop protection for minor crops, • the scarcity of data on performances of minor crops at the crop rotation level, • the complexity of the knowledge to be acquired by farmers, • logistical constraints to harvest minor crops, and • the lack of coordination within the emerging supply chains. The simultaneous and coordinated implementation of two major categories of levers was proposed to help actors incorporate greater crop diversity into their productive systems and foster agroecological transition: 1. Support the development of innovative niches and develop learning- for-innovation processes through e.g. long-term partnership between supply chain actors, research and development, advisory and decision-makers, labelling systems, investment in technological innovations for minor crops, management of crop diversification at landscape level; 2. Encourage the standard sociotechnical system to evolve and make it more disposed to crop diversification, through public policies, including the Common Agricultural Policy, regulation and promotion of diversified value chains via public contracts. All recommendations have to be considered simultaneously and on the long-term, as sectorial measures, which target only one component of the value-chain, have proven to fail. This study was a direct source of inspiration for the ongoing H2020 project DiverIMPACTS (Diversification through Rotation, Intercropping, Multiple Cropping, Promoted with Actors and Value Chains towards Sustainability, http://www.diverimpacts.net/), which uses the same theoretical framework, further extends the case studies to intercropping, multiple cropping and crop rotation strategies across Europe, goes beyond the identification of barriers to co-design practical solutions together with value chains’ actors and makes recommendations for institutional changes