Agroecology is a holistic approach to agriculture that integrates ecological principles into farming
practices, promoting sustainable food production, biodiversity conservation, and resilient
livelihoods (Jones et al. 2024). The Agroecology Initiative (AEI) is a transdisciplinary, participatory,
and action-oriented approach aimed at enhancing food system resilience, equity, and
sustainability. The AEI aims to develop and scale agroecological innovations with small-scale farmers
and other agricultural and food system actors across different social-ecological contexts in eight lowand middle- income countries (CGIAR 2025).
The AEI is structured into 5 work packages (WPs), each addressing a different aspect of agroecology.
These include: WP1) co-creating innovations in a network of Agroecological Living Landscapes
(ALLs) (i.e., regions within a larger administrative boundary with established agroecological based
farming techniques) (REF), WP2) conducting evidence-based assessments of agroecological
performance, WP3) developing inclusive business models focusing on agroecological principles,
WP4) working on policy and governance to promote coherent policies and institutional changes
conducive to an agroecological transition, and WP5) working on understanding and influencing
agency behaviour change. Together, these WPs provide a comprehensive overview of agroecology
and its performance, addressing both immediate requirements and steps required for long-term
sustainability. The WPs also help visualize and support a transition to more sustainable agricultural
practices.
This report presents results from WP2. Specifically, this includes an evidence-based assessment of
agroecology performance in Attapeu ALL. This utilises the Holistic Localised Performance
Assessment (HOLPA) tool for household surveys, developed by Jones et al. (2024). The HOLPA tool
measures the multidimensional performance of agroecological fields, farms, and landscapes to
provide an evidence-based understanding of future management and sustainability requirements
to support a transition to agroecology.
