Power, policy, and practice: political economy perspectives on agroecological transitions

Agroecology has emerged globally as a promising alternative to industrialized agriculture, offering pathways toward more sustainable, just, and resilient food systems. Yet despite growing empirical support and increasing policy attention, agroecological transitions remain uneven and contested. This introduction to the Special Collection on “The Political Economy of Agroecological Transitions” provides a rationale for why agroecology as a paradigm and as a set of practices requires a political economy perspective. The Collection draws on diverse empirical cases from Latin America, Africa, and South Asia to examine how power shapes agroecological trajectories across scales, from local territories to global governance arenas. Using a wide range of methodological approaches – including discourse analysis, ethnography, comparative case studies, and participatory research – the collection explores struggles over meaning, policy design, institutional coordination, labor dynamics, and social inclusion. Collectively, the articles demonstrate that agroecological transitions are multidimensional, multiscalar, and deeply political processes. By foregrounding political economy, this Special Collection advances agroecology scholarship by illuminating the structural barriers, contested pathways, and transformative possibilities involved in building food systems that prioritize ecological integrity, social justice, and democratic control.