Agroecological possibilities: Cultivating autonomy and good relations in a reciprocity economy

Agroecology is both a practical agricultural science that mimics ecological functions to enhance and protect the integrity of agroecosystems and a political movement of grassroots actors, including women, rural peasants, and Indigenous farmers. Agroecological transitions aim to address localized issues of food insecurity, ecological and biodiversity crises, the legacies of slavery and colonialism, and the privatization and concentration of agricultural land. We are part of a research collaborative, Agroecología en Latinoamérica: Construyendo Caminos, working closely with the Ecuadorian Movement for Social and Solidarity Economy and the Andean agroecological collective, Ayllu Kurikancha, to explore how agroecological practices intersect with individual and collective well-being. This project involves storytelling and theorization from collaborator-participants through a feminist, decolonial, and relational research methodology. Project collaborators characterize agroecology as a way of life and set of conditions that facilitate well-being through “good relations,” putting into practice the prefigurative politics of Ayllu Kurikancha in shaping sustainable and equitable futures on the land for generations to come. This vision of relational well-being is tied to a narrative of autonomy and freedom which makes agroecology a desirable way of life. The lifeways shared here offer “possibility models” for transitioning toward a future of well-being for humans and nature through agroecological practices.