Introduction to the Symposium ‘Beyond paradigms: eclectic pathways of agrarian change’

Journal article : Review

The future of agriculture is subject to contested debates. What types of seed, technology, and farming systems more generally, are needed to secure access to food for the world’s population? State actors, corporate entities, and multilateral organisations often favour technology-intensive ‘modern’ agriculture, advocating their vision of farming that relies heavily on external inputs such as improved seeds and agrochemicals. In contrast, a range of other actors, including social and peasant movements, challenge these paradigms, promoting alternative, autonomous, small-scale farming systems. How and where do farmers position themselves in these polarised debates? This Symposium interrogates this question through various theoretical lenses. Focusing on diverse farming contexts in South America, Asia, and the Middle East, its four empirical contributions shed light on the multiplicity of farming practices and local imaginaries. In doing so, they challenge essentialist portrayals of farmers and nuance the divided debate on the future of agriculture. The articles reveal how agricultural producers selectively combine ideas and techniques, shaped by values or principles from seemingly opposing, irreconcilable paradigms. We illuminate heterogeneity and hybridisation and call for grounded debates on the future of agriculture that go beyond polarisation.

Authors: Hofman, I; Spies, M

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Springer
• Journal: Agriculture and Human Values
• Volume: 43
• Issue: 2
• Article number: 103
• Publication date: 2026-05-26
• Acceptance date: 2026-04-06
• DOI: 10.1007/s10460-026-10894-6
• EISSN: 1572-8366
• ISSN: 0889048X, 0889-048X
• Language: English
• Keywords: Paradigms; Agrarian transition; Transformation; Imaginaries
• Subtype: Review