Evidence on the multidimensional performance of agroecology in Mali using TAPE

Abstract

CONTEXTIn 2019, FAO and partners launched the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE), an innovative and comprehensive framework to produce global and harmonized evidence on the multidimensional performance of agroecology and on its potential to contribute to sustainable food systems and the achievement of the SDGs.In 2020, TAPE was used in Mali to assess the status of agroecological transition of local farms and to identify its correlation with farms' quantitative performance across the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study is to present the evidence on the multidimensional performance of agroecology produced through the implementation of TAPE in 233 farms in the region of Kayes, in Mali. METHODSThrough a standardized survey filled during farm visits, TAPE provides a characterization of the level of agroecological transition of local farms and an assessment of their performance across the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe use of TAPE in this study shows that agricultural systems in the region of Kayes are at very different levels of agroecological transition and that more advanced agroecological types of farms have better performances across the different dimensions of sustainability:-produce more and create more wealth from agropastoral activities using less external and industrial inputs;-use less pesticides, have better soil health, have more agricultural biodiversity, and higher presence of natural vegetation and pollinators on farm;-have more empowered youth more prone to continue as farmers and less prone to emigrate, and more family members directly employed in agropastoral production;-enjoy an improved dietary diversity and a higher level of food self-sufficiency. SIGNIFICANCEThere is a growing global interest in agroecology and a growing demand for evidence on its performance across the different dimensions of sustainability and on its potential to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. TAPE has been created with the goal to fill this knowledge gap through the creation of global and harmonized evidence on the multidimensional performance of agroecological systems. The presentation of TAPE's results from Mali is meant to inform all interested stakeholders on the performance of agroecology in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa, to support the transition of different types of agricultural systems towards more sustainable production, and to encourage the formulation of adequate programs and policies enabling different processes of transition that take into consideration agroecological practices and principles. Such evidence is particularly needed in Sub-Saharan Africa where agroecology as a science, a practice and a social movement has been less promoted than in other regions.