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International Development and Studies

Drivers for agroecological transition: An analysis of 40 years of experience in Minas Gerais, Brazil Alexandria Wilson*, Alexandria Wilson, Fernanda Testa Monteiro, Irene Maria Cardoso, Heitor Mancini Teixeira, Lucas Carvalho Gomes, Raphael Fernandes Bragança, Maria Izabel Vieira Botelho, Ivonete Lopes, Felipe N.B. Simas, Thomas W. Kuyper,

Efforts to transform conventional agriculture into agroecological systems are expanding worldwide, often through dialogue with peasant communities and the coordinated action of diverse social actors. Understanding the drivers of these transformations is essential to advancing systemic change in agrifood systems. This paper analyzes the agroecological transition in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais, Brazil, a process underway since the early 1980s and involving multiple institutions and scales of action. Drawing on the integration of four PhD theses, semi-structured interviews with key social actors, and participant observation, the study identifies 29 drivers that create conditions and motivations for peasants to shift from conventional to agroecological agriculture. These drivers operate synergistically across ecological, social, cultural, political, and economic dimensions, with a central role played by the interaction between bottom-up movements and political support. The analysis highlights the importance of grounding driver-based approaches in concrete territorial experiences, accounting for internal and external conditions of peasant units and the impacts on family livelihoods. The articulation of cosmovision and identity, collective knowledge building, multilevel organization, political engagement, and nature-based technical solutions has enabled widespread adoption of agroecology among peasant families.