Agroecological transition assessment frameworks: a critical scoping review

As the limitations of conventional agriculture become increasingly evident—ranging from environmental degradation to social inequity—the agroecological transition (AET) has emerged as an alternative and transformative pathway toward sustainable food systems. However, evaluating whether the AET achieves this objective remains methodologically challenging due to its complex, multi-dimensional nature. This scoping review analyzes 28 assessment frameworks—comprising both agroecology-specific frameworks and broader agricultural sustainability frameworks that incorporate agroecological principles—identified through a systematic PRISMA-ScR-guided search. Our analysis identified four key analytical dimensions for evaluating the frameworks, emerging inductively from the literature and empirical practice: (1) interactions between sustainability components and indicators, (2) stakeholder interactions, (3) learning produced by interactions, and (4) the participation and adaptability in the evaluation process. While many frameworks position themselves on one or more of the four analytical dimensions, only six ( Dendoncker, FoPIA-SURE-Farm, MESMIS, MMF, TAPE , and Tata-Box ) fully integrate the four of them. The majority of frameworks remain rooted in top-down, expert-led approaches, with limited capacity for participatory adaptation or facilitation of transformative learning. The findings underscore the need for more integrated, inclusive, and iterative frameworks that not only assess agroecological systems but also accompany and support the co-construction of transition pathways. Such frameworks are essential to address the systemic, contextual, and political dimensions of agroecological change. For the future, hybrid and modular designs are suggested to benefit from complementary strengths of existing frameworks and non-negotiable four design principles are defined for next generation of AET assessments.