Labelling agroecology: A study of valuation processes in developing countries

Abstract

What is an agroecological product and how is it valued in markets? While labels have often been used as a way to resolve the uncertainty around the quality and origin of products, this paper recognizes that labels are but one component of a broader system of governance by standards whereby the creation, control and circulation of standards create agencements that can perform multiple values in a variety of ways. While organic agriculture has become a relatively institutionalized form of agroecology-with public regulations that define the standards, certifications, accreditations and uses of the label-the term agroecology remains much more fluid and carries far less institutional baggage. This chapter explores four agencements in Benin, Bolivia, Ecuador and Uganda that claim to value agroecology. Their analysis advances our understanding of how produce farmed agroecologically becomes an agroecological product that embodies specific qualities and can be bought at a ‘fair’ price.