Work Assessment Method for Sustainable Farming Systems

The Work Assessment Method (WAM), developed by INRAE and Idele in the 1990s, quantifies work in livestock farming across six dimensions: territorial integration, professional essence, work time, social sustainability, quality of life, and health and wellbeing. It uses semi-structured surveys to convert technical calendars into detailed task and worker schedules, accounting for worker diversity and task characteristics. Results are presented in annual hours and days per worker, with benchmarks and visualisations of routine and seasonal work. WAM supports advisers and farmers in identifying efficiency improvements, reducing labour costs, and enhancing system sustainability and attractiveness. Outputs enable group discussions and benchmarking, aiding in the design of sustainable dairy farming models. Funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme, WAM is supported by the International Association on Work in Agriculture and regional studies in France and Belgium.