Operationalising agroecological diagnosis of vegetable farms to support co-innovation: The MEDITAE framework

CONTEXT: The transition of farm systems towards agroecology requires an understanding of the ecological processes that support agroecosystem functioning. While co-innovation approaches have successfully supported learning for on-farm sustainability transitions, the diagnostic methods do not capture the ecological processes that underpin the functioning of agroecosystems. OBJECTIVE: We present the MEDITAE framework, co-developed with practitioners to support the characterisation, diagnosis, and agroecological redesign of farm systems based on systemic learning. METHODS: MEDITAE connects socio-ecological processes (nutrient, carbon and water cycling; plant succession and biotic regulation; energy flows; and socio-economic and cultural processes) with management and farm performance. Performance indicators are used to assess agroecosystem functioning, and practice-based indicators assess management practices that may explain performance. We applied MEDITAE to three organic and two conventional case study vegetable farms involved in a co-innovation project in Uruguay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: All farms had a weak performance on nutrient cycling and energy flow processes, providing entry points for farm redesign. Carbon and water cycling achieved good overall performance on two organic farms. The three organic farms demonstrated good overall performance in terms of plant succession and biotic regulation, as well as in socio-economic processes, whereas the conventional farms showed weaker performances. MEDITAE contributed to collective reflections on how socio-ecological processes influenced system performance and how farmers' practices shaped these processes, thereby supporting an agroecological perspective, promoting learning, and empowering farmers to change practices. SIGNIFICANCE: MEDITAE provides a generic framework for the diagnosis phase that connects a systemic farm characterisation to agroecological redesign. Its mechanistic approach facilitates the assessment of policy support for agroecology, strengthens agronomist training, and provides a foundation for inter- and transdisciplinary research.