The FAO “TAPE” (Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation) Project – piloting the study and evaluation of agroecology performance on farms

In cooperation with the international organization Schola Campesina, at the turn of 2020 and 2021, we are testing TAPE – Tool for Agroecology Perrfomance Evaluation) – developed under the FAO – United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The research is conducted in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, the Balkans and Central Asia. TAPE testing will take place in the territory of the Śląskie Voivodeship, where 15 agro-ecosystems of food producing farms will be assessed. The research and interviews will be held with farmers cooperating with the Jurajska Food Cooperative.

TAPE’s benefits and applications

TAPE aims to provide policymakers and other stakeholders with evidence on how agroecology can contribute to sustainable farming and food systems.

By providing data and specific analyzes in relation to different development goals, TAPE can enable cross-sector and inter-ministerial cooperation. It can also help to empower producers by self-diagnosis and assessment of the conversion level and performance of their agricultural ecosystem.

TAPE can also be used to establish a direction for agricultural sustainability for the design, monitoring and evaluation of projects, and to diagnose and compare the performance of different farming systems. TAPE can therefore support observation and analysis over time, at farm level and at territorial level. Thus, TAPE can help redirect public investment towards more sustainable agriculture and food systems.

It can also provide a framework for governments and public actors to adapt and redesign research and development programs, as well as agricultural and rural advisory services, to align them appropriately with the SDGs. The information gathered by TAPE can be used to provide information on various SDG indicators, including 2.4.1 (sustainable agriculture), 1.4.2 (land rights) or 8.6.1 (biodiversity).

“For us, TAPE is a tool to assess where we are in the transition to agroecology, what we have achieved and what we should focus on more. Agroecology is not a static point, but a process. In the same way, the 10 Elements of Agroecology adopted by FAO show that the work to increase farm-level diversity, synergy and recycling capacity, capacity to build and co-create knowledge, and to improve responsibility for management issues can never be completed. Agroecology-based food systems are more resilient, equal and equitable, and TAPE is a tool that shows this with evidence” – said Andrea Ferrante, agroecologist and coordinator at Schola Campesina.

Coordination: Joanna Bojczewska
Research: Wioletta Olejarczyk, Barbara Kurek
Translations: Barbara Niewiadomska

The project was funded by Schola Campesina/FAO.