JRC researches on Agroecology

JRC Studies

1. Yield and economic performance of agroecological transitions in the Global South

This meta-analysis evaluates farm-level economic performance implications of agroecological transitions across Sub-Saharan Africa, South/Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Drawing from 350+ primary studies, the research quantifies effects of transitioning from input-intensive conventional systems to integrated agroecological approaches.

Results show an average 14.3% yield increase, 44.5% gross income increase, and 36.5% production cost reduction in farms adopting more agroecological practices compared to similar farms with more conventional and simplified management. Geospatial analysis indicates yield responses are moderated by pedoclimatic variables—optimal performance in cooler, stable climates with lower clay-content soils. Economic gains remain consistent across scales and irrigation regimes, suggesting resilience to biophysical constraints.

This is among the first field-level meta-analyses measuring socio-economic outcomes of agroecological transitions in the Global South. Further research on an extended database is needed to derive context-specific recommendations.

2. Contribution of Agroecology to Food Security

The JRC has collaborated with CIRAD (Montpellier, FR), ISARA (Lyon, FR), and independent experts to synthesize available scientific information on social, economic, and environmental benefits of implementing agroecological practices in 26 developing countries: The main conclusions include:

A positive contribution of agroecology to food security is reported in at least 50% of the analysed literature: improved yields, availability of more nutritious food, diversified diet, higher resilience to climate shocks, higher income. Information is mostly qualitative rather than quantitative;
Information on agroecology at country level is limited and scattered. Most studies describe agroecological farming practices and very few analyse the economic and social aspects;
Improvement of soil fertility is a major need across the regions, and this directly links to the management of nutrients and organic matter;

This research work is organised in 2 volumes:

Volume 1: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cuba, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Kenya, Lao PDR, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Nicaragua, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Zimbabwe.

Volume 2: Bolivia, Burundi, Cameroon, Colombia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Pakistan, The Gambia, Uganda.

To complement this scientific literature review, 10 case studies have been carried out in 10 African countries to analyse the impacts of the adoption of agroecological practices at grassroots level. The cross-analysis of these case studies reveals two major outcomes: the increase of smallholder farmers’ incomes and improved resilience to climate change.

3. Contribution of Agroecology to Sustainable Food Systems

The broader contribution of agroecology to sustainable food systems is explored in this study. The analysis highlights linkages and potential win-win contribution of agroecology in several food system sustainability dimensions, but empirical studies are still limited.

4. The Socio-economic Performance of Agroecology

This research demonstrates that agroecological practices at the farm level positively impact socio-economic factors, such as increased incomes, higher revenues, enhanced productivity, and improved efficiency.

5. Can Agroecology Support Sustainable Development in Africa?

The study reviews evidence of agroecology’s impact on economic, social, environmental, and food security outcomes in 17 African countries with high food insecurity to assess how agroecology might contribute to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Results show that (1) agroecological practices positively affected multiple SDGs across semi-arid, sub-humid and humid agro-climatic zones for 94% of outcomes measured; (2) agroecological practices positively influenced two or more SDGs at the same time in 79% of articles; (3) Trade-offs between SDGs were documented in 14% of papers, and a negative feedback was observed between SDG8 (economic growth) and SDG5 (gender equity), with women disproportionately affected by the labour requirements of agroecological practices.

6. Agroecologcial Practices for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation

This global study aims to find evidence on the impact of agroecological practices on climate change mitigation, namely GHG emissions (CO₂, N₂O, and CH₄) and carbon sequestration. The authors screened more than 16,000 publications to retrieve evidence on the implementation of multiple agroecological practices on climate mitigation. They addressed the positive, negative, and inconclusive effects of agroecological multi-practices on climate change mitigation as compared to conventional counterparts. The results of the review indicate that multiple agroecological practices are often associated with statistically significant positive climate change mitigation outcomes for carbon sequestration, but not for GHG emissions metrics.

In sub-Saharan Africa, where most farmers rely on rain-fed agriculture, climate change poses serious threats. The modeling study assesses how decreases in rainfall affect cocoa yield among agroforestry adopters and non-adopters in Ghana. Findings suggest that agroforestry adopters are less severely affected by reduced rainfall. In regions, that are climatically suitable for cocoa production a 1 mm reduction in rainfall cuts yields by 2.17 kg/ha for agroforestry adopters and 2.84 kg/ha for non‑adopters In drier, less suitable regions the effect is not significant.

Case Studies

	Cameroon – Agroforestry Cooperative learning and participatory tree selection and propagation "Due to farmers’ cultural affinity for agroforestry practices, agroforestry has become the most popular method that farmers use to alleviate the effects of land degradation, climate change, and hunger in rural areas."
	Ethiopia – Silvopasture Spreading silvopastural system through farmer exchanges "Goats feed on Ficus thonningii leaves harvested from silvopastoral systems; Its drought tolerance has reduced the water requirements for livestock fodder production by 85%, a critical improvement in such an arid climate."
	Kenya – Push-pull technology Farmer-to-farmer exchanges and field schools to spread push-pull throughout Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania Scientists, together with thousands of Kenyan smallholder farmers, experimented with different approaches to perfect a new low-cost technique of agroecological pest management: push-pull.
	Madagascar - Crop diversification (varietal mixtures), crop fertilization (improved manure) Participatory evaluation of rainfed rice varieties and improved manure The introduction of locally-adapted rice varieties lowered production costs and the risks of crop failure due to climate or disease. As a result, rice production has become more accessible to farmers of varying altitude and socio-economic positions.
	Malawi - Crop diversification, organic fertilization, legume intercropping, plant-based pesticides Participatory approach to spread agroecological practices A participatory approach helped to revalue and share existing agricultural knowledge in farming communities, while encouraging farmer experimentation facilitates the adaption of practices to future social and environmental conditions.
	Niger - Improved fertilization (wood ash and manure), seed balls, crop diversification, legume intercropping, tree planting, crop-tree-livestock Supporting agroecological innovation through participatory research and knowledge and seed dissemination Gender inequity is addressed through equal representation in membership (women make up 52% of FUMA Gaskiya), and targeted participation in research programmes and experimentation. Women notably played an essential role in selecting a millet variety with high potential for pest and drought resistance.
	Nigeria - Crop rotation, mulching and composting, tree-crop integration, crop diversification Revitalizing farmer livelihoods through agroecological management of farms and forests Reforestation efforts with indigenous species improved the local availability of forest products while agroecological farming approaches, applied in combination with improved seed varieties and drip irrigation technology, successfully increased incomes from vegetable production.
	Tanzania - Legume intercropping, livestock and fish farming integration, beekeeping, tree planting, contour ridges and bunds A village territory approach based on a large number of principles of agroecology The project also trained farmers in fish production, further increasing farm-level diversity. Beekeeping and tree planting enhanced biodiversity at the landscape level, increasing both pollinating services and habitat for wild flora and fauna.
	Uganda – Coffee-Banana Intercropping A traditional approach to diversified farming After integrating bananas into coffee fields, women were more motivated to work in the fields, as bananas can be used for household consumption.
	Zimbabwe - Improved crop rotations, companion planting, intercropping, cover crops and composting, integrated pest management, livestock integration The process of building agroecological markets to support farmer livelihoods More farmers sought and received training on agroecological practices and marketing, and formed associations to produce organic horticultural products, certified through the Participatory Guarantee Scheme.