The global social and ecological crisis is becoming increasingly complex, and the need for social transformation is emerging. This article uses a combination of a narrative case study and discourse analysis to understand better how transformative concepts, such as agroecology, are shaped as they enter mainstream discursive arenas. It explores the different characteristics of the "innovation frame", how they qualify, and their meaning to agroecology. This case study narrates the recent emergence of agroecology in the UN space and its relationship to the discursive frame of innovation.