Local inter-farm cooperation: A hidden potential for the agroecological transition in northern agricultures

ABSTRACT

In the Global North, local inter-farm cooperation offers opportunities for farmers to better access and manage equipment, labor and material resources. Yet, its potential to pave the way to organize the local collaborations needed for the agroecological transition remains hidden. This paper, based on the experience of French farm machinery cooperatives (CUMA), shows how local inter-farm cooperation can help make farming systems more agroecological. We conclude by arguing that local inter-farm cooperation warrants more attention, both to help strengthen its development and to expand its potential for contributing to the agroecological transition.

KEYWORDS:

• Local inter-farm cooperation
• farmers’ cooperation
• agroecology
• machinery cooperatives
• sharing arrangements
• CUMA

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the following projects: 2014-2017 CapVert and 2016-2019 Luz’Co funded by the French Ministry of Agriculture (CASDAR), 2016-2019 Capaccita funded by ADEME (REACCTIF), 2016-2019 IDAE funded by the ANR. We would like to thank the farmers interviewed for participating in our research and the national network of farm machinery co-ops (FNCUMA) for their support. We want to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their very helpful comments and advises, as well as Nick Parrott at TextualHealing.eu for his English editing.