Reconfiguring agrarian relations through agroecology: labor dynamics, value capture, and productivity in small-scale farming in Cochabamba, Bolivia

Agroecology entails more than a technical shift in farming; it represents a profound reconfiguration of agrarian relations. This paper examines these processes through a political economic lens. Using participatory action research, we characterized 10 small-scale farms in Cochabamba, Bolivia – five implementing dynamic agroforestry (DAF) and five neighboring conventional farms – focusing on agricultural design, management, production, and economic performance during the 2023–2024 season. Labor dynamics were analyzed, and value capture was calculated using the value added to gross value of production (VA/GVP) ratio. The findings indicate that agroecological systems not only capture more labor income but also generate substantially higher value per unit area than conventional farms. VA/GVP ratios on agroecological farms ranged from 70% to 95%, compared to negative values up to 51% on conventional farms, despite the latter being up to 8 times larger in area. Agroecological farms also achieved, on average, over 4 times greater output per square meter (GVP/m2). Agroecological farmers expressed enhanced autonomy, health, climate and economic resilience, personal fulfillment, and overall wellbeing. These results challenge dominant narratives that equate productivity with scale and input intensity, highlighting agroecology’s capacity as a socially and economically transformative approach.