Agroecology in Ecuador: historical processes, achievements, and challenges

© 2017 Taylor & Francis. Agroecology in Ecuador has developed from its early stages as a little known, incoherent response to the Green Revolution into a serious agrarian model, with key principles enshrined in the country’s Constitution and Food Sovereignty Law. This article provides a historical overview and analysis of this process, highlighting key actors, events, and challenges. In particular, this article reveals that the adoption of agroecology as a form of resistance by indigenous and peasant movements played a key role in its development. Furthermore, articulation between organizations, academia, and public institutions helped agroecology grow in conceptual depth, national reach, and political influence. Nonetheless, as the stalled passage of the law on agrobiodiversity demonstrates, significant obstacles to implementation remain. Abbreviations: ACRI: Association of Coffee Growers of the Intag River; AE: Ecology Action; APAA: Association of Agroecological Producers of the Austral; AUCM: Unity Assembly of the Canton of Montufar; AVSF: Agronomists and Veterinarians Without Borders; CCFA: Peasant Agroecological Credit Union; CEA: Ecuadorian Agroecology Coordinator; CEDEIN: Center for Indigenous Development; CEPCU: Center for Pluricultural Studies; CET: Centre for Technological Education; CLADES: Latin American Consortium on Agriculture and Development; COMICH: Confederation of Indigenous Movements of Chimborazo; CONAIE: Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador; COPISA: Plurinational and Intercultural Conference on Food Sovereignty; COPROBICH: Corporation of Organic Producers and Merchants of Chimborazo; CORPOPURUWA: Corporation of Producers of Puruwa; ECUARUNARI: Confederation of Peoples of Kichwa Nationality; EFA: Regional Agroecology School; ERPE: Popular Radiophonic Schools; FECAOL: Federation of Agricultural Centers and Peasant Organizations of the Littoral; FECONIC: Federation of Afro-Ecuadorian Communities and Organizations of Imbabura and Carchi; FENOCIN: National Confederation of Peasant, Indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian Organizations; FICI: Indigenous and Peasant Federation of Imbabura; IFOAM: International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements; IMBABIO: Biological Production Market Network of Imbabura; LORSA: Organic Law of the Food Sovereignty Regime; LVC: Via Campesina International; MAELA: Latin American Agroecology Movement; MESSE: Social and Solidarity Economy Movement of Ecuador; MIC: Indigenous Movement of Cotopaxi; MST: Landless Workers Movement; NAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement; PACAT: Union of Agroecological Producers and Associative Commercialization; PROBIO: Ecuadorian Corporation of Biological Producers; RAA: Agroecology Network of the Austral; RAL: Agroecological Network of Loja; RALLT: Network for a Transgenic-Free Latin America; REDESOL: Solidarity Economy Network; RESAKK: Solidarity Economy and Food Sovereignty Network of Kayambi Territory; SOCLA: Latin American Scientific Society of Agroecology; SPG: Participative Guarantee System; UNORCAC: Union of Indigenous Peasant Organizations of Cotacachi.