Agroecological transitions do not depend only on farming practices. They also require policy environments that allow them to take root. Comparing Peru and Kenya, this study traces how agroecology gradually gained political space through the interaction of crises, institutional change, advocacy and changing ideas about agriculture. The analysis combines historical review, policy-text analysis and actor mapping to reconstruct the evolution of agroecology-related policy landscapes in both countries.

The two trajectories are quite different. In Peru, agroecology has been shaped strongly by farmer organizations, civil society networks, family farming movements and alliances with academia and other sectors. These actors helped push agroecological ideas into national policy, including recognition of ecological production and family farming. In Kenya, agroecology entered policymaking more recently, supported by democratization, decentralization, climate concerns and multistakeholder initiatives. However, agricultural policy remains strongly influenced by industrialization, productivity and sustainable intensification framings.

Across both countries, the authors find that crises such as political unrest, food-system vulnerabilities, climate change and COVID-19 created opportunities for policy change, but these openings were not sufficient on their own. Progress depended on organized advocacy, supportive institutions and coherent ways of framing agroecology within government. The study therefore highlights farmer self-organization, territorial decision-making and stronger institutional coordination as important conditions for developing more enabling agroecology policies.