Agroecology integrates science, social movements, and agricultural practices, playing a central role in the sustainability of food systems. It addresses agroecosystems and food systems holistically; however, defining whether a farm is agroecological remains a challenge. This article proposes a methodology to measure farms’ agroecological performance, adapted to the family farming context in Portugal. The aim of the developed methodology is to compare the agroecological performance of family farms (conventional and non-conventional), providing information about anchors for agroecological transition and supporting public policies. A literature review identified existing farm evaluation methodologies, with Tool for Agroecological Performance Evaluation (TAPE) and Agroecology Criteria Tool (ACT) scoring highest in an assessment process. Questions from both were integrated into a questionnaire for family farmers. This field work provided critical insights towards the methodologies: (1) territorial adaptability; (2) transition constraints’ origin; and (3) use of non-academic language. The results were incorporated into the developed methodology, which combines the TAPE indicator matrix and Gliessman’s five levels of food system change, the latter of which provides the framework for the ACT. This study made it possible to identify the most relevant aspects for characterizing family farmers/farms and the importance of how the evaluation criteria/indicators are ordered by element/theme, as it alters the values of each farm’s agroecological performance.

The agroecological transition of family farms in Portugal poses a significant challenge within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the European Green Deal. Despite their multifunctional contributions to rural territories, family farms—particularly smallholders—remain structurally disadvantaged by policy frameworks that continue to favor large-scale, high-input agricultural models. This study demonstrates that aligning family farming with agroecological principles yields tangible benefits and requires support through differentiated, typology-sensitive public policies. Using a tailored methodology, data were collected from 40 farms initially classified as conventional or agroecological. Ward’s hierarchical clustering, supported by complementary significance tests, identified three distinct farmer typologies: conventional, proto-agroecological, and agroecological. These typologies reflect meaningful differences in ecological integration, systemic thinking, and social engagement. The findings highlight the need for targeted policy frameworks that recognize farm diversity and promote multiple pathways toward agroecology. This typology-based approach provides an empirically grounded foundation for designing more inclusive and context-responsive institutional support for family farmers in Portugal.

Resource-oriented sanitation (ROS) is increasingly discussed as an innovative approach for circular resource use, yet its cross-sectoral sustainability implications are rarely assessed at the level of specific Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets. An expert-based scoring approach adapted from Nilsson et al. (2016) was applied within the Austrian UniNEtZ project to assess interactions between ROS and 123 SDG targets. The analysis identified 42 non-neutral interactions, particularly related to water management, nutrient cycling, food production, resource efficiency, health, innovation, and governance. ROS has the potential to improve water quality and reduce pollution loads through direct sanitation pathways as well as indirect effects linked to the reuse of reclaimed water and nutrients, with decentralised and nature-based solutions representing important implementation pathways. The identified interactions were contextualised through a food-system perspective to examine cross-sectoral pathways relevant for integrated governance and policy-relevant sustainability assessment in infrastructure-mature contexts.