Assessing Solutions for Resilient Dairy Farming in Europe

Abstract

The objective of the EU project Resilience for Dairy (R4D) is to develop and strengthen a self-sustainable Thematic Network on resilient dairy farms in 15 European countries. This article focusses on those solutions (practices and techniques) that are assessed contributing to a resilient dairy farming sector. The opinions of experts, farmers, and stakeholders were collected and scored through surveys and in a series of local workshops. Six key contributing knowledge fields are included: economic and social resilience, technical efficiency, environment, animal welfare and health, and societal perception. Assessing these knowledge fields proved to be a good predictor for measuring resilience. Only the impact fields of animal welfare and health and societal perception overlapped each other in response. This study shows differences in the choice of solutions across Europe. Experts from South and East Europe are more positive about the contribution of solutions to resilience than their colleagues from North and West Europe, except for social life items. Expert and farmer/stakeholder opinions differ regarding several of the solutions. Technical efficiency is a leading strategy. Priority topics of interest are communication with society, renewable energy production, strategic hoof trimming, early detection of diseases, monitoring fertility and health, and calf rearing. Besides resilience, attractiveness and readiness of the solutions were also assessed.

Keywords: dairy sector; expert analysis; farmer workshops; future; practices; solutions; techniques.

Figure 1

Resilience for Dairy (R4D) partner countries (from UK, only Northern Ireland was included as partner; Belgium had two partners, from Flanders and Wallonia).

Figure 2

Organization scheme Resilience for Dairy (R4D) (WP1: pilot farms and farmers; WP2: inventory of needs; WP3: assessment of solutions; WP4: monitoring and factsheets; WP5: dissemination).

Figure 3

Survey to assess solutions.

Figure 4

An example of survey questions.

Figure 5

Average scores and spread in scores of categories of solutions per impact field/knowledge area and European region, based on the data from Table 4 (NWE = North and West Europe; SEE = South and East Europe).

Figure 6

Discussions in stakeholder groups about attractiveness, resilience, and readiness of solutions (Source: R4D).

Figure 7

Scoring by stakeholder groups of the 20 solutions with highest attractiveness; this sample of solutions was scored from 1, least attractive, to 20, most attractive; the percentage illustrated in graphic is the accumulated score of all countries involved divided by the maximum possible score (NWE = North and West Europe; SEE = South and East Europe); presented are the 10 solutions with the highest overall scores.

Figure 8

Scoring by stakeholder groups of the 20 solutions with highest contribution to resilience; this sample of solutions was scored from 1, least resilient, to 20, most resilient; the percentage illustrated in graphic is the accumulated score of all countries involved (NWE or SEE) divided by the maximum possible score; presented are the 10 solutions with the highest overall scores.

Figure 9

Scoring by stakeholder groups of the chosen 20 solutions most ready for implementation; this sample of solutions was scored from 1, least ready, to 20, most ready for implementation; the percentage illustrated in graphic is the accumulated score of all countries involved (NWE or SEE) divided by the maximum possible score; presented are the 10 solutions with the highest overall scores.