Interactions with stakeholders on farm typology

This deliverable D1.2 of the LIFT project forms the second phase in the establishment of the LIFT farm typology depending on ecological practices. The purpose was to gather the opinion of local stakeholders in different case studies, in order to understand the current state of existing typologies and to collect their recommendations for the development of the LIFT typology that was initiated with a literature review in LIFT Deliverable D1.1. The qualitative study in the current deliverable D1.2 was carried out using face-to-face interviews or workshops with two or three stakeholders. A diversity of stakeholders was interviewed through a qualitative questionnaire. Twenty one stakeholders from five different case study areas participated.

Four major themes were covered during the interviews: 1) typologies that stakeholders know, use and design; 2) stakeholders’ opinion on the practices that should be considered to capture the degree of ecological farming; 3) stakeholders’ interest in a user-friendly tool to assign a farm to a farming system through a specific typology of ecological practices; and 4) stakeholders’ opinion on the LIFT typology. This study reveals key elements to integrate in the development of the LIFT typology and the LIFT typology-tool. For example, all stakeholders recognised in their area one or more farming systems proposed by the LIFT typology, but also indicated that it is difficult to use this typology as it is, given the potential overlaps between different systems. They suggested the use of summary indicators e.g. taking into account the use of fossil energy.