Lock-ins and levers for agroecological transition in maize production: lessons from integrated ecological weed management in Mexico

In 2020, Mexico decreed a staggered phaseout on glyphosate – the most widely used herbicide in the world—, instead promoting the development and implementation of agroecological alternatives. This phaseout lacked systematized evidence on the obstacles and the elements that could foster the phaseout. This study focuses on the experience of a network of farmers’ organizations that implemented integrated ecological weed management strategies in maize (Zea mays L.) crops, with the goal of identifying the factors limiting or enabling the agroecological transition and herbicide abandonment. Using a mixed methods approach we conducted interviews, focus groups, workshops, and surveys, and identified six main themes into which limiting and enabling factors could be classified. Technological factors such as limited access to machinery, shortage of labor, and the high costs act as obstacles to farmers adopting alternatives. Conversely, the presence of a solid institutional background enables the mobilization of alternative practices by allowing successful experiences and knowledge to be shared. Despite farmers’ long-standing dependence on chemical herbicides in the regions studied, openness to change does exist. Strengthening institutions and coordination between the government, civil society, and academics to foster autonomy among farmers appears to be crucial in achieving a new agroecological production model.