Summary information

Study title

Environmentally Friendly Farming and the Market: Extending Experience from England to France, 1996

Creator

Battershill, M., University of Exeter, Department of Geography
Gilg, A. W., University of Exeter, Department of Geography

Study number / PID

4031 (UKDA)

10.5255/UKDA-SN-4031-1 (DOI)

Data access

Restricted

Series

Not available

Abstract

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.


The aims of this study were to determine the following:
Are geography, attitudes and traditional practices still influences on environmentally friendly farming?
What role do agri-environment policies have in influencing environmentally friendly farming?
What role do food marketing arrangements have in influencing environmentally friendly farming?
Can farming policies and marketing arrangements be improved so as to help farmers, conservation, and food consumer choice in parallel?
Main Topics:

The dataset contains the responses of the farmers surveyed. The detailed questions refer to: farm land characteristics; type of production system; social and economic characteristics of the farmer and the farm; tenure arrangements; the use of subsidies and agri-environment schemes; future plans for the farm; details of the farm management system; details of how farm produce is sold and/or processed.
More detailed information about farm produce includes: what products are sold; what products if any are processed; what and where are the most important direct sales outlets; when was direct selling started; ease of attracting customers; use of labelling; membership of trade organisations; estimation of quality as a factor in attracting customers; percentage of sales, and percentage of profits from direct selling; why was direct selling started; has direct selling been considered and rejected and if so, why; does direct selling help the environment.

Methodology

Data collection period

01/01/1996

Country

France

Time dimension

Cross-sectional (one-time) study

Analysis unit

Individuals
Institutions/organisations
National
Farmers
Farms

Universe

Farmers (head of the business unit) in farms chosen from five study areas in North West France in 1996: Park Amorique, Cornouaille, Vignoble Nantais, Bocage Vendeen and Marais Breton. Fifteen farms from outside the region were also surveyed.

Sampling procedure

No sampling (total universe)
Volunteer sample
Convenience sample
A list of virtually all farmers who sold produce direct in each of the five regions was drawn up from a variety of sources. A convenience sample of non-direct selling farmers, thought to be 'typical' farmers in the same five regions was obtained by 'snowballing' - names were suggested by the direct-selling farmers in the other sample.

Kind of data

Numeric

Data collection mode

Face-to-face interview

Funding information

Grant number

R000236255

Access

Publisher

UK Data Service

Publication year

1999

Terms of data access

The Data Collection is available to UK Data Service registered users subject to the End User Licence Agreement.

Commercial use of the data requires approval from the data owner or their nominee. The UK Data Service will contact you.

Related publications

  • Gilg, A. and Battershill, M. (1998) 'Quality farm food in Europe:: a possible alternative to the industrialised food market and to current agri-environmental policies: lessons from France', Food Policy, 25-40
  • Gilg, A. and Battershill, M. (1999) 'The role of household factors in direct selling of farm produce in France', Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie (Journal of Economic and Social Geography), 312-319
  • Gilg, A. and Battershill, M. (1998) 'Traditional low intensity farming:: evidence of the role of 'Vente Directe' in supporting such farms in North West France and some implications for conservation policy', Journal of Rural Studies, 475-486