Only a small number of 34 research and advocacy initiatives examined in Portugal fully adopt a systemic approach to agroecology. Published in Discover Sustainability in May 2026, the study by Luís Duarte, José Muñoz-Rojas and Lanka Horstink applies the Agroecology Criteria Tool (ACT) to characterize initiatives operating at the intersection of research and sociopolitical action. The authors describe this as the first national-level application of a comparable assessment framework in Portugal, addressing a gap left by earlier mapping exercises.

Results indicate that most initiatives integrate agroecological principles only partially. Projects centred on agroecosystems tend to emphasize ecological dimensions, while initiatives focused on the wider food system more often act as social and institutional facilitators. The analysis suggests that neither group generally addresses the full range of environmental, social, economic and political dimensions associated with systemic agroecological transformation. At the same time, Portugal’s agroecological movement is described as gaining momentum, including through the recent emergence of a national network.

The study also critically examines ACT itself. While the tool offers an accessible framework for assessing projects and portfolios, overlaps between criteria and their organization can limit its capacity to capture relationships and dynamics across initiatives. The authors propose improvements and emphasize the value of transparent, context-sensitive assessment frameworks for generating comparable evidence, informing policy and monitoring agroecological transitions.