Lock-in and Power in Agrifood Systems: a Literature Review and Analytical Framework

Agrifood system scholars increasingly use path dependence and lock-in concepts in an attempt to explain why some agrifood systems cannot transition to sustainable alternatives. However, most research lacks an appropriate framework examining the underlying mechanisms. This integrative literature review addresses how path dependence and lock-in have been studied in agrifood systems, when these systems experience lock-in, and how power dynamics reinforce path dependence processes. We integrate path dependence, lock-in, and power dynamics into an explanatory framework that enhances understanding of lock-in that operates farm-level practices, research systems, and agrifood systems. The framework identifies technological interrelationships, economies of scale, quasi-irreversibility of investments, and learning effects as critical lock-in mechanisms. Our study shows how different forms of power – power over, power with, and power to – function as moderating mechanisms that either reinforce existing lock-ins or create transformation pathways. Understanding lock-in and how mechanisms operate together enables movement toward sustainable forms of agriculture such as agroecology. Promoting agroecological practices at farm level requires simultaneous changes in research priorities, supply chain configurations, policy frameworks, and market structures. The framework highlights the importance of understanding power dynamics when designing transition strategies, particularly how collaborative power arrangements can maintain status quo or catalyze change depending on participating actors and values guiding their collective action.