Social aspects of integrated crop-livestock systems: key for future policy

The regional integration of crop and livestock production systems (ICLS) has been proposed as a solution towards a more sustainable and circular food system. Studies on ICLS, however, tend to focus on the agronomical consequences of such collaborations, with little insight into the influence of social aspects (e.g., policies, trust) on the development of ICLS. This study aims to enhance understanding concerning the role of social aspects in collaborations between arable and dairy farms. We apply a conceptual framework distinguishing (1) external factors, (2) internal factors related to the characteristics of the actors involved, and (3) internal factors related to the organisation and management of collaborations. The analysis draws on interviews with 20 farmers and three farm consultants. The interviewees are involved in nine arable-dairy farm collaborations that are based on land exchange and are located in five different regions across the Netherlands. The interviews were conducted between October 2022 and September 2023. Two main external factors that influence collaborations were identified. According to interviewees, agricultural policies and markets focus on individual farms and are sector-specific. These perceptions lead them to regard that policies and markets fail to recognise ICLS practices, and might even obstruct them. The collaborations studied both influenced and were influenced by regional culture, unwritten rules, and a certain level of social control. We further identify four main internal factors that influence collaborations. With regard to actor-related factors, farmers must have the right attitude towards collaboration. Interviewees indicated that collaborators should understand the reasons and motivations behind the specific farm management choices of their collaboration partners, as well as their working methods and the regulations to which they must adhere. Mutual trust between collaborators is essential to good collaboration. With regard to factors relating to organisation and management, a fair distribution of risks and benefits in the long term is key for a successful collaboration. Moreover, the farms in a collaboration develop a mutual dependency that tends to increase over time. Self-reinforcing mechanisms or feedback loops strengthen the influence of certain social factors such as trust and mutual dependency. The identification of these aspects across collaborations highlights the importance of integrating both the environmental and social components of collaborations in policies for the further development of ICLS. We conclude that policies should consider the regional social context and its diversity, must have a cross-sectoral focus, and that organising collaborations takes time.