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Summary:
En In memoriam
: The gorilla;
Urbi et orbi (in Polish);
Sommaire en français (avec résumés
des articles).
PROBLÉMATIQUES ET DÉBATS
Future scenarios for the forest and timber industry in France,
and their link with land management (Isabelle Savini and Bernard
Christofini)
Repopulating rural communes in France: a public necessity
and individual choice (Bernard Farinelli)
Determinism and systems research applied to dairy farming
(Taher Sraïri)
How pork is perceived in France: consumer attitudes (Pierre
Rainelli)
Edible and popular beliefs (Jean-Paul Branlard)
The French Agricultural Scenery - Highlights (Repères dans le paysage agricole français)
The CAP and the 2000 Agenda: successes and challenges
(Franz Fischler)
Animal feeding practices attacked by society (Daniel
Sauvant)
Will the new century be ethical? (Patricia Watenberg)
The end of the Maison-Rouges barrage - Migrant fish are
recolonizing the Vienne Basin (France) (Pierre-Marie Chapon)
Touring the watershed: an interactive communication method
for the preservation of the quality of water resources (Marc Benoît,
Pierre-Yves Bernard)
Other landmarks, other landscapes (Autres repères, autres paysages)
What will become of biotechnologies? (Pietro Rotili)
Assessing the ecological value of an orchard in the Atlas
Mountains (Morocco) through its lepidopterological population (Michel
R. Tarrier)
The Tisza, a dead river (Iván Bòcsa)
The Sierra, Peru (José Bario)
Abstracts
Future scenarios for the forest and timber industry
in France, and their link with land management
(L)
As economies and environmental issues are being globalised, managing forest
resources has become a major stake in the sustainable development of the
planet. This was confirmed during the Rio-de-Janeiro conference, in 1992.
There is, in Europe especially, an increasing interest in the preservation
and non commercial aspects of woods and forests.
In this article, the authors review the issues at stake, in a European context,
i.e. showing the increase of areas planted to or recolonised by forests in
France, the industry's chronic deficit and the lack of competitiveness of
the French timber market, reporting some key statistics, highlighting the
diverse functions of the forest and the increasing weight of environmental
issues. The authors then propose two evolution options: a Timber/Non-timber
option (political choices for the use of forests) and an economic option
in which timber industrialists draw their resources either from local or
international sources. The authors have derived four scenarios from their
studies, offering public research, amongst others, a stimulating framework
for reflection on the evolution of the forest functions and on prospective
research to meet future challenges".
by Isabelle Savini and Bernard Cristofini
INRA-DADP, 147, rue de l'Université, 75338 Paris cedex 07
savini@paris.inra.fr
Repopulating rural communes in France: a public necessity
and individual choice (L)
"Repopulating the countryside is still a taboo subject, even though a number
of recent evolutions have at last begun to open the debate: favourable polls,
idyllic representations, recognised associations, the creation of administrative
cells or specialised schemes."
Over 11 000 French communes are depopulated. In order to attract incomers,
some communes put forward the economic attraction of new activities, when
what they should put forward is the real asset of the land, the local people.
There are many obstacles to successful integration. Incomers may find it
difficult to settle in due to the sociological difficulties and technical
constraints that go along with this kind of project. There are however obvious
economic, sociological and philosophical advantages for the community.
The wish to "go and live in the country" is definitely there. This makes
one ask oneself about the nature of the land people covet and the system
of values that leads men and women to change their life-style and to start
over again in the countryside.
"It is possible to repopulate rural communes today. In this reality, each
person finds reasons to hope, to share a common view of the natural and cultural
heritage, and to establish new relationships with nature and amongst
people."
(Bibliography included)
by Bernard Farinelli
La Thébaïde, chemin des Fagots, 63290 Limons
Magali.Lanord@wanadoo.fr
Determinism and systems research applied to dairy
farming (L)
Towards the middle of the XIXth century, a new doctrine defined animal science
as animal production based on experimental science. It's fundamental
characteristic consisted in "the way livestock was considered within a rural
economy". However, recently, many researchers have pointed out the failure
of animal science approaches in resolving the present crisis in the livestock
industry in developed as well as in developing countries. In an even more
demanding way, domestic animals in developing countries have such diverse
and complex roles (savings, production tools, social status, religious
impact…) that the results of animal science conventional approaches
are even less adapted and impose a systems approach to farming issues.
The article consists in five main points:
1. Terminology and research concepts on farming systems
2. Determinism and research evolution on farming systems
3. Research approaches to farming systems applied to livestock activities
4. Research tools and methods on livestock systems: the case of dairy
cattle
5. Research assets and limits on dairy farming systems.
by Mohamed Taher Sraïri
Institut agronomique et vétérinaire Hassan II, BP 6202,
Rabat-Instituts, 10101 Rabat (Maroc)
msrairi@hotmail.com
How pork is perceived in France: consumer attitudes
(L)
In order to reduce production costs, agricultural production, like all other
activities, is now in search of more controlled production processes. This
production control is based on the systematic exploitation of economies of
scale and of uncertainty. It also entails the artificialisation of the
environment and the increasing resort to inputs outside the farm. This is
known as the "productivistic model" and its technical success is
unquestionable.
However, our sudden passion for so-called natural food (for example, biological
food) challenges the mainstream movement of the industrialisation of agricultural
production. Representative new attitudes to pork were observed thanks to
discussion groups (of roughly ten people) at Rennes, Paris and Bordeaux.
These attitudes show up the necessary changes to be made in the pig production
systems.
The results are included in a more general reflection including other
quantitative elements. The first part of the article is about the different
elements of the pork sector. The second part is centred on the attitudes
of people, based on results from the consumer's discussion group. The last
part concerns the implications of these different attitudes in terms of
quality.
by Pierre Rainelli
INRA Économie
rue Adolphe-Bobierre, CS 61103, 35011 Rennes cedex
pierre.rainelli@rozhon.inra.fr
Edible and popular beliefs
(L)
"History shows that food is the foundation of many popular beliefs; even
the law sometimes mingles with food to keep things safe. An article that
shows the cross-roads between magic, plants, food and the law."
There are three chapters to this article: - The magical effects of representation
(the law of contagion, the law of similarity); - The legal effects of repression;
- A right for a wrong.
by Jean-Paul Branlard
36, rue Rivay, bât. B, 92300 Levallois-Perret
JPBranlard@aol.com
The CAP and the 2000 Agenda: successes and challenges
(L)
The European commissioner's speech: Franz Fischler Opening speech of the
2001 International Green Week, Berlin, January 18, 2001.
Member of the European Commission, Franz Fischler is in charge of Agriculture,
Rural Development and Fisheries.
You can read his speech on the
Europa.web
site.
Animal feeding practices attacked by society
(L)
"The recent crises in the animal production and animal products sector (dioxin,
" mad cow disease"...) have discredited the present way of feeding livestock,
and in particular the role of the animal feed industry. The public needs
to be given information on this subject, observations and historical facts,
in order to understand the debate. [...]
To conclude, the present way of feeding livestock is mainly the result of
a slow historical evolution. In every production sector, the technical evolution
of the last century was oriented in such a way as to reduce production costs
so as to preserve farmers' incomes. It is possible to go back to a more
traditional way of feeding and this does actually exist on a small but rapidly
increasing scale. This will depend on whether consumers are prepared to pay
higher prices for higher quality in commercialised products (see the difference
in price between a free-range and an industrially-raised chicken) and/or
for production based on strict specifications (biological
production…)."
by Daniel Sauvant
Institut national agronomique Paris-Grignon, département des
Sciences animales
16, rue Claude-Bernard, 75231 Paris cedex 05
sauvant@inapg.inra.fr
Will the new century be ethical?
(L)
This article (an extract from Droit devant, INRA's legal information
news letter) highlights, or perhaps stigmatises, a growing trend in matters
of ethics in all sectors of public and private life. The questions raised
by the blossoming of ethical issues are briefly evoked in this article
[...]".
by Patricia Watenberg
INRA-DIPAJ
147, rue de l'Université, 75338 Paris cedex 07
watenberg@paris.inra.fr
The end of the Maison-Rouges barrage - Migrant fish
are recolonizing the Vienne Basin (France)
(L)
Built in the twenties, Maison-Rouges was a barrage on the Vienne river, just
downstream from the confluence of the Vienne and the Creuse. It was a real
blockade for amphihalin migrant fish. The barrage was destroyed in 1998 and
figures have proved that the river has since been recolonized by shad, lamprey,
Atlantic salmon and most probably eels (to be confirmed).
by Pierre-Marie Chapon
Conseil supérieur de la pêche, délégation
régionale de Poitiers, cellule Migrateurs
112, fg de la Cueille, 86000 Poitiers
pierre-marie.chapon@csp.environnement.gouv
Touring the watershed: an interactive communication
method for the preservation of the quality of water resources
(L)
How can we familiarise farmers with the relationship between farming and
the quality of water? And with the notion of watershed?
In order to answer these questions, the authors of this article designed
the concept of "touring the watershed". This provides them with an interactive
communication method enabling them to present their experimental designs
and research results in a field situation that stimulates discussion on the
preservation of ground water quality amongst farmers, farm advisors and local
representatives.
by Marc Benoît and Pierre-Yves Bernard
with the collaboration of Annie Kung-Benoît and Philippe
Lemaire
INRA, station SAD de Mirecourt, BP 29, 88501 Mirecourt cedex
benoit@mirecourt.inra.fr
Chambre régionale d'agriculture de Lorraine (put at the disposal of
INRA, Mirecourt)
Chambre d'agriculture des Vosges, rue A.-Vitu, 88000 Épinal.
What will become of biotechnologies?
(L)
Historical facts and a summary of the present state of GMOs in the US and
in Europe lead P. Rotili to ask the following question: "Why are GMOs rejected
by Europe and the rest of the planet?".
In this article, he takes a close look at the limits of patents, the actions
and goals of multinational firms supplying farmers and, to conclude, he gives
his personal opinion on "The future of mankind and biotechnologies", referring
both to Darwin and Theilhard de Chardin.
Pietro Rotili
Istituto sperimentale per le colture foraggere
29, viale Piacenza, 275 Lodi (Italy)
Article first published in Ambiente Risorce Salute n°72 (March-April
2000) under the title " Il futuro delle biotecnologie ",
Translated from Italian by Dominique de Biasi, proposed to Courrier
readers by Pierre Guy.
Assessing the ecological value of an orchard in the
Atlas Mountains (Morocco) through its lepidopterological population
(L)
This (irrigated) orchard is cultivated in a traditional way. Pest treatments
are classical, but modern. The rich Rhopalocera fauna shows a high ecological
value: and includes insects such as Lepidoptera Papilionoidea, i.e. butterflies
belonging to sensitive stenoecic species that feed on the abundant and varied
nutritive plants that can be found there.
Located on the edge of an arid area, in a steppe landscape, this isolated
orchard constitutes a new ecotope.
The species recorded are presented in a spreadsheet, along with their ecological
characteristics. For both entomologists and ecologists.
by Michel R. Tarrier
Apartado 15553, 29080 Málaga, Espagne
tarrier@ctv.es
The Tisza, a dead river
(L)
On January 30th, 2000, near Baia Mare in Rumania, an enormous amount of
cyanide-polluted water (estimated at roughly 100.000 m3) poured into a small
stream. In turn, this water poured into the Somes river (Szamos). After having
covered 60 km in Hungary, the polluted water poured into the Tisza, one of
the main tributaries of the Danube. A kind of aquatic Chernobyl…
by Iván Bòcsa
Institut de recherches agronomiques, 3356 Kompolt (Hongrie)
gatefrki@gateki.ektf.hu
The Sierra, Peru
(L)
"For my job, I recently travelled to the Andes, in the South of the "Departamento
de Lima", in the high valley of río Cañete (provincia de Yauyos).
For a week, six of us (economists, geographers, agronomists) took part in
this expedition, travelling in two four-wheel drives."
This article sums up our journey.
By José Barrio
Jose_barrio@hotmail.com
Translation: Nicola Scott