Les dimensions territoriales de la restructuration laitière

The restructuring of the dairy sector, particularly active during the last 20 years, is often justified by to the need for dairy farms to increase their competitiveness. This restructuring has resulted in the continued growth in the size of dairy farms and the parallel decline of small family farms. However, we observed that the ways in which this restructuring takes place are markedly variable depending on regional and territorial specificities. Based on surveys conducted in various regions of France with economic, political and agricultural union stakeholders and in over 150 « small » dairy farms, the article shows that differing territorial dynamics can in part compensate for the effects of restructuring and may play a determinant role on the viability of such farms. The paper shows the importance of understanding how locally shared representations of farm viability criteria are formalized in different development processes. These representations concern both the possible future of the dairy sector and the type of farms which are in a position to be competitive, thus contributing to the selection of dairy farms.