Agroecological Transition Research Articles

EU−Africa: Digital and Social Questions in a Multicultural Agroecological Transition for the Cocoa Production in Africa

The challenge of this century is without a doubt to counter global warming. Land management, agriculture, and forests are responsible for 23% of total greenhouse gases (GHGs). In developing countries, such as those in African territories, where economic capacities are sometimes small and socio-cultural and linguistic perceptions are different, this requires a transition that is just and respectful of local culture and language, while at the same time helping to create labor conditions that respect gender and minors. This article describes a socio-technical ecological transition in the cocoa chain production in Côte d’Ivoire, which is not only the world’s leading producer of cocoa beans (45%) but also one of the African countries most prone to deforestation. Linguistic and multicultural aspects come together in Côte d’Ivoire, where more than 70 local languages are spoken. Intelligent digital approaches, agroecological issues, new methods, and sociocultural questions are embedded in a context of collaboration and co-creation, a living lab approach, to ensures sharing and co-creation among NGOs, farmers, companies, and researchers. A framework of socio-technical transition is presented, and this research aims to not only achieve the goals of a just ecological transition and reduce carbon footprint and deforestations but also to create diverse labour conditions, gender respect and inclusion.

Agroecological transitions to sustainability and biosphere reserves

ABSTRACT We examine the potential of local agroecological transitions to sustainability in Spain and their interaction with Biosphere Reserve (BR) designation. The BR program has experienced great success in Spain however questions linger regarding their contribution to agricultural sustainability. Here, we evaluate the performance of two selected local agroecological initiatives through a Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS) approach focusing, specifically, on their potential contribution to community resilience. To do so, we collected survey data from participants in one local agroecological initiative in the non-BR designated “La Vera” area and in the “Mariñas Coruñesas e Terras do Mandeo” BR. We found that participants valued positively the achievements of both initiatives but identified two important obstacles for CHANS community resilience: 1) lack of economic competitiveness of the products and services offered due to the higher prices of agroecological products when compared with conventionally produced market-oriented competitors and, 2) governance obstacles related to subsidy dependence and excessive governmental regulations of local community management practices and decision-making. Though there were no statistically significant differences between BR and non-BR survey data, non-BR respondents did identify more governance issues than BR respondents suggesting that BR designation may empower local communities institutionally providing them with more decision-making leverage in their interactions with the administration.

Reacting to rural problems or creating cognitive space? Knowledge production and the diffusion of the agroecology movement in Chiang Mai, Thailand

ABSTRACT This qualitative study explores how the agroecology movement in Chiang Mai, Thailand, has been diffused and what has contributed to its pathways to socioecological sustainability. During the diffusion of this social movement, non-governmental organization (NGO) activism, the introduction of organic farmers’ markets and local organic certification, and collaboration with universities have played significant roles. Our findings suggest that partnership, place, and knowledge have been important contributors to the agroecological transition. Utilizing the concept of cognitive praxis, we conclude that the participatory mode of knowledge production and the horizontal process of knowledge exchange have contributed to the movement’s diffusion by providing opportunities for local ecological knowledge to be produced, reinvented, and disseminated.

On-farm agricultural inputs and changing boundaries: Innovations around production of microorganisms in Brazil

A growing number of activities formerly undertaken off-farm are now carried out on-farm, including product processing, agronomic experimentation or animal slaughter. This also applies to the production of certain agricultural inputs, including micro-organisms used as alternatives to chemical inputs in plant nutrition and health. Based on a case study in Brazil, this article analyses the mechanisms behind this shift in the production of inputs, particularly the way it challenges the boundaries that usually delimit the skills and activities of farmers, agri-supply companies and agricultural research. It highlights the boundary work they undertook to extend or, on the contrary, to preserve their prerogatives and competences. Economic, political and epistemic issues are at stake around these boundaries and their movements, and the stakeholders involved defend contrasted positions. The results show that the shift of certain activities towards the farm, which is often seen as an important lever in agroecological transitions, is a complex process and can cause major tensions among stakeholders. Il also shows that, despite these movements, the on-farm production of nature-based solutions and bio-based technologies like microorganisms only partially call the organisation and trajectory of agro-industrial systems into question. In conclusion, the article calls for reflection on the role of agri-supply companies in the transformation of agricultural technological systems. It also calls for research into the control of the technologies produced on farm, and into the ways in which the State can transform existing systems.

Agroecological transition and adaptation to climate change of the Espelette chilli pepper production systems: presentation of the 2022-2024 pilot project and the 2021 preliminary results

Agroecological transition and adaptation to climate change of the Espelette chilli pepper production systems: presentation of the 2022-2024 pilot project and the 2021 preliminary results

Understanding the behavioral drivers of smallholder agro-ecological practice adoption in Benin and Burkina Faso

The current international context characterized by environment, and socio-political crises, and the related issue of instability of food supply and agricultural inputs, revives the need for agroecological transition of West African smallholders. This study aims to analyze the socio-psychological determinants of the adoption of crop rotation (CR) and cereal-leguminous intercropping (CLI) practices, two popular agroecological practices in Benin and Burkina Faso, in order to provide additional levers for action for the agroecological transition in these two countries. To this end, a stepwise survey involving all the municipalities of Atacora (9) in Benin and Houet (13) in Burkina Faso was conducted among 400 family farmers. The planned behavior model was then used to analyze their intentions and decisions to adopt these practices through structural equation modeling. Findings show that regardless of the practice, farmers' perceived control influences their intention as well as their adoption decision. Similarly, farmers' intention also had a positive and significant effect on their decision to implement these two practices. These results contribute to a better understanding of farmers' decisions process, and therefore offer opportunities to positively influence it.

P49 Agroecological transition and holistic sustainability assessment of smallholder dairy cattle systems

P49 Agroecological transition and holistic sustainability assessment of smallholder dairy cattle systems

Agroecological innovations, social technologies and family farming

This paper is a systematic review of articles that address the relationship between Social Technology, Agroecological Innovations and Family Farming considering their convergence in food production. A search was carried out in the academic databases of Web of Science (WOS), Scopus (Elseiver), Agris, Google Scholar and CAPES journal database. By starting an analysis matrix that included the type of study, the conceptual framework, the methodology and the object of study, 16 articles were selected. In the study, a series of coincidences were identified about the type of study, the methodology, the object of study, and the concepts used. An approach that focuses on the role of agroecological innovations outside the specific experiences with a focus on understanding the own agroecological innovation system where the role of social technologies is fundamental as long as it is considered as elements that strengthen the agroecological transition processes and not as palliatives or as technologies with low intensity in knowledge.

Alternative practices to pesticide use in the Guadeloupe banana belt: Do biophysical constraints limit agroecological transitions?

CONTEXTIn the French West Indies, the banana sector has made a transition from systems heavily reliant on synthetic inputs to more agroecological systems. However, despite abundant literature on the performance of these systems, few studies have described the mechanisms involved in this transition at the level of individual farms. OBJECTIVEThis article aims to understand the drivers of diverse individual agroecological transitions on banana farms in Guadeloupe towards alternative practices to the use of pesticides with a specific focus on the role of biophysical constraints at territorial scale. METHODThe methodological approach was based on three complementary steps to grasp the spatio-temporal determinants of these transitions: (1) a mapping of biophysical constraints on the scale of a territory spanning 2510 ha of farmland, (2) a mapping of the land use changes between 2010 and 2019 at the plot scale over 1680 plots, and (3) an evaluation of the agroecological transition over ten years of 20 farms located in four previously determined constraint zones. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSWe show that some farms in the study area face multiple constraints linked to biophysical factors (sigatoka pressure and slope), and that there are links between these various constraints and land use changes (e.g. abandonment, diversification and maintenance of banana production). A more detailed analysis of the farms shows the emergence of five transition types over the last ten years: farms with a weak transition, farms with a weak transition despite having governance over their productive resources, farms with a moderate transition, farms with an organic-based agroecological transitions, and farms with a strong agroecological transition. The biophysical constraints of these farms affected these transitions, however changes in legislation or access to organic certification also supported changes. There is room for progress to intensify the transition of these systems, but this requires specific recommendations for these different types. SIGNIFICANCEThe mixed method used in this study is helpful to diagnose changes in time and space of farms in agroecological transition and assess their real room for maneuver.

Агроекологічний вектор посилення соціальної спрямованості сільськогосподарського виробництва

The article considers the agroecological model of FAO, consisting of ten elements contributing to achieving agriculture’s economic goals while ensuring social justice and preserving the environment. Based on the analysis of the dynamics of socio-economic indicators, the necessity of changing domestic agriculture’s development strategy to ensure sustainability and strengthen the rural economy’s social orientation has been substantiated. The author characterised the integrity and the complexity of agroecology in the context of achieving sustainable development goals. The paper proposes an agroecological transition to balance agricultural activity’s economic, social, and environmental results and determines the socioeconomic consequences of introducing an agroecological transition. Using the method of expert assessments, the prevalence of agroecological management in different groups of producers and the correspondence of their management methods to the components of agroecology of FAO are analysed. The necessity of forming an institutional environment as a system of norms, rules, motivational mechanisms and stimulating measures, requirements, and control, which will promote the spread of agroecological methods in the agricultural activities of enterprises, has been substantiated. The importance of informing producers about the advantages of agroecological management and introducing pilot (demonstration) projects is characterised; the need for training consultants and initiators on introducing agroecological management methods is outlined. Agroecological methods acquire new relevance in the development of agriculture in post-war Ukraine. The ability to avoid large-scale interruptions in food supply due to the local organisation of production, the change in consumer behaviour of the population towards the use of healthy and environmentally safe food products, the strengthening of local development potential and several other social effects are the advantages of the agroecological transition, which will preserve the multifunctionality of agriculture and strengthen its social orientation and environmental safety.

Towards a Politics of Recognition: Exploring the Symbolic Contexts of Material Agroecological Transitions

Scientific debates on agroecology highlight the relevance of appropriate narratives as a means to widen and amplify agroecological transitions in the material world. However, it is actually far-right discourses—often linked to populist political proposals—which, though not majoritarian, are reaching broad and growing diffusion among both rural communities and farmers. Research focusing on the symbolic mechanisms around food systems’ transitions are scarce. In order to address this gap, an exploratory research project was developed to identify responses to different messages and audiovisual languages favorable to agroecological transitions, through the dissemination of three brief audiovisual pieces among specific socio-professional profiles linked to food systems, together with an online survey. The results obtained (n = 524) show significant differences in the responses to open questions collected, regarding socio-economic diversity expressed in the axes male/female, urban/rural, farmer/not farmer and organic/conventional farming. Responses from conventional farmers express a need for developing a “politics of recognition” and repair that would acknowledge the unfair, subordinated role that farmers and rural communities feel in the current globalized food system. The paper shows the need for further empirical research on the issue, covering different territories and socio-economic and cultural profiles, in order to fully understand the symbolic mechanisms underlying material, agroecological transitions.

Including citizens through co-design in a participatory research project to explore innovative agro-food systems: the case of future dairy livestock systems

IntroductionLivestock farming and its negative impacts are increasingly criticized by society; its evolution toward more sustainable systems is therefore a key aspect of the transition of agro-food systems. It is necessary to rethink livestock systems' research and innovation processes and develop innovative solutions. Including citizens, non-professionals of the sector, who are less influenced by the current organization of the agricultural sector could be an opportunity to generate innovative solutions, but they have been kept away from research and innovation processes so far.MethodsIn this context, we implemented a co-design process involving researchers, livestock professionals, and citizens in a participatory research project aiming at producing knowledge and developing innovative solutions for the future mountain dairy systems. For this, we have adapted the KCP design method known to promote the exploration of innovative solutions, support the agro-ecological transition, and build a common horizon.ResultsThe analysis of this collective dynamic and its outputs allowed us to highlight the positive contribution of citizens during the design process, even if they are not livestock experts. The citizens participated in the formulation of new knowledge by questioning the researchers and livestock professionals and were less influenced by the current system. This contributed to the exploration of original and varied solutions for livestock farming systems.DiscussionThis experimentation offers perspectives for including citizens in agro-food systems research and innovation process. It also opens up interesting perspectives for the fields of citizen science and co-design research.

A new method to assess sustainability of agricultural systems by integrating ecosystem services and environmental impacts

Agricultural stakeholders disagree on how to put the general concept of sustainability into practice. But most recognize the need for assessment methods to characterize the current situation and gauge progress yet to be made. Many sustainability assessment methods for agricultural systems have been published, but very few integrate ecosystem services (ES). And yet, ES indicators are key to better integrating biological processes to support the agroecological transition. Although researchers have attempted to link the concept of environmental impact (EI) and ES through life cycle analysis (LCA), gaps remain when it comes to doing so within a sustainability assessment method. Here a new method based on an original conceptual indicator framework embedding new predictive indicators of EI and ES indicators was developed. This framework covers 22 environmental themes and integrates few basic economic and social indicators. The method was implemented on 33 farms with different certifications and production specifications. All farms were members of an agricultural cooperative in north-eastern France. We selected 250 plots to cover the farms’ crop rotations. The correlation analysis showed no systemic trade-off between EI or ES and economic indicators. Meanwhile, the joint assessment of ES and EI (like the multivariate analysis), delivered more nuanced results than a classical opposition between intensive and organic farming. Some farms with a moderate or even good level of ES often do not leverage them, as shown by their high EI. The principle component analysis and subsequent hierarchical ascendant classification allowed us to distinguish five clusters providing a more complex picture than simply opposing conventional and organic agriculture. Finally, the positive deviance analysis revealed that economic, environmental and social considerations can be balanced in a way that seems to be more sustainable than, for example, an organic farm that has very successfully reduced EI but at a cost of several economic and social trade-offs.

The state of agroecology in Brazil: An indicator-based approach to identifying municipal “bright spots”

Agroecology is increasingly recognized as a pathway for agricultural transformation that can mitigate environmental harms and improve social equity. Yet, the lack of broad-scale assessments that track agroecological indicators in distinct contexts has been identified as a challenge to scaling agroecology out and up. Here, we identify and assess indicators of agroecology based on the Food and Agriculture Organization’s 10 Elements of Agroecology and Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation. We created an agroecological index representing the status of agroecological practices and outcomes on farms in Brazil and mapped the results at the municipal level (the smallest autonomous administrative territorial unit in Brazil) using data from the 2017 agricultural census. We found that the extent of agroecological practice across Brazil’s 26 states exhibited strong spatial variability. Within states with low average levels of agroecological practice, we identified “bright spots” of agroecology, or municipalities that performed better than their state average. Bright spot analyses may provide insights on how other municipalities could improve their agroecological status, as well as illustrate potential factors inhibiting agroecological transitions elsewhere. Based on the analysis of local contexts through a literature review, we found that bright spots corresponded to areas with highly visible activities of grassroots farmer networks and nongovernmental organizations, access to public policies and programs, proximity to urban markets, and maintenance of traditional agricultural practices. This suggests that additional institutional investment and support should be directed toward strengthening these enabling factors for agroecology.

The potential of community interactions as inducers of agroecological transition: the case of a digital agricultural community

ABSTRACT Purpose: To study community interactions and thus to highlight potential ways to support farmers’ professional transition toward more sustainable agriculture. Methodology: Mixed methods with a questionnaire, interviews, peer-to-peer interactions, and a theoretical framework to analyze drivers of indeterminacy that can trigger a break in farmers’ routines. The study took place in a digital agricultural community. Findings: We highlighted three potential drivers of indeterminacy in a professional transition process like Agroecological Transition (AET), as well as the role of community facilitator. Practical implications: Integrating into farmers’ training and extension services the issues of valuation to discuss how practices and objects are prised and evaluated. This can open a way for new meanings and values that support AET and support a departure from usual standards. Theoretical implications: Applying inquiry theory as an epistemic proposition to examine support for farmers’ professional transitions and their training in relation to their real work situation. Originality: We propose an articulation between the study of a digital platform and the analysis of the drivers of engagement in an agroecological transition process.

Comprehensive Evaluation and Physiological Response of Quinoa Genotypes to Low Nitrogen

The utilization of low-N tolerant and N-efficifent varieties offers significant benefits in terms of reducing the need for excessive N fertilizer input. Quinoa, a resilient crop for agroecological transition, possesses a wide genetic diversity, making it suitable for selecting genotypes that require less N fertilizer. In this study, the growth and physiological characteristics of nine quinoa genotypes were assessed to determine their low-N tolerance using the fuzzy membership function. Based on comprehensive evaluation indices, three genotypes were identified: low-N tolerant (BL22), intermediately tolerant (A29), and sensitive (G68). These genotypes were exposed to varying N concentrations, including normal (4 mM), low (0.8 mM), and deficient N (no N) conditions. The results indicate that low-N conditions altered root phenotype, with reduced biomass, total protein, and chlorophyll content; increased soluble sugar levels; and inhibited N-metabolizing enzymes (nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthase) and N uptake. Under low-N conditions, the tolerant genotype exhibited higher maximal efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), root vitality, and N content compared to the sensitive genotype. Interestingly, the sensitive genotype displayed elongated and thinner shoots and roots in response to low-N, suggesting that plant height and root length are unreliable indicators of low-N tolerance in quinoa. In contrast, shoot and root dry biomass, Fv/Fm, chlorophyll content, N-metabolizing enzymes, and N content proved to be reliable indicators of low-N tolerance during the early growth stage of quinoa. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of utilizing specific growth and physiological parameters as indicators for screening low-N tolerant quinoa genotypes, thereby reducing dependence on N fertilizers.

Transforming food systems towards agroecology – a critical analysis of agroforestry and mixed farming policy in 19 European countries

ABSTRACT Agroforestry (AF) and mixed farming (MF) are two multifunctional land use systems that harbor an untapped potential for future climate mitigation, however, they remain outside of the norm. This review collected and analyzed the policy landscape for AF and MF in 19 European countries. The results show that while the policy landscape in Europe has been growing for AF, with support found within the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy and Green Deal, as well as European state polices, direct MF support is largely missing. No country assessed supports AF in its entirety (traditional, establishment, yearly maintenance) although, there are countries like Portugal, which show robust policies for at least one of these aspects. This paper also assessed the degree to which policies found can be considered agroecological, or contributing to an agroecological transition. Our analysis indicates that while agroecological elements do exist in some of the policies, it is currently primarily on plot, field, and farm level, involving input substitution or the change of one practice for another. We conclude that policies are currently not designed in a cohesive manner, and at times work against one another. We therefore recommend that all future policies center themselves on the High-Level Panel of Expert’s 13 Principles of Agroecology, as well as on transformative and inclusive policy design frameworks.

How Can Collective Action Support the Agroecological Transition in Geographical Indication Vineyards? Insights from the Loire Valley Wine Area

Few studies have examined the agroecological transition in viticulture, which involves transformation processes, especially at the territorial scale where collective action plays a key role in the dissemination of transition strategies. Collective action in the agroecological transition must be studied in order to encourage and accelerate changes in practices. In this study, collective action is analyzed to understand how governance structures influence the development of collective agroecological transition strategies. Elinor Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development and Social–Ecological Systems analysis frameworks were applied to the Anjou-Saumur wine area in the Loire Valley, where nearly 80% of wine production is under protected designations of origin. Data were collected through seven semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed qualitatively in order to identify the main actors and collective strategies in the agroecological transition. The study showed that the polycentric structure of governance in the protected designations of the origin system enables institutional actors to collectively coordinate their actions. Moreover, collective action is structured in three focal action situations that overlap at the institutional level due to two key actors in the agroecological transition, but also due to tacit rules of the organizational structure for some actors. Action situations dynamically interact with each other across time and geographical scales, helping the agroecological transition process forward by combining top-down and bottom-up strategies. This study provides a novel way of applying the IAD/SES framework as well as a new look at collective action for the agroecological transition at the institutional scale in French viticultural systems under protected designations of origin. This paves the way for interdisciplinary research for the agroecological transition, and might help to select the best strategies to encourage changes of viticultural practices.

Identificación de los caminos de la transición agroecológica a partir del Enfoque Global de Explotación Agropecuaria

La agroecología representa una de las principales alternativas a modos de producción generados por la revolución verde, tanto en Uruguay como en otros países. Aparece como una respuesta al cambio climático, a la gestión de la biodiversidad y a la restauración de los recursos naturales; y más recientemente como respuesta a la crisis de la pandemia COVID-19. En Uruguay la agroecología, a pesar de que existe una Ley de Plan Nacional para el Fomento de la Producción con Bases Agroecológicas desde 2018, es marginal y la investigación sobre procesos de transición agroecológica es muy incipiente. El objetivo de este trabajo es identificar prácticas agroecológicas y posibles caminos de transición hacia la agroecología de los ganaderos familiares del norte uruguayo utilizando una metodología que se centra en el estudio de las prácticas técnicas, sociales y organizativas, lo cual permite acceder al esquema de funcionamiento y comprender los procesos de toma de decisiones en los sistemas de producción de tipo familiar. Las prácticas socio-productivas evidenciadas en la investigación permitieron elaborar una tipología que representa posibles caminos por los cuales estos ganaderos transitan hacia una producción y gestión agroecológica de las explotaciones. Los resultados de este estudio pueden ser utilizados para fortalecer procesos de concepción o de co-concepción, a través de la selección y difusión de innovaciones con acciones y políticas públicas más cercanas a los productores.

The human being at the heart of agroecological transitions: insights from cognitive mapping of actors’ vision of change in Roquefort area

The human being at the heart of agroecological transitions: insights from cognitive mapping of actors’ vision of change in Roquefort area