Genowefa Blundo-Canto, Daniel Kangogo, Jean-Christophe Castella, Estelle Biénabe, Dimas Fauzi, Alexander Van Der Meer Simo
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Agroecological practices are largely recognized as one way of engaging social actors in the co-design and transformation of food systems towards sustainability. Such comprehensive approaches are difficult to evaluate using conventional metrics of agronomic and economic performance, which are only partial judges of the changes they enable. Holistic evaluation frameworks are essential to capture the multidimensional impacts of agroecology and provide evidence for informed decision-making. Identifying methodological gaps remains critical for framework improvement. While systematic reviews on agroecology impacts exist for other regions, Southeast Asia lacks such analysis despite its agricultural importance and unique characteristics. This knowledge gap potentially undermines the effectiveness of agroecological initiatives across Southeast Asia’s diverse agricultural landscapes. In response to this gap, we carried out the first systematic literature review on this topic in Southeast Asia. Our review included 97 papers across diverse disciplines. More than a third of the studies were conducted in Indonesia, with agroforestry accounting for half of the reviewed papers. Comparative land use studies and field experiments each constituted one-third of the research records, with both approaches focused on the plot level. Quasi-experimental evaluations represented merely 5% of the total studies. Half of the studies analyzed impacts of agroecological practices on income, followed by biodiversity and yield; very few assessed socio-cultural indicators. Overall, positive impacts of agroecology were reported, focusing on biodiversity, input efficiency, and soil health. The few studies on integrated crop-livestock farming assessed more diverse impacts, including social values and diets. Key methodological gaps in the holistic evaluation of agroecology in Southeast Asia emerge from this review. Research limitations include predominant plot-level focus, insufficient methodological integration of evaluation approaches, and critically neglected social and cultural dimensions. Additionally, a contextualized definition of agroecology developed and embedded in Southeast Asia farming systems is needed to guide adequate characterization, evaluation and policy formulation.
期刊介绍:
Agronomy for Sustainable Development (ASD) is a peer-reviewed scientific journal of international scope, dedicated to publishing original research articles, review articles, and meta-analyses aimed at improving sustainability in agricultural and food systems. The journal serves as a bridge between agronomy, cropping, and farming system research and various other disciplines including ecology, genetics, economics, and social sciences.
ASD encourages studies in agroecology, participatory research, and interdisciplinary approaches, with a focus on systems thinking applied at different scales from field to global levels.
Research articles published in ASD should present significant scientific advancements compared to existing knowledge, within an international context. Review articles should critically evaluate emerging topics, and opinion papers may also be submitted as reviews. Meta-analysis articles should provide clear contributions to resolving widely debated scientific questions.