Description
Book SynopsisTillage agriculture has led to widespread soil and ecosystem degradation globally. This is especially so in Africa where traditional and modern tillage-based agricultural practices have become unsustainable due to severe disturbance and exploitation of natural resources, with negative impacts on the environment and rural livelihoods. In addition, agriculture in Africa today faces major challenges including increased costs of production and energy, the effects of climate change, and the lack of an effective paradigm for sustainable intensification, especially for small- and medium-size holdings. Africa is facing a serious challenge to food security and as a continent has not advanced towards eradicating hunger. In addition, the population is still growing much faster than on most other continents. This pressure has led to the emergence of no-till conservation agriculture as a serious alternative sustainable agriculture paradigm. In Africa, in recent years, conservation agriculture techniques and methods have spread to many countries, as greater development, education and research effort are directed towards its extension and uptake. This book is aimed at agricultural researchers and scientists, educationalists, and agricultural service providers, institutional leaders and policy makers working in the fields of sustainable agriculture and international development, and also at agroecologists, conservation scientists, and those working on ecosystem services. This book: · Focuses on research and development initiatives in Africa aimed at building resilient farming systems based on conservation agriculture principles and practices. · Summarises the status of conservation agriculture in Africa today and prospects for its future development in Africa as a basis for sustainable agriculture intensification. · Describes case studies showing the performance of conservation agriculture in Africa.
Table of Contents1: Conservation Agriculture in Africa: An Overview 2: Weather-Proofing Agriculture with Conservation Agriculture 3: Conservation Agriculture: Growing more with less – the future of sustainable intensification 4: Empowering Smallholder Farmers with Profitable and Sustainable Farming using Conservation Agriculture – the Case of East Africa 5: Implementing the Principles of Conservation Agriculture in Malawi: Crop Yields and Factors Affecting Adoption 6: Innovation Systems and farmer perceptions regarding Conservation Agriculture in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique 7: Conservation Agriculture in North Africa: Experiences, Achievements and Challenges 8: How Can We Cover Millions of Hectares with Conservation Agriculture in Africa? 9: Climate-Smart push-pull - A conservation agriculture technology for food security and environmental sustainability in Africa 10: How to Make Conservation Agriculture Ever Green 11: Mechanization of smallholder Conservation Agriculture in Africa: contributing resilience to precarious systems 12: Conservation Agriculture in South Africa: Lessons from Case Studies 13: Extending Conservation Agriculture benefits through Innovation Platforms 14: Summing Up
