ABOUT THE PROJECT
TAPELINE—Transitioning to Agroecology through participatory Learning, Implementation of TAPE Tool, strategizing, 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 operationalizing 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.
THE L-I-N-E PATHWAY
At the center of TAPELINE is the L-I-N-E pathway, a participatory roadmap consisting of four interlinked phases
Learning
Local actors engage in AE training sessions, deepening collective understanding through transdisciplinary dialogue.
Implementing
Partners customize and apply the TAPE tool, gathering evidence through farm surveys and territorial assessments.
Networking & Strategizing
Through Multi-Actor Platforms (MAPs), stakeholders co-develop strategies, prioritize interventions, and design governance models.
Enrolling
Policy actors and external stakeholders are brought into the fold, ensuring adoption, scalability, and continuity of AE transitions.
LIVING LABS
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. A pilot Living Lab will be established in the mountain regions of Cyprus, focusing on revitalising rural communities, strengthening multi-actor collaboration, and testing agroecological interventions on the ground. Based on this pilot, TAPELINE will explore replication of the Living Lab model in the project’s other territories (Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, and Italy), adapting approaches to diverse socio-ecological contexts. 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 innovations tailored to their region. The goal is to empower local actors to drive sustainable change while generating replicable models of territorial agroecological transition.
Click below to learn more about the Living Lab findings.
TAPELINE Territories
TAPELINE operates across five European territories located in Belgium, Switzerland, Cyprus, Germany, and Italy. Each territory represents a distinct socio-ecological landscape with specific farming systems, environmental conditions, and socio-economic contexts. These territories function as real-world laboratories where researchers, farmers, local authorities, and civil society collaborate to explore practical pathways for the transition toward agroecology.
By comparing experiences across territories, TAPELINE generates shared knowledge on how agroecological practices can be implemented at landscape level. The insights emerging from these territories contribute to the development of strategies, tools, and guidelines that can support the wider adoption of agroecology across European agrifood systems.
