What farmers value matters for the management of local breeds: A case study of the Pyrenean goat breed
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Local breeds are often kept in farming systems where their locally adapted traits are an asset. The agroecological transition movement has brought renewed interest in these breeds with their locally adapted traits. Better understanding the factors underpinning trait preferences of local-breed goat farmers can inform efforts to manage genetic diversity and animal selection. This article examines what goat farmers value in their animals to gain a better understanding of their decisions and expectations. Based on evidence from 20 interviews with farmers using the local Pyrenean goat breed, we show that although breeders attach importance to various animal performance factors, hardiness consistently stands out as a key value. We also show that they attach importance to other factors, such as animal diversity, temperament and appearance (breed standard and aesthetics). Breeders relate to their animals in a way that mobilizes senses, feeling, experiential or emotional dimensions more than just a set of hard traits, and when breeders voice what they value and how that value manifests in practice, their narratives translate the importance of balance and trade-offs.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright of the articles published in Genetic Resources and grant the journal right of first publication with open access. All articles published in Genetic Resource are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to download, share and adapt the work for commercial and non-commercial purposes as long as proper attribution to the original article is given. Genetic Resources permits and encourages authors to post items submitted to the journal (including the publisher's final layout) on personal websites or institutional repositories after acceptance and/or publication, while providing bibliographic details that credit their publication in Genetic Resources.
Bidet, A., Quéré, L., Truc, G. (2011). Ce à quoi nous tenons. Dewey et la formation des valeurs, In Dewey, J. La formation des Valeurs, traduit de l'anglais et présenté par Alexandra Bidet, Louis Quéré, Gérôme Truc. (Les empêcheurs de penser en rond/ La découverte) Paris, 5-64.
Boichard, D., Ducrocq, V., Fritz, S. (2015). Sustainable dairy cattle selection in the genomic era. J. of Animal Breeding and Genetics 132 (2),135-143. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jbg.12150
Couix, N., Lauvie, A., Verrier, E. (2023). Biodiversité domestique animale : à quoi tenons-nous ? In Lauvie, A., Audiot, A., Verrier, E. (eds) La biodiversité domestique. Vers de nouveaux liens entre élevage, territoires et société. (QUAE), 111-127.
Despret, V., Meuret, M. (2016). Composer avec les moutons, lorsque des brebis apprennent à leurs bergers à leur apprendre. (Cardère, hors les drailles) 154p.
Dewey, J. (1939). Theory of Valuation. Chicago University Press (French translation in Bidet et al, 2011)
Douhard, F. (2013). Towards resilient livestock systems : a resource allocation approach to combine selection and management within the herd environment. PhD Thesis AgroParisTech.
Ducos, A., Douhard, F., Savietto, D., Sautier, M., Fillon, V., Gunia, M., Rupp, R., Moreno, C., Mignon-Grasteau, S., Gilbert, H., Fortun-Lamothe, L., Lamothe, L. (2021). Contributions de la génétique animale à la transition agroécologique des systèmes d’élevage. INRAE Prod. Anim. 34(2), 79–96 doi: https://doi.org/10.20870/productions-animales.2021.34.2.4773
Dumont, B., Fortun-Lamothe, L., Jouven, M., Thomas, M., Tichit, M. (2013). Prospects from agroecology and industrial ecology for animal production in the 21st century. Animal 7 (6), 1028-1043.
Hazard, D., Larroque, H., González García, E., Francois, D., Hassoun, P., Bouvier, F., Parisot, S., Clement, V., Piacère, A., Masselin-Silvin, S., Buisson, D., Loywick, V., Palhiere, I., Tortereau, F., Lagriffoul, G. (2017). Caractérisation des environnements de production et de nouveaux phénotypes pour améliorer la sélection et l’adaptation des ovins et caprins dans des environnements variés. In FAO/CIHEAM Network for Research and Development in Sheep and Goats. Joint Seminar of the Subnetworks (Nutrition and Production systems) and Innovation for Sustainability in Sheep and Goats (iSAGE), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, 2017-10-03 2017.
Hubert, B. (2020). Agriculture et alimentation. Les modèles de production questionnés : l’impératif du changement agroécologique. Raison présente 213 (1), 85-96. doi: https://doi.org/10.3917/rpre.213.0085
Lauvie, A., Thuault, F., Nozieres-Petit, M.O., Dupuis, B., Couix, N. (2022). Valuation of local breeds: methodological questions following interviews with Pyrenees goat farmers, In 73rd Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science, EAAP, Sep 2022, Porto, Portugal.
Lauvie, A., Alexandre, G., Angeon, V., Couix, N., Fontaine, O., Gaillard, C., Meuret, M., Mougenot, C., Moulin, C.-H., Naves, M., Nozières-Petit, M.-O., Paoli, J.C., Perucho, L., Sorba, J.-M., Tillard, E., Verrier, E. (2023). Is the ecosystem services concept relevant to capture the multiple benefits from farming systems using livestock biodiversity? A framework proposal. Genet. Res. 4 (8), 15-28. doi: https://doi.org/10.46265/genresj.MRBT4299
Macé, M. (2021). Parole et pollution. AOC Media Analyse Opinion Critique (29.01.21). url: https://aoc.media/opinion/2021/01/28/parole-et-pollution/
Morin, E. (1980). L’écologie généralisé Oikos. In La méthode 2. La vie de la vie (Ed. du Seuil), 15-97.
Moulin, C.H., Perucho, L. (2023). Biodiversité domestique et résilience des systèmes d’élevage. In Lauvie A., Audiot A., Verrier E. (eds) La biodiversité domestique. Vers de nouveaux liens entre élevage, territoires et société. (QUAE), 131-145
Nozières-Petit, M.-O., Lauvie, A. (2018). Diversité des contributions des systèmes d’élevage de races locales. Les points de vue des éleveurs de trois races ovines méditerranéennes. Cah. Agric. 27 (6), 65003
Phocas, F., Belloc, C., Bidanel, J., Delaby, L., Dourmad, J.Y., Dumont, B., Ezanno, P., Fortun-Lamothe, L., Foucras, G., Frappat, B., González-García, E., Hazard, D., Larzul, C., Lubac, S., Mignon-Grasteau, S., Moreno, C.R., Tixier-Boichard, M., Brochard, M. (2016). Review: Towards the agroecological management of ruminants, pigs and poultry through the development of sustainable breeding programmes: I-selection goals and criteria. Animal 10 (11), 1749-1759. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731116000926
Porcher, J. (2001). L'élevage, un partage de sens entre hommes et animaux : intersubjectivité des relations entre éleveurs et animaux dans le travail. Ruralia ([En ligne], 09, 2001 accessed 15 February 2024. URL: https://journals.openedition.org/ruralia/278
Pyrenean goat breed association (2024a). Craba e caulet, la chèvre et le chou, bulletin de liaison de l’Association la Chèvre de race pyrénéenne, 41, 5 p.
Pyrenean goat breed association (2024b). Website of the Pyrenean goat breed association, l’association La chèvre de race pyrénéenne. https://www.chevredespyrenees.org/ (accessed 13 February 2024).
Vissac, B. (2002). Les vaches de la République: saisons et raisons d'un chercheur citoyen, INRA Editions.
This journal has been conceived as part of the