Agroecological Farmer Movements and Advocacy Coalitions in Sub-Saharan Africa: Between De-Politicization and Re-Politicization

Bottazzi, Patrick; Boillat, Sébastien-Pierre (2021). Agroecological Farmer Movements and Advocacy Coalitions in Sub-Saharan Africa: Between De-Politicization and Re-Politicization In: Räthzel, Nora; Stevis, Dimitris; Uzzell, David (eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of Environmental Labour Studies (pp. 415-440). Cham: Palgrave Macmillan 10.1007/978-3-030-71909-8_18

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Agroecology has become an ideological basis to defend social justice and environmental sustainability in food systems and has spread across the world including into sub-Saharan Africa. In this chapter, we discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by an African agroecological farmers’ movement from a labour environmentalist perspective, based on a set of interviews with the main actors promoting agroecology in Senegal, the main repertories of collective action of the movement are discussed. We analyse the emancipatory potential of these repertories and discuss processes that lead to their potential depoliticization and repoliticization, namely the removal versus revival of politically contentious issues. We argue that despite the extraordinary dynamism of agroecology advocacy coalitions in the country, their dependence on international donors and the historic weakness of farmer unions lead them to focus on technical demonstrations and limit the political and financial autonomy of grassroots farmer organizations. A recent focus on territorial approaches, alternative food networks and the development of platforms at national level might nevertheless open up new opportunities for societal transformations.

Item Type:	Book Section (Book Chapter)
Division/Institute:	School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL
Name:	Bottazzi, Patrick; Boillat, Sébastien-Pierre0000-0002-8035-6335; Räthzel, Nora; Stevis, Dimitris and Uzzell, David
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor J Political Science > JF Political institutions (General) S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
ISBN:	978-3-030-71908-1
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan
Language:	English
Submitter:	Sébastien-Pierre Boillat
Date Deposited:	23 Jan 2024 15:00
Last Modified:	23 Jan 2024 15:00
Publisher DOI:	10.1007/978-3-030-71909-8_18
ARBOR DOI:	10.24451/arbor.20887
URI:	https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/20887