Cooperative approach and land stewardship: Two drivers for the agroecological transition of agri-food systems

Abstract

The changes experienced since the mid-20th century because of the industrialization of agriculture, have favored the disconnection between food production, nature and society. This places us in front of a series of socio-ecological challenges that need to be solved in order to stop the crisis of small-scale agriculture and the deterioration of agro-ecosystems. In contrast to the logics that delocalize production from consumption, breaking the link with the territory, various initiatives are integrating increasingly agro-ecological practices and adapting their forms of commercialization towards more sustainable and territorialized models. With the need to identify the transformative strategies in which farmers are advancing to create sustainable food systems, two case studies in Spain (Extremadura and Asturias) are analyzed. The results show how cooperative approaches, collaborative networks rooted in the territory and voluntary agreements established between different agents in the agri-food system, are key factors in enabling small producers to improve their participation and empowerment in the agri-food system while promoting systemic strategies to change hegemonic production and consumption modes.