QuaeWork : a method to assess work organization (duration and regulation) at farm-scale

Changes affecting livestock farming systems have made work organization a central concern of both the sector and the farmers themselves. In the past, studies on the dynamics of change in livestock farms have considered improving productivity separately from work regulations. However, changes in livestock systems driven by sectorial organization, increased pressure for competitiveness and productivity, and the new demand among farmers themselves for improved working conditions show that these two dimensions of work need to be considered jointly in order to properly assess livestock farming systems. This paper presents and proposes the QuaeWork method (principles, concepts and material) as an approach to qualify and assess interactions between livestock management and work organization expressed by durations and regulations. The use of the QuaeWork method on two sample of contrasting dairy farms (France and Brazil) allowed illustrating specific interactions between work durations and regulations. The QuaeWork method suggests a set of criteria for integrating work organization into farm assessments by proposing criteria for duration and criteria expressing changes in work organization in the course of the year. This approach delivers a better understanding of the interactions between farmers’ practices and work organization by taking into account interactions between livestock management, workforce, equipment, and combinations of agricultural and non-agricultural activities. The QuaeWork method can be valuable for planning the future of family farms, for which not only economic efficiency but also life projects are central