Transforming higher education in Bolivia by linking two contra-hegemonic movements: agroecology and the Decolonial turn

Abstract

Agroecology is recognised as a socio-political and agricultural praxis and as a scientific domain. However, the dominant anthropocentric narrative that views nature as an exploitable resource is still present in agriculture faculties. In this contribution, we use three avenues to advance the possibilities of linking two counter-hegemonic forces to transform agriculture higher education. Firstly, the article examines the connection between decolonisation as a theoretical concept and the practices of decoloniality unfolding in agroecology. Secondly, we explore the diálogo de saberes, the Latin American approach of knowledge dialogue, as a bridge to connect diverse knowledge systems. The third path correlates literature findings with a Bolivian higher education program that has been around for three decades. Our experience shows that the dyad of agroecology and decolonial turn plays a significant role in transforming agricultural education by opening new paths to engage in a collaborative process between multiple knowledge systems.