Emerging Policies and Contradictions in the US: The Organic Label as a Agroecological Policy Lever

Abstract

Scaling up agroecology in the United States means setting the stage for agroecology to first exist. The concept remains largely foreign in American policymaking, for a number of reasons. Political, cultural, geographic, and economic challenges persist in stymieing agroecology as an integrated pillar of American agriculture. At the same time, the federally-regulated Organic label continues to grow and presents a potentially powerful policy lever to advance agroecology. Whether through international trade agreements, participatory citizen rulemaking, or the ongoing project of consumer and policymaker education, the National Organic Program in the United States and the standardization of organic regulations across the Global North represent a political opportunity for agroecology, in all its regional diversity.