Dealing with diversity in pluralistic extension: unravelling advisory subsystems in organic and agroecological agriculture in Chile

Purpose: The study explores the advisory subsystems that support organic and agroecological farming in Chile, addressing a research gap concerning configurations of advisory subsystems, a subject which has so far received limited enquiry, particularly outside of Europe. Methodology: Empirical focus is on the National Certification System for organic farming and the Transition to Sustainable Agriculture Program promoting agroecological practices. Data collection consisted of preliminary interviews with experts, and 38 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. Findings: The National Certification System operates as a privatised open, but also vulnerable advisory network. It relies on peer networks in maintaining advisory functions and fostering resilience, where informal arrangements compensate for weak formal structures. The Transition to Sustainable Agriculture Program represents a more structured, state-led model, where success relies primarily on advisor–producer relationships rather than external systemic factors. Four advisory subsystems within the National Certification System and Transition to Sustainable Agriculture Program were identified, reflecting diverse advisory exchange dynamics in organic and agroecological farming. Practical implications: The highly heterogeneous agricultural landscape in Chile translates directly into differentiated needs and requirements for advisory services in organic agriculture and agroecology, necessitating a more audience-specific approach not well captured in the current programs. Theoretical implications: The subsystems lens offers the possibility to unravel extension systems with a higher degree of granularity. While agroecological and organic farming already can be considered subsystems within a national extension system with their own economic, social, institutional, personal, and relational dynamics, there is an even higher diversity of advisory configurations within them.