Exploring the contradictions of scaling: action plans for agroecological transition in metropolitan environments

ABSTRACT

When public administrations promote agroecological transition processes there is a risk that these be conventionalized and co-opted. However there is a notable lack of research on the adoption of participatory approaches to processes of agroecological transition, especially in larger territories. This article analyzes two case studies in which territorial Action Plans for agroecological transition have been co-produced through participatory processes in metropolitan areas of the Spanish State. Analysis of these two cases leads us to outline a series of significant factors that may serve to adapt the methodological approach of Local Agroecological Dynamization to different contexts. We also point out some contradictions inherent to participatory processes for agroecological transitions promoted by the administration, in regards to the conflictive dialectics among top-down and bottom-up processes, and to the weakness of agroecology-oriented farmers in metropolitan environments. Finally, we propose some efforts to overcome these contradictions.

KEYWORDS:

• Agroecological transition
• Local Agroecological Dynamization
• sustainable food systems
• participatory action-research
• Spain