IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agisys/v231y2026ics0308521x25002677.html

Performances of conventional and organic livestock development scenarios in France through nitrogen flow analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Vergely, Fanny
  • Wilfart, Aurélie
  • Aubin, Joël
  • Harchaoui, Souhil

Abstract

Organic agriculture (OA) is promoted in the European Union (EU) as a sustainable form of agriculture. However, its expansion may be limited by its dependence on external nitrogen (N) resources, such as conventional manure and imported feed, as it prohibits the use of industrial fertilisers. There is currently no consensus on the role of livestock in scenarios of OA expansion, despite their critical contribution to increasing soil fertility through grazing and nutrient cycling via manure and urine.

Suggested Citation

  • Vergely, Fanny & Wilfart, Aurélie & Aubin, Joël & Harchaoui, Souhil, 2026. "Performances of conventional and organic livestock development scenarios in France through nitrogen flow analysis," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:231:y:2026:i:c:s0308521x25002677
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104527
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X25002677
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104527?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Case, S.D.C. & Oelofse, M. & Hou, Y. & Oenema, O. & Jensen, L.S., 2017. "Farmer perceptions and use of organic waste products as fertilisers – A survey study of potential benefits and barriers," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 84-95.
    2. Joël Aubin & Miroslav Batka & Diane Beldame & Jaume Boixadera & Alain Bousquet‐mélou & Marc Benoit & Zohra Bouamra-Mechemache & Vincent Chatellier & Michael S. Corson & Luc Delaby & Claire Delfosse & , 2016. "Rôles, impacts et services issus des élevages en Europe. Rapport final," Working Papers hal-01608700, HAL.
    3. Verena Seufert & Navin Ramankutty & Jonathan A. Foley, 2012. "Comparing the yields of organic and conventional agriculture," Nature, Nature, vol. 485(7397), pages 229-232, May.
    4. Karl-Heinz Erb & Christian Lauk & Thomas Kastner & Andreas Mayer & Michaela C. Theurl & Helmut Haberl, 2016. "Exploring the biophysical option space for feeding the world without deforestation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-9, September.
    5. Adrian Muller & Christian Schader & Nadia El-Hage Scialabba & Judith Brüggemann & Anne Isensee & Karl-Heinz Erb & Pete Smith & Peter Klocke & Florian Leiber & Matthias Stolze & Urs Niggli, 2017. "Strategies for feeding the world more sustainably with organic agriculture," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Barbieri, Pietro & Starck, Thomas & Voisin, Anne-Sophie & Nesme, Thomas, 2023. "Biological nitrogen fixation of legumes crops under organic farming as driven by cropping management: A review," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    7. Souhil Harchaoui & Petros Chatzimpiros, 2019. "Energy, Nitrogen, and Farm Surplus Transitions in Agriculture from Historical Data Modeling. France, 1882–2013," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 23(2), pages 412-425, April.
    8. Marco Springmann & Michael Clark & Daniel Mason-D’Croz & Keith Wiebe & Benjamin Leon Bodirsky & Luis Lassaletta & Wim Vries & Sonja J. Vermeulen & Mario Herrero & Kimberly M. Carlson & Malin Jonell & , 2018. "Options for keeping the food system within environmental limits," Nature, Nature, vol. 562(7728), pages 519-525, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pinsard, Corentin, 2025. "Exploring optimised crop-livestock changes that promote higher efficiency and reduced N imports in three French farming systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    2. Bellassen, Valentin & Drut, Marion & Hilal, Mohamed & Bodini, Antonio & Donati, Michele & de Labarre, Matthieu Duboys & Filipović, Jelena & Gauvrit, Lisa & Gil, José M. & Hoang, Viet & Malak-Rawlikows, 2022. "The economic, environmental and social performance of European certified food," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    3. Jie Zhao & Ji Chen & Damien Beillouin & Hans Lambers & Yadong Yang & Pete Smith & Zhaohai Zeng & Jørgen E. Olesen & Huadong Zang, 2022. "Global systematic review with meta-analysis reveals yield advantage of legume-based rotations and its drivers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. Birgit Kopainsky & Anita Frehner & Adrian Müller, 2020. "Sustainable and healthy diets: Synergies and trade‐offs in Switzerland," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(6), pages 908-927, November.
    5. Nesar Ahmed & Shirley Thompson & Giovanni M. Turchini, 2020. "Organic aquaculture productivity, environmental sustainability, and food security: insights from organic agriculture," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(6), pages 1253-1267, December.
    6. Kalle Margus & Viacheslav Eremeev & Evelin Loit & Eve Runno-Paurson & Erkki Mäeorg & Anne Luik & Liina Talgre, 2022. "Impact of Farming System on Potato Yield and Tuber Quality in Northern Baltic Sea Climate Conditions," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-12, April.
    7. Malard, Julien J & Adamowski, Jan Franklin & Rojas Díaz, Marcela & Nassar, Jessica Bou & Anandaraja, Nallusamy & Tuy, Héctor & Arévalo-Rodriguez, Luís Andrés & Melgar-Quiñonez, Hugo Ramiro, 2020. "Agroecological food web modelling to evaluate and design organic and conventional agricultural systems," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 421(C).
    8. Debuschewitz, Emil & Sanders, Jürn, "undated". "Bewertung der Umweltwirkungen des ökologischen Landbaus im Kontext der kontroversen wissenschaftlichen Diskurse," 61st Annual Conference, Berlin, Germany, September 22-24, 2021 317076, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
    9. Giller, Ken E. & Andersson, Jens & Delaune, Thomas & Silva, João Vasco & Descheemaeker, Katrien & van de Ven, Gerrie & Schut, Antonius G.T. & van Wijk, Mark & Hammond, Jim & Hochman, Zvi & Taulya, God, "undated". "IFAD Research Series 83: The future of farming: who will produce our food?," IFAD Research Series 322005, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
    10. Preinfalk, Eva & Bednar-Friedl, Birgit & Mayer, Jakob & Lauk, Christian & Mayer, Andreas, 2024. "Sustainability transitions in the agri-food system: Evaluating mitigation potentials, economy-wide effects, co-benefits and trade-offs for the case of Austria," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    11. Tshotsho, & Lippert, Christian & Zikeli, Sabine & Krimly, Tatjana & Barissoul, Ayoub & Feuerbacher, Arndt, 2024. "The role of management and farming practices, yield gaps, nutrient balance, and institutional settings in the context of large-scale organic conversion in Bhutan," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    12. Lombardi, G.V. & Parrini, Silvia & Atzori, R. & Stefani, G. & Romano, D. & Gastaldi, M. & Liu, G., 2021. "Sustainable agriculture, food security and diet diversity. The case study of Tuscany, Italy," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 458(C).
    13. Pierre Gasselin & Sylvie Lardon & Claire Cerdan & Salma Loudiyi & Denis Sautier, 2021. "Introduction générale. Questions, enjeux et cadre d'analyse," Post-Print hal-05177111, HAL.
    14. Jing Yang & Lei Gao & Qi Liu & Zhaoxia Guo, 2024. "Assessing environmental impacts of response strategies for sustainable food system transformation," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(3), pages 2435-2453, June.
    15. Aleksandra Kowalska & Milena Bieniek, 2022. "Meeting the European green deal objective of expanding organic farming," Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 17(3), pages 607-633, September.
    16. Lauren Brzozowski & Michael Mazourek, 2018. "A Sustainable Agricultural Future Relies on the Transition to Organic Agroecological Pest Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-25, June.
    17. Mollie Chapman & Susanna Klassen & Maayan Kreitzman & Adrian Semmelink & Kelly Sharp & Gerald Singh & Kai M. A. Chan, 2017. "5 Key Challenges and Solutions for Governing Complex Adaptive (Food) Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-30, September.
    18. Alon Tal, 2018. "Making Conventional Agriculture Environmentally Friendly: Moving beyond the Glorification of Organic Agriculture and the Demonization of Conventional Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-17, April.
    19. Radka Redlichová & Gabriela Chmelíková & Ivana Blažková & Eliška Svobodová & Inez Naaki Vanderpuje, 2021. "Organic Food Needs More Land and Direct Energy to Be Produced Compared to Food from Conventional Farming: Empirical Evidence from the Czech Republic," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-19, August.
    20. Dietrich, Lars & Syrovy, Chantal & Döring, Thomas F. & Jung, Rüdiger & Siebert, Stefan & Neuhoff, Daniel, 2025. "Irrigation but not fertilization increases yields and N2 fixation in organic faba bean in temperate climates," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:231:y:2026:i:c:s0308521x25002677. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.