Facteurs de transformation des systèmes d'élevage extensifs des territoires: Étude comparée des dynamiques locales sur trois continents

Abstract

For over a decade, the globalisation of environmental, economic and social issues has induced rapid modification in agriculture and land. These changes raise the question of future extensive livestock systems in regards to the worldwide challenge to double livestock production by 2050 in ways which are safe for the environment. In order to better understand and follow modification processes, a comparative study of livestock systems and land dynamics has been carried out on seven case studies on three continents through the use of a common grid. Global factors (demography, environment, markets) are active on all livestock lands but their impacts are modulated and specific in relation to local factors (culture, history, isolation, local projects, public policies). Be that as it may, modification processes are similar and livestock production most often appears to be under pressure from alternative land-uses, especially for land-tenure and economic factors. To estimate livestock's role in land development with equity and in an integrative way, it is necessary to improve qualitative and quantitative assessment of livestock functions which are complex due to spatial and temporal multi-scale processes.