| Titre : | Linking agroecological performance and water-energy-food-ecosystems nexus indicators: a multi-scale assessment of farming systems in Tunisia (2026) |
| Auteurs : | A. Rhouma ; H. Midouni ; Y. Trifa ; T. Trabelsi ; A. Rebai ; H. Ben Ismail ; H.B. Rahmouni ; S. Turki ; S. Beji ; L. Beltaifa ; N. Attia ; M. Khammassi ; R. Bouchoucha ; M. Chaabane ; G.J. Maria ; J. El Ati |
| Type de document : | Article |
| Dans : | Agricultural systems (vol. 237, August 2026) |
| Article en page(s) : | p. 104786 |
| Langues : | Anglais |
| Langues du résumé : | Anglais |
| Catégories : |
Thésaurus IAMM RESSOURCE EN EAU ; RESSOURCE ENERGETIQUE ; RESSOURCE ALIMENTAIRE ; GESTION DES RESSOURCES HUMAINES ; GESTION DES RESSOURCES NATURELLES ; AGROECOLOGIE ; SYSTEME DE PRODUCTION ; CLIMAT SEMI ARIDE ; ZONE SEMI ARIDE ; TUNISIE |
| Résumé : |
CONTEXT: Agroecology is increasingly recognized as a promising approach for improving the sustainability of farming systems in water-scarce Mediterranean environments. In Tunisia, however, integrated assessments that connect farm practices, landscape ecological structure, and resource-use efficiency remain limited. Examining these interactions is essential for understanding how agroecological performance relates to the management of water, energy, food, and ecosystem resources in semi-arid conditions.
OBJECTIVE: This study assesses agroecological performance in Tunisian farming systems through a multi-scale approach linking farm-level practices, landscape-level ecological structure, and system-level resource-use efficiency, while exploring the relationships among these dimensions. METHODS: The analysis draws on data collected from 508 farms across three contrasting regions of Tunisia-Nabeul, Siliana, and Kairouan-representing diverse agroecological, climatic, and socio-economic conditions. Farm-level practices were evaluated using the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE), while landscape ecological structure was assessed using the Main Agroecological Structure (MAS) index. Resource-use efficiency was measured through a Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus indicator. The study combined structured farm surveys with spatial analysis and applied correlation analysis to examine associations among the different indicators. RESULTS: The results indicate generally low agroecological performance across the surveyed farming systems. The adapted TAPE index averaged 27% +/- 11, with values ranging from 5% to 68%. The MAS index averaged 42.55% +/- 9.87, with values ranging from 13.86% to 65.0%, while the WEFE Nexus index averaged 39.4% +/- 13.8, ranging from 17.8% to 69.7%. These findings indicate low farm-level agroecological performance and moderate landscape ecological structure and resource-use efficiency. Biodiversity-related practices and recycling were relatively widespread, but important limitations persisted in resource-use efficiency, governance, and collective organization. Significant regional differences further highlighted the influence of climatic conditions, farming systems, and resource availability. Positive associations were found between agroecological indicators and the WEFE Nexus index, suggesting that farms with stronger agroecological practices and more structured landscapes tend to use water, energy, and other resources more efficiently. However, these relationships should be interpreted as indicative rather than causal, given the cross-sectional nature of the data. SIGNIFICANCE: This study highlights the value of jointly considering farm management, landscape context, and resource-use efficiency when evaluating agroecological systems, and provides empirical evidence supporting the integration of agroecology and WEFE Nexus approaches in semi-arid farming environments. |
| Cote : | Réservé lecteur CIHEAM |
| URL / DOI : | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104786 |
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