GAEC les rocs - Employing agroecology in Vandée

The Pays de Pouzauges local authority grouping is located in the Haut-Bocage in the eastern Vendée and consists of 10 communes with a total population of 23 000. In 2019 it was recognised as a « Territory Committed to Nature » (TEN) by all the members of the Regional Biodiversity Collective including the Pays de Loire Region. One of the key actions of the TEN process is the sustainable management of agricultural and forest areas, for example through the implementation of innovative agroecology operations. The sustainable management plans for the bocage raised farmers’ awareness of the roles of the bocage landscape and good management practices. In the framework of the Nature 2050 programme, GAEC Les Rocs is involved in the Pouzauges Bocage project, which is divided into four main operations: GAEC Les Rocs, GAEC La Niro (cattle farming), a demonstration of natural regeneration on a 1.25-hectare plot at Les Echardières and the transition from dying chestnut trees to a diverse high forest at La Fromentière. The farmers of the GAEC Les Rocs have been committed for several decades to adapting their practices to emerging environmental and societal issues in order to improve their autonomy and resistance to climate risks. The organic farm extends over 182 ha and combines dairy cattle, fodder crops (maize, dredge corn, alfalfa, clover) and field-grown vegetables. Trees in all forms (hedges, intra-field agroforestry) are a central element in their strategy for maintaining the long-term performance of the farming system. The first hedges were planted in the mid-1990s, resulting now in a hedge density of 160 linear meters per hectare. In addition, since 2017, rows of trees have been planted between plots in pasture areas. The project thus reflects the historical continuity of the actions undertaken throughout the Pays de Pouzauges.