Combining multiple performances for sustainable agriculture: is organic fruit farming a prototype? A comparison of performances with conventional fruit farming.

摘要

Organic fruit farming combines multiple functions. By using fewer pesticides, organic fruit farming has a lower impact on environmental compartments (e.g., biological diversity, water, etc.) than other forms of farming, allowing it to be considered as a model of ecologised practices. The market for organically-produced fruits is also expanding. It attracts more and more consumers who choose a product that has features they find desirable, reinforcing the idea that organic fruit farming is also a promising economic model. Despite these positive assessments, lower yields and higher production costs cause sceptics to question the legitimacy of organic fruit farming as a "prototype" of sustainable food and farming systems. We analyse the potential of organic fruit farming by examining the agronomic, environmental, economic and social performances of organic fruit systems in southeast France. This study summarises the results of our work from 2004 to 2010, combining (i) measurements on organically managed experimental peach plots (Prunus x persica); (ii) observations in peach orchards managed under organic fruit farming and integrated production practices; (iii) on-farm surveys of organic fruit farms, farms in conversion to organic production and integrated or "conventional" production farms for different fruits: apple (Malus x domestica), peach, and pear (Pyrus x communis). Our results illustrate the great diversity of practices and strategies used by organic farmers. A better environmental profile was confirmed in organic fruit farming by using an indicator (I-phy orchard) which integrates impacts on biodiversity, and water quality. Yield decreases can reach 20% in experimental organic orchards and up to 50% in commercial organic orchards, but these results occur in cultivars not developed for organic fruit farming. We also found that even though organic fruit farming had lower yields and was more labour-intensive, the income for organic producers was similar to that of integrated producers, and sometimes even higher, due to shorter supply chains to the consumer and better prices for farmers. Therefore, it is essential to maintain higher prices in a fast-growing organic sector to ensure its viability.