Agroecology: assessing the sustainability of agricultural and food systems in Southern Bénin using the FAO's TAPE (Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation)

Abstract

Understanding the current state of sustainability within farming systems is the starting point for coordinated action to support the agro-ecological transition. The study assessed the agroecological transition in South-Eastern Bénin using the FAO's TAPE (Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation). The methodology combined simple random sampling of 300 farms, field surveys and statistical analysis using R and Excel. The characterization of agro-ecological transition score (CAET) was obtained by averaging the scores for each of the 10 agro-ecological elements of FAO. The results showed that the most of the farms were small-scale (less than 2 ha) and highly diversified. Moreover, 98% of them were non-agroecological, indicating a lack of initiatives to move towards more sustainable models ; only 2% were in the early stages of transition. The correlations between the elements highlighted interdependence between several practices such as recycling and efficiency (r ≥ 0.50, p < 0.001) as well as the essential role of co-creation and knowledge sharing in the adoption of agroecology. Most of the 10 elements contributed strongly to the measurement of sustainability on a farm. The perspectives emerging from this research suggest an urgent need to strengthen participatory learning networks, facilitate access to credit and organic inputs, limit the use of hazardous pesticides. Future studies will look more closely at the factors that explain this low adoption of agroecological principles.