Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
5-2026
Abstract
A scalar contradiction exists between agroecology's three goals: while ecological sustainability is best pursued at the landscape scale, social equity and livelihood goals often require organizing production at the small scale of family farms. In China's ‘industrial agriculture of small farmers’, ecological farming practices became economically unviable at small farmers' minuscule scales. Agroecological transitions almost always first go through a scale expansion, a process fraught with tension. The empirical analysis focuses on three ‘ecological farms’ that enjoyed favorable conditions unattainable to smallholders. Yet, lock-ins across five dimensions have either made their operations economically unsustainable or forced compromises in agroecological principles.
Keywords
Agroecological transition, industrial agriculture, small scale, sustainability, lock-in, China
Discipline
Agribusiness | Agricultural and Resource Economics | Asian Studies
Research Areas
Sociology
Areas of Excellence
Sustainability
Publication
Journal of Peasant Studies
First Page
1
Last Page
32
ISSN
0306-6150
Identifier
10.1080/03066150.2026.2663525
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Group
Citation
ZHANG, Qian Forrest.(2026). The smallholder’s dilemma in agroecological transitions: The diseconomy of agroecology for small farmers in industrial agriculture. Journal of Peasant Studies, , 1-32.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/4452
Copyright Owner and License
Authors-CC-BY
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2026.2663525
Included in
Agribusiness Commons, Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, Asian Studies Commons