The workshop "LUME Method: economic and ecological analysis of agro-ecosystems" took place in Montecarlo, Misiones (Argentina) last 16-18 of July. LUME method is a conceptual and methodological proposal developed by the Brazilian NGO AS-PTA and is aimed at leaders of several countries in the region linked to the Latin American Agroecological Movement (MAELA). The workshop consisted of the presentation of the LUME Method, its theoretical foundations and modeling tools for agro-ecosystems, as well as a practical field test in collaboration with agroecological producers in the area.

Dulclair Sternadt, FAO Partnership Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean, participated in the workshop. "The event is in line with the generation of evidence on the performance of agroecology and also offers the possibility of having tools and knowledge to support governments in decision making on public policies," she commented.

Participants emphasized the need of a broad, consensus based analytical framework that includes variables, parameters and criteria to encompass environmental sustainability, resilience, autonomy and responsibility and that is based on trust among the people involved in family farming. The LUME method was highly valued by the leaders of MAELA, who were introduced to the theoretical and conceptual framework. They could also carry out field tests to subsequently evaluate the economic-ecological performance of agro-ecosystems.

The good reception of this method by the participants showcases that it is possible to have a method that:

1. highlight indicators linked to the 10 principles of agroecology used by FAO;
2. provides quantitative and qualitative data on the contributions of agroecology to various indicators of the SDGs;
3. can be widely used in other regions of the world and by various actors, not only high-level academics.

For further information on the method LUME, you can read this report.