Dynamics of coexistence and Contestation: A discourse network analysis of the integration of agroecology into national development frameworks in the West African Sahel

Amidst the dominance of global agri-food policies favoring sustainable intensification (SI), recent years have seen the integration of the alternative approach of agroecology into top-level policy debates and documents. In the West African Sahel region, agroecology principles have particularly entered the national-level policy discussions on agricultural development of Burkina Faso and Senegal. Throughout the negotiation processes aimed at formulating national agroecology strategies, the diverse multi-level actors involved strategically align agroecology principles with region-specific governance objectives related to security, migration, and economic development. This study analyzes the coexistence of agroecology and SI within the national socio-economic development frameworks of Burkina Faso and Senegal, exploring how the discourse contestation interlinks with broader governance ambitions. By assessing whether there is an actual shift in policy instruments or merely a shift in discourse, the research contributes to the ongoing academic debate on whether the institutionalization of agroecology signifies a paradigm shift or rather the continuation of an underlying paradigm. Focusing on Sahelian case countries, the study brings new perspectives to agroecology literature, which is traditionally concentrated on the Global North and South America. Chosen as comparative case countries due to their high level of discourse contestation, the study employs Discourse Network Analysis (DNA) with data from semi-structured interviews, focus groups, observational research, and policy documents. After identifying the general actor landscape and discourse coalitions regarding discussions about the formulation of national agroecology strategies in Burkina Faso and Senegal, the study delves into the contestation dynamics between selected key actors, namely the European Union (EU), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Burkinabe and Senegalese national ministries of agriculture and livestock, and civil society advocacy and research actors. The analysis explores how these stakeholders strategically adopt and adapt key discursive concepts such as coherence, resilience, security, and sustainability in policy negotiation processes. The study delineates distinct embeddings of agroecology in national-level discussions. In Senegal, actors primarily associate agroecology principles with objectives related to climate change mitigation, private sector engagement, and economic growth, while in Burkina Faso, the focus leans more towards territorial control and counterterrorism. Despite civil society having a more significant role in policy circles in Senegal, the shift towards agroecology is more profound in Burkina Faso. By integrating a poststructuralist discursive approach with an actor-centered network approach, the study aims to explain these nuanced differences in shifts between the two countries. Ultimately, the research seeks a better understanding of the role of discourse in the negotiations among multi-level actors regarding policy change for sustainable agriculture in multi-crisis settings.