Agroecological transition potential of smallholder avocado systems in the Colombian tropical Andes: an index-based approach

Abstract

[EN] The Tropical Andes, one of the most biodiverse and ecologically sensitive regions globally, faces critical sustainability challenges driven by the rapid expansion of high-value crops such as Hass avocado. In northern Tolima, Colombia, smallholder avocado farmers have been systematically exposed to agroecological practices through the 'Tropical Agriculture (AT)' program promoted by the Horticultural Association of Colombia (Asohofrucol), providing a documented context in which evaluate the degree of agroecological transition. This study applies a Socio-Ecological Systems (SES) framework to quantitatively evaluate the status of agroecological adoption and the socio-ecological factors that facilitate or constrain it among 60 small-scale avocado farmers. We developed two complementary indices: the Socio-Ecological Sustainability Index (SESI, range 0-4), which evaluates sustainability across governance, resource management, production systems, and social interaction dimensions, and the Agroecological Practices Index (API, range 0-1), which evaluates the adoption status of 18 specific AT practices across three domains (Plant Nutrition, Soil Protection, Biodiversity Protection). The API is applied as an evaluative tool-measuring adoption of practices farmers have been trained in-rather than as a prescriptive benchmark. Results show a moderate SESI score of 2.11; governance scored highest (0.63), reflecting secure land tenure for 83% of farmers and high associativity, while the Resource Systems dimension scored lowest (0.39), indicating limited integration of ecosystem services. The average API score of 0.38 reveals highest adoption in Soil Protection (60%) and lowest in Plant Nutrition (24%), with practice-specific barriers linked to input access and technical knowledge. Notably, only 43.3% of farmers intend to continue avocado cultivation, and plantations average 5.2 years of age, indicating that price volatility threatens established productive investments. These findings underscore the need for stable market mechanisms, differentiated technical support, and integrated policies that align smallholder productivity with ecological stewardship in ecologically sensitive Andean landscapes