Agroecology and Structural Performance of European Tomato Cropping Systems: A TAPE-Informed Cross-Country Analysis

Tomato production is a strategic horticultural sector in Europe, yet it is increasingly exposed to climate variability, input-price volatility, and structural heterogeneity among national production models. This study provides a macro-level, cross-country assessment to benchmark structural performance and derive country typologies of tomato systems in 15 European countries over 2015–2024 using harmonized public statistics on cultivated area, production, and derived yields. A Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE)—informed interpretive lens is used to frame yield level and interannual yield variability as transition-relevant performance signals, while acknowledging that farm- and territory-level TAPE scoring cannot be replicated with aggregated national data. The analysis combines descriptive benchmarking, trend-adjusted yield stability metrics, area–production relationship diagnostics, and multivariate classification (principal component analysis and Ward hierarchical clustering) to identify coherent national performance profiles. Results show pronounced cross-country contrasts and three recurring macro-patterns: (i) high-yield, low-dispersion systems with stable trajectories; (ii) transitional systems with lower yields and broader distributions; and (iii) high-dispersion systems indicating structural or climatic instability. The resulting typology supports differentiated policy discussion on adaptation, modernization priorities, and transition enabling conditions, and highlights the need to link macro-statistics with comparable agroecological indicators at farm and regional scale for stronger inference on transition pathways.