Can agrodealers be agents of sustainability transitions in agriculture? Reflections based on the expansion of biological inputs in Mexico

Agrodealers are key players in providing technologies and support services to farmers. Nevertheless, they are generally perceived as reluctant, or at least inactive, in the transition to more sustainable practices. In this article, we examine their contribution to the expansion of biological inputs - biological control, biofertilizers, biostimulants - understood as a set of alternative technologies for reducing the consumption of chemical inputs. Based on a qualitative survey of agrodealers and various agricultural R&D stakeholders in Mexico's Bajío grain-production region, we show that they play a proactive role in the expansion of these technologies. Faced with a highly competitive environment, including these products in their portfolio enables them to differentiate themselves from their competitors, while continuing to promote the productivity and profitability of their crops to their customers. In some cases, they not only distribute the products of upstream industries, but also become producers themselves of the microorganisms they offer for sale. They are also actively involved in encouraging farmers to acquire and use these technologies, while striving to minimize the disruption that this may cause to their practices. To this end, they provide advice and support, and develop formulas for integrating biological inputs into technical packages that facilitate their adoption. These results call for a reconsideration of the role these actors could play in initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable technologies and practices for the agricultural sector. • Agrodealers are generally perceived as obstacles to the spread of sustainable agricultural practices. • We analyze how they contribute to the expansion of biological alternatives to chemical inputs in Mexico. • Agrodealers integrate biological inputs to differentiate themselves in a competitive environment. • They begin to develop their own microorganism production business. • Advising and the marketing of technology packages facilitates the introduction of biological inputs to farmers.