Pluralising biodiversity: Insights from dairy farming in the Netherlands and French Massif Central

Samenvatting

It is crucial that efforts to make agriculture more biodiversity-friendly take farmers’ perspectives properly into account. Failing to do so is unfair and undermines the biodiversity cause by provoking resistance and conflict.

This PhD research therefore aimed to better understand how dairy farmers in the Netherlands and French Massif Central think about the theme of ‘biodiversity’, and to explore how these perspectives can better be taken into account. Among other things, the researchers held sixty in-depth conversations with dairy farmers.

The research resulted in five recommendations for biodiversity professionals:
1. Link biodiversity initiatives to what farmers themselves see as valuable biodiversity.
2. Acknowledge that ‘biodiversity’ can also have negative sides for farmers, and address these.
3. Alongside scientific knowledge, make use of farmers’ practical knowledge.
4. Allow room for different forms of ‘biodiversity-friendly’ farming, and provide a broad range of support measures.
5. Work in ways that are sufficiently place-specific.