Assessing EU Agri-Food Policy Indicators for Agroecology Support

This policy brief analyzes the extent to which current indicators in four major EU agri-food policies cover 28 agroecology themes grouped into socio-economy, biodiversity, climate change mitigation, and adaptation. The review finds that only 25 of the 28 themes are addressed, with essential indicators considered relevant by practitioners missing or calculated at inappropriate scales. To improve policy effectiveness and transparency, the authors propose adding 16 new indicators—such as detailed emission sources, farm management resilience, temperature regulation, and farmers’ health measures—and revising 6 existing ones. All suggested indicators rely on available data and methods to ensure feasibility and support EU result-based policies aimed at expanding agroecology, enhancing food sovereignty, and reducing dependency on external inputs.