Strategies for scaling up agroecological experiences in the European Union

Abstract

There is a growing consensus that the dominant food regime is not viable and that there is a serious risk of food collapse. Building a food system based on sustainability is therefore an urgent task. For years, agroecology has been developing strategies for scaling out agroecological experiences. However, the current institutional framework blocks the growth of these experiences, relegating them to the sidelines. The main challenge facing agroecology is to expand the scale of agroecological experiences, building an alternative food system and challenging the hegemony of the corporate food regime. In this paper, a change in strategy of agroecological practices is proposed, aiming at the formation of local agroecological-based food systems that, by increasing in scale, impose a new institutional framework. This goal will only be possible through social mobilization focused not only on agricultural production or distribution but also on food consumption, weaving social alliances that promote change. This can be done by politicizing food consumption.