Innovative Technology and Sustainable Development of Organic - 1.

with AMS use, but these problems were rated higher by the advisors in both countries. Farmers
connected the health and welfare aspects more directly to the robotic character of AMS, stating there
was absolutely no negative influence of the machines. The advisors clearly saw the lack of grazing as
an indirect consequence of AMS. This would eventually cause problems with health and welfare,
according to the Dutch advisors. The discussions arising whilst prioritizing the issues showed that the
stakeholders recognized that many issues were connected to grazing, as seen in the literature.
Table 4. Focus group participants priority of nine selected sustainability issues’ importance when
implementing AMS, scored (sc.) in consensus within the groups, by two different stakeholders,
farmers and advisors in two countries, Denmark (DK) and the Netherlands (NL).
sc. NL farmers sc. DK farmers sc. NL advisors sc. DK advisors
1 economy 1 economy 1 economy 1 economy
2 grazing 2* grazing 2 grazing 2 concentrates
3 technical 2 eutrophication 3 animal welfare 2 milk quality
dependency
4 sales 4 technical dependency 4 milk quality 4 technical dependency
5 milk quality 5 sales 7 technical dependency 5 grazing
6 eutrophication 6 milk quality 7 animal health 6 animal heath
7 concentrates 7 animal health 7 eutrophication 7 animal welfare
8 animal welfare 8 animal welfare 7 concentrates 8 sales
9 animal health 9 concentrates 7 sales 9 eutrophication
* Where the score shows the same number, this means that no priority was given within these
issues
To relate the discussion on grazing to the direct practice, the moderator asked for the farmers’ and
advisors’ perceptions on a possible new rule, prescribing grazing. The current EU standards state that
in general cows should graze when possible. The Dutch authorities interpret this as a minimum of 120
days and the Danish as a minimum of 150 days. The EU standards imply no grazing hours per day and
no strict control. A new rule could be that dairy cows should pasture for at least 6 hours a day on 150
days per year and have access to an area of 0.2 ha per cow (in the grazing season). These time and area
definitions have been suggested as sustainable measures by Danish authorities, addressing both the
issue of eutrophication and the cows’ welfare.
All groups mentioned and concluded that there are potential problems controlling such a rule
(Table 5). All groups also acknowledged that if such a rule were enforced, some organic farmers
would have to stop production. All other reactions on a possible new rule revealed different
perceptions, resulting in a large variation within and among groups. Consequently, no general
conclusions could be drawn. It is, however, worth mentioning that Danish advisors were mostly
against extra restrictions. The Danish farmers concluded differently from their advisors, declaring that
farms that could not live up to these rules should be excluded from delivering organic products.
Thesis Frank W. Oudshoorn 29