Presentation short abstract

An agricultural transition is required in order to both mitigate and adapt to climate breakdown. Neoliberal transitions are insufficient. I will explore a diversity of strategies and tactics for winning an agroecological transition of the mass of agricultural producers in the Global North.

Presentation long abstract

Agriculture is both a key source of GHG emissions and is increasingly having to contend with the effects of climate breakdown. In response, governments across the Global North are trying to implement agricultural transitions that both attempt to mitigate against and adapt to climate breakdown while addressing the need for ecosystem restoration in response to declines in biodiversity. However, neoliberal, market-driven measures, undertaken within a regime of fiscal austerity, inhibits and curtails agricultural transitions. As such, piecemeal approaches have developed that spark farmers’ protests and the transition is left languishing.

In this paper, I will argue that those struggling for an agroecological transition of agriculture must pay more attention to the dissatisfied and disaffected farmers that form the bulk of the agricultural system. In turn, I argue this can only occur through an ecosocialist transition whereby ecosocialist parties seize control of the commanding heights of the economy, to effect a long-term plan for the socialisation of agriculture. In order to theorise this I will introduce a variety of approaches to strategy and tactics, including transitional programmes, non-reformist reforms, hegemonic struggle, and Rodrigo Nunes’ concept of an ecosystem approach. Finally, I will briefly suggest several policy ideas to consider, organise and struggle over towards an agroecological transition of agriculture.