TAPELINE (TAPELINE) 01.05.2025 - 31.03.2028

Current food systems often operate within fragmented, input-intensive models that underdeliver on climate resilience, biodiversity, and rural vitality. While AE principles provide a robust, ecologically sound alternative, their implementation at scale is hindered by limited tools for evaluation and systemic planning. TAPELINE – Transitioning to Agroecology through participatory Learning, Implementation of TAPE Tool, strategising, Networking, and Enrolling – is an ambitious European Project aimed at transforming territorial agri-food systems through participatory, data-driven agroecological practices.

The project’s central objective is to accelerate the adoption of agroecology (AE) at both farm and landscape levels by operationalising the FAO’s Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) across five European countries-Belgium, Switzerland, Cyprus, Germany, and Italy. TAPELINE addresses the persistent gap between agroecological research and practical, systemic application by anchoring its activities in local contexts through Living Labs, stakeholder-driven co-learning, and strategic governance.

At the heart of TAPELINE is the L-I-N-E pathway-a participatory roadmap consisting of four interlinked phases:

Learning by engaging local actors in AE training sessions, deepening collective understanding through transdisciplinary dialogue.

Implementing by customising and applying the TAPE tool, gathering evidence through farm surveys and territorial assessments.

Networking & Strategizing through Multi-Actor Platforms (MAPs), where stakeholders co-develop strategies, prioritise interventions, and design governance models.

Enrolling by bringing policy actors and external stakeholders into the fold, ensuring adoption, scalability, and continuity of AE transitions.

The TAPELINE project integrates Living Labs as dynamic, participatory environments where agroecological principles are tested, co-developed, and adapted in real-world territorial settings. These labs serve as open spaces for experimentation, learning, and stakeholder collaboration, bridging the gap between research, policy, and local practice.

Each Living Lab brings together farmers, researchers, civil society actors, and policymakers to collectively evaluate current farming systems using the TAPE tool, design transition strategies, and pilot agroecological interventions adapted to their region.