Coping with heterogeneity. Typologies for agricultural research and development

Santiago Lopez Ridaura (Pablo Tittonell)

What is a typology?The study, analysis or classification based on types or categories

What are they used for in AgSci:Describe heterogeneity Simplify complexityTarget technical innovationsDevelop organisational alternativesAim policy measuresSelect collaborators for R&D projects

Different kind of typologies:A continum between structural and functional characteristics

STRUCTURAL

FUNCTIONAL

BiophysicalQuantitativeExplorativePredictiveMechanistic

Socio-culturalQualitativeDescriptiveExplicativeEmpirical

Economic

Farming StylesFarm Types

A structural typologyThe CMDT farm types in Mali

Farm characteristic A B C D

Household size (persons) 25.1 11.9 8.5 5.5

Labour force (persons) 11.8 5.7 3.9 2.5

Area cultivated (ha) 17.8 10.1 5.8 3.3

Cattle (TLU)* 23.1 3 .6 .1

Oxen (TLU) 5.8 2.7 1 .2

Ploughs 4.2 2.2 .9 .1

TYPE Brief description

Specialized large size rice producer Farm size > 265 ha.Rice surface > 80%

Specialized middle size rice producer Farm size < 265 ha.Rice surface > 80%

Large size rice producer More than 60% of their surface under Rice, the rest in durum wheat, more than 276ha

Middle size rice producer More than 60% of their surface under Rice, the rest in durum wheat, less than 276ha

Partially organic rice producer Same land use as middle sire rice producer but an average of 20% of LU in organic

Livestock breeder Around 35% of rice, 35% of forages and 30% of other crops

Organic livestock breeder Same land use as livestock breeder but with partial or total area in organic

Diversified crop producer More than 50% of durum wheat and other crops, an average of 35% of rice

Organic diversified crop producer Same land use as diversified crop producer but with partial or total area in organic

   

A structu-functional typologyFarms in Camargue, South of France

Typologie des types de sol camarguais

A functional typologyResponse of small scale coffee farmers to the price crisis in 2000

A) Clusters diferenciation

“AgronomicChanges”

(8 households)

“Off-farmdiversification”(5 househlods)

“Farmingdiversification”(10 households)

“Few Changes”(11 households)

Developpingnew activity

Developpingnew production

Using more thanone agronomic

change

50% ofhouseholds or

less

Less than25% of

households

More than75% of

households

More than75% of

households

More than75% of

households

Less than25% of

households

A functional typologyResponse of small scale coffee farmers to the price

crisis in 2000

Farm characteristics Agricultural activities

Farming orientation Intensity level

120 ha(20 flat sandy soils, 80 slope clay soils, 20 loamy slope)

Livestock and annual crops

ConventionalIntensiveExtensive

OrganicExtensiveIntensive

Perennial and annuals crops

ConventionalIntensiveExtensive

OrganicExtensiveIntensive

50 ha(10 flat sandy soils, 40 slope clay soils)

Annual crops

ConventionalInstensive

Extensive

OrganicExtensive

Intensive

Perennial crops

ConventionalIntensive

Extensive

OrganicExtensive

Intensive

But:Keep in mind that typologies are a social construct done in relation to the

objectives of research and development project

So:What kind of typology for what kind of

studies?