This project is based on a diagnosis co-constructed by researchers from Agropolis research community (Cirad, IRD) and partners from Niger (researchers and farmers’ organization representatives). This diagnosis highlighted the key shortcomings to efficient agroecological transition in the Sahelian contexts. A shared analysis of farmers’ contexts in Niger (characterized by severe food security and environmental challenges) and a review of participatory research projects implementing agroecology principles (CCRP McKnight Niger’s Agroecological Hub, SFR Racines, AFD funded projects on sustainable forest management…) revealed a need to reinforce the synergy between the initiatives in order to achieve a more integrative approach of agroecology. Despite the success of each of the projects in the implementation of specific agroecology principles corresponding to its thematic focus, the implementation of agroecology principles (crop and agrosystem diversity, recycling, circular economy, reduction of external inputs, social and cultural aspects, resilience, efficiency...) appeared fragmented. Disciplinary partitioning between researchers and lack of methodology for knowledge and experience integration between academic and non-academic actors are among the key obstacles to this integrative 3 approach of agroecology. The setting of value chains based on single agrosystems components (crop species, trees, animals...) do not also fit the reality and complexity of the resilience of farmers and agrosystems in Sahelian context. The ambition of the current project is to tackle these methodological challenges to build the bases for the development of an integrative approach of the agroecology. We hypothesized that: H1) The use of the principles of agroecology (as defined by FAO) as media for collaborative work will enhance the methodological capacity of co-creation (knowledge and innovation) for the co-designing of more integrated agroecological systems; H2) The diversity of academic and nonacademic actors interests, knowledge and empirical experiences could be better valorized through collective intelligence methods to develop more innovative and more consistent agroecological systems; 3) The design of integrated value chains embedded in agroecology and valorizing the agrobiodiversity and the local resources at farm leves (considering diverse crops, animals and trees as weel as circular economy processes) will create and/or conciliate the economic, environmental and social values in an interdependent way. The project will be implemented in France (methodological framework development) and Niger (co-conception and co-learning with local partners in two villages included in the areas of overlapp/potential synergy of collaborative projects implementing agroecology principles.