Tools
Your toolbox to better understand agroecology applied in practice and to assess your project, farm or enterprise
Over the past few years, we have worked on different tools to assess the alignment of initiatives, farms and enterprises with agroecology and to develop methodologies that enhance the understanding of what it means to be agroecological.
Have a look at our tools selection below and try them!
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
How agroecological is a project, initiative or policy? (ACT)
To assess your project, initiative or policy, please use the Agroecological Criteria Tool, first developed for the Money Flows Report, to identify agroecological research projects. The tool is based on the 10+ elements of Agroecology by FAO and follows the analytical framework by Gliessman on the 5 levels of food system change.
How agroecological is a farm? (F-ACT)
To be able to better apply the ACT and make it directly relevant to assess farms, together with Edd Colbert we have developed the Farm Level Agroecology Criteria Tool (F-ACT). The F-ACT is based on the 13 principles of Agroecology and enables farmers to assess their farms and understand how they can make their farms more sustainable, resilient and equitable.
How agroecological is an enterprise? (B-ACT)
With our new stream of work focusing on agroecological enterprises, we have further developed the ACT into the Business Agroecological Criteria Tool. The B-ACT allows you to assess and identify inspiring and promising agroecological enterprises that contribute to sustainable food systems. Among other elements the B-ACT measures the alignment of an enterprise with the 13 agroecological principles, highlights the contribution towards the SDGs or identifies practices which are incompatible with the agroecological principles.
Agroecology Check for Enterprises (ACE)
As the B-ACT is a very extensive tool, which requires time to fill in, we have developed a short assessment, which will allow people to screen a larger number of enterprises and to understand if there is indication that a given enterprise is agroecological.
Agroecology Investment Guide
For all donors and investors who have questions around why and how to invest in agroecological enterprises, we and our partners have developed a comprehensive and dynamic tool set out to share the latest evidence and information around investing in agroecological enterprises. The guide also presents inspiring agroecological enterprises and innovative financing mechanisms to facilitate food systems transformations.