Le guide méthodologique fournit un aperçu des analyses économiques et environnementales les plus récentes, répondant au besoin de ProSol et pertinents pour des contextes de développement plus larges. Il explique les méthodologies proposées, leurs indicateurs et résultats clés ainsi que les besoins en données et fournit des informations sur le contexte d’application. Le guide comprend également des conseils et des astuces sur ce qu’il faut prendre en compte avant d’entreprendre une étude. Des idées pratiques sur la façon d’impliquer les parties prenantes concernées dans les différentes étapes d’une analyse permettent d’adapter les études aux besoins du groupe cible et d’assurer que les résultats sont utiles aux parties prenantes. Grâce à ce produit, les collègues des pays partenaires de ProSol devraient être en mesure d’identifier leurs principales questions de recherche et le but de telles analyses, et de formuler à l’avance le type de résultats qu’ils souhaiteraient obtenir. Ils devraient avoir une compréhension de base des méthodologies d’analyse économique et écologique existantes et savoir quelle méthodologie pourrait convenir à leurs besoins spécifiques. Ils devraient se sentir en mesure de monter un dossier d’analyse et lancer un appel d’offres et sélectionner un partenaire de recherche compétent pour éventuellement se lancer dans une étude personnalisée.

Since 2015, ProSoil has been empowering communities to address environmental and food-security challenges by implementing interventions, such as agroforestry, conservation agriculture, soil and water management, integrated pest management, and policy advice. Through effective collaboration with smallholder farmers, experts and decision makers, ProSoil has fostered a landscape transition towards sustainable farming practices. TAPE results from 120 farms that actively participated in ProSoil activities were compared with 120 farms that had not participated in ProSoil activities. To specifically assess the contribution of agroecology to improved soil health within ProSoil farms, as opposed to the comparison farms, TAPE was complemented with the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF) methodology to gain more detailed insights into the contribution of agroecological integration to physiochemical soil characteristics.

Environmental deterioration, ill health, and premature mortality are interrelated, and all are significantly influenced by global food systems. Currently, there is growing interest in switching to a sustainable system that ensures the production of diversified food products while ensuring the regenerative use of natural resources and addressing societal needs. Agroecology – a transdisciplinary approach simultaneously applying ecological and social concepts and promoting sustainable agriculture and food systems – addresses these needs and has therefore received global attention. In widely promoting agroecology, there is also a need to assess its level of integration and effectiveness. To this end, the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) – a global analytical framework developed with contributions from numerous international organizations and with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) serving as the host – is widely employed to assess the multidimensional performance of agroecology and to generate evidence.

Snapshot of content in technology profiles as related to potential for sustainable intensification, enhanced profitability, emission reduction, and policy mechanisms to promote access and use.

As agroecology is increasingly viewed as a promising approach to render agricultural and food systems more sustainable, there is growing interest in assessing both the level of agroecological integration and the contribution of agroecology to achieving societal goals. To address both points of interest, the FAO’s Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) was applied in the context of the Global Programme “Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security” (ProSoil) in three Kenyan counties (Bungoma, Kakamega and Siaya). Since 2015, ProSoil has been building community capacity to implement agroecological farming practices. The application of TAPE aimed at assessing the degree to which ProSoil’s interventions contributed to agroecological transitions among beneficiary households, and how the degree of agroecological integration correlates with multidimensional performance. TAPE results from 101 farms that have actively participated in ProSoil activities were compared with 100 farms that had not actively participated in ProSoil activities, serving as a comparison group. These comparison farms were selected from households targeted for the DeSIRA (EU initiative “Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture”) project “Enhancing soils and agroecology for resilient agri-food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa” (ProSilience), co-funded by the EU and BMZ and embedded within ProSoil.

Cette compilation de données économiques examine les études et les rapports sur les activités de ProSol qui ont été menées entre 2014 et 2023, dont beaucoup ont été réalisées en partenariat avec l’Initiative sur l’économie de la dégradation des terres (ELD) (www.eld-initiative.org). Elles ont été analysées en fonction de leurs avantages sociaux, environnementaux et économiques.

Agroecology is an integrated and holistic approach to sustainable agricultural and food systems, from production to consumption. It is pursued in three dimensions: science, agricultural practices, and a social movement. The 13 agroecological principles of the HLPE (2019) provide guidance for its implementation.

This compilation consists of ten selected SLM practices that contribute to improved soil fertility and enhance soil health for the sustainability of food and agricultural systems.

This toolkit aims to provide nuanced information about key entry points of the six featured technologies within the broader context of ISFM (Figure 3). By compiling up-to-date evidence from research and case studies we discuss the potential benefits for crop production and complementarity with synthetic fertilizer. Critical reflections are made of lessons learned and innovative incentive mechanisms that can help production and use. We also provide examples of how policies and investments can be designed to create practical ways for farmers to access and use technologies that enhance soil health. This toolkit is intended for development organizations and the policy sector to accelerate dissemination and uptake at scale of organic inputs and other amendments with proven ability to maintain and enhance soil health in food production systems of SSA. In light of the Fertilizer and Soil Health Strategy for the next 10 years, the insights provided in this toolkit can aid decision-makers. By assessing the technical aspects and scalability, the toolkit advances understanding to leverage and guide research, commercial investments and policy design. The scope of the assessments in the toolkit includes upland annual and perennial cropping systems such as grains, roots, tubers, and bananas because they represent the largest geographic area and staple food in smallholder systems of SSA.

This guide presents a systematic approach to identify relevant climatic risks and evaluate the effectiveness of SPR technologies regarding these risks as well as the local feasibility of these technologies. The presented methodology strikes a balance between rigor and practicability. The multistakeholder approach and the participatory elements offer opportunities for networking and sensitization of local experts, policy makers, extension officers and most important - farmers themselves. First experiences demonstrate that opening this space allows for fruitful and empowering exchanges.

This compilation of economic evidence looks at the studies and reports about ProSoil activities that were carried out between 2014 to 2023, many in partnership with the Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative (www.eld-initiative.org). They were analysed in terms of their economic, social, environmental and benefits as the compilation sought to answer two key questions:

I. Are agroecological practices economically viable for smallholder farmers?

II. What are the wider economic and social benefits of agroecological practices?

This report examines agricultural extension approaches that integrate farmers' knowledge to accelerate agroecological transitions in Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Madagascar. It assesses how advisory services support sustainable farming, foster knowledge-sharing, and ensure long-term farmer engagement.

Soils worldwide are degrading at an accelerating rate with devastating effects on agricultural productivity and thus food security. Farmers can directly address this challenge by adopting agroecological practices that help maintain or enhance soil fertility over the long term. Evidence from 10 years of implementation of ProSoil shows that these measures not only improve soil fertility but also have a positive economic impact for both farmers and society as a whole. Case studies from ProSoil have been analysed.