Systèmes de production agricoles et environnement

In the present social system the choice and implementation of techniques are guided by the degree of profitability of production units. In the immediate future this does not seem threatened by the economic and social costs brought about by environment problems simply because in general these costs are supported by the State or local authorities. It nevertheless seems necessary to estimate these costs accurately and in particular, how much has been destroyed and the ecological consequences of the present development of farming techniques. In these conditions the social benefit of the dominant farm production systems estimated globally and not on the level of production units may well decrease considerably in the long run. The critical points reached by the development of these systems both with regard to natural resources management techniques and to global economic and social profitability are such that different production systems that do not reach such critical points can be envisaged.