Labor-force management challenges of farms involved in short-food supply chains

Abstract

Organizational issues appear to be one of the greatest challenges of short-food supply chains. Farms involved in these initiatives developed complex working organizations which need to articulate production, commercialization and processing constraints. Moreover, replacement services rarely offer the skills that these farming systems require. In case of hard blow, small scale farms which have difficulties to manage occasional labor shortage become weakened. The objectives of this study are to analyze structural and punctual labor force needs of 25 farmers who use short-food supply chains in the Loire-Atlantique district and identify the opportunities and obstacles to the implementation of some proposed support tools/service to fulfill their needs (Employer’s Alliance, adjustment of the replacement offers). Mainly small scale farmers who have transformation activities expressed both structural and punctual labor force needs. As all structural labor force needs are part-time, the opportunity to create Employer’s Alliance within one of the three study areas has been highlighted. However, producers’ lack of time and psychological barriers to employment could slow a job-sharing project. As selling tasks are rarely delegated, recommendations to work on developing processing skills in replacement service are done. Finally, the planning phase included in this study aimed to establish an action plan to satisfy the labor force needs expressed. Two action plans have been validated by the stakeholders: the implementation of local workshops for future employers and of a short-food supply chain prospective group with the Replacement Associations Federation.