Conservation agriculture conservation farming unit. Conservation agriculture ca research papers academia. Yet many people intimately involved with worldwide food production have been slow to recognize its many advantages and consider it to be a viable alternative to conventional agricultural practices that are having obvious negative impact on the environment. Nov 24, 2016 conservation agriculture namibia can is a namibian nongovernmental organization ngo that was formed for the purpose of increasing agricultural production in namibia. Conservation agriculture a manual for farmers and extension workers in africa conservation agriculture holds special promise for africa, where farming communities face the problems. Amir kassam, food and agriculture organization of the united nations, italy and university of reading, uk, saidi mkomwa, african conservation tillage act, nairobi, theodor friedrich, food and agriculture organization of the united nations, cuba. Comprehensive conservation agriculture programme for namibia. Mechanization of conservation agriculture in zambia. Conservation is a cornerstone of the namibian experience. Both socioeconomic and biophysical data were collected through household facetoface interviews from 40 households located in.
Conservation agriculture is the integration of ecological management with modern, scientific, agricultural production. Conservation agriculture is promoted to increase crop production and environmental sustainability. Conservation policy, the new agriculture extension policy, the research master plan, the hiv and aids policy for the agricultural sector, the livestock development policy. Farming with conservation agriculture in kenya duration. It is a vision that will take namibia from the present into the future. Fao conservation agriculture training resource manual for farmers in. Conservation agriculture systems utilize soils for the production of crops with the aim of reducing excessive mixing of the soil and maintaining crop residues on the soil surface in order to minimize damage to the environment.
Conservation agriculture an overview sciencedirect topics. Conservation agriculture 5wcca came back satisfied with not only the visibility created for act but also the commitment made by the subsaharan congress participants to lobby for the adoption of ca at a wider scale in africa. An essential component for act is building the capacity of frontline agricultural extension and research staff in conservation agriculture. As part of noregret strategies, practices that sequester soil c help reduce soil erosion and improve water quality and are consistent with more sustainable and less chemically dependent agriculture. Can director colin nott is also an hmi certified educator and has been working in the field of conservation agriculture for years as part of his efforts to holistically improve rangeland and communal. It enhances biodiversity and natural biological processes above and below the ground surface, which contribute to increased water and nutrient use efficiency and to improved and sustained crop production. Natural resources, especially water and soil, are essential for the function and structure of agricultural production systems and for the overall social and environmental sustainability.
Conservancies, community forests and other community conservation initiatives create the necessary legal framework for this. Conservation agriculture for africa building resilient farming systems in a changing climate. Facilitating conservation agriculture in namibia through understanding farmers planned. More recently, it has become widely promoted and adopted in latin america. Community conservation is about managing natural resources sustainably to generate returns for rural people. Conservation agriculture in namibia holistic management.
Pdf perception of farmers on conservation agriculture. Conservation agriculture offers an opportunity for all farmers in all regions of zimbabwe to improve yields and income, food security and. Conservation agriculture ca can be defined by a statement given by the food and agriculture organization of the united nations as a concept for resourcesaving agricultural crop production that strives to achieve acceptable profits together with high and sustained production levels while concurrently conserving the environment fao 2007. Farming also contributes to water pollution from nutrient and pesticide runoff and soil erosion. Ca has proven potential to improve crop yields, while improving the longterm environmental and financial sustainability of farming. Conservation agriculture abides by these principles to keep the soil together as a living ecosystem that enables food production and helps redress climate change. Perception of farmers on conservation agriculture for climate. Conservation agriculture food and agriculture organization. The adoption of successful conservation agriculture methods has resulted in energy savings, higher organic matter content and biotic activity in. Conservation agriculture namibia can is a namibian nongovernmental organization ngo that was formed for the purpose of increasing agricultural production in namibia.
The conservation farming unit works to provide small and medium scale farmers with the supporting environment, knowledge and practical experience to help them successfully adopt conservation farming and conservation agriculture practices. About icrisat the international crops research institute for the semiarid tropics icrisat is a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization. Conservation agriculture holds special promise for africa, where farming communities face the problems of low yields, impoverished soils, lack of capital, and labour shortages brought on by the scourge of aids. When practised to a high standard it can significantly boost production, and improve the food security and livelihoods of farming households. The namibia nature foundation is namibia s leading conservation and sustainable development organisation. But given the prevalence of annual cropping around the world, those tons.
Subsistence agriculture in northern namibia has been unable to feed the population due to outdated agricultural techniques and erratic rainfall patterns. It is proposed to be a solution for the problem of poor agricultural yields and soil degradation. In africa, however, adoption rates by smallscale farmers has been slower and more context specific fao 2009 1. Conservation agriculture versus traditional agriculture techniques. Advances in knowledge volume 30 issue 4 christian thierfelder, leonard rusinamhodzi, amos r. By supporting the spread of conservation agriculture in namibia, not only are usaid and partners improving soil conditions, rainwater retention, and agricultural yields and income for farmers, they are also helping to mitigate the. Dec 15, 2015 namibia specific conservation agriculture conservation agriculture namibia c. The united states department of agriculture has a rich tradition of working with farmers and ranchers to enhance agricultural productivity and environmental protection. Conservation agriculture is a sustainable production model that not only optimizes crop yields, but also reaps economic and environmental benefits as well. Conservation agriculture ca is defined as a sustainable agriculture production system comprising a set of farming practices adapted to the requirements of crops and local conditions of each region, whose farming and soil management techniques protect the soil from erosion and degradation, improve its quality and biodiversity, and contribute to the preservation of the natural resources, water. Conservation agriculture and smallholder farming in africa.
Conservation agriculture conservation agriculture standards minimum operational and technology requirements for implementing ca in namibia. Agriculture accounts for roughly 70% of total freshwater withdrawals globally. Pdf perception of farmers on conservation agriculture for. Conservation of plant genetic resources is relatively new to namibia.
Overview of conservation agriculture 10 conservation agriculture and farming technology 10 purpose of the report 12 methodology and approach 14 ii. The national agricultural policy promoting agricultural productivity for national food security and economic growth and development through value chain development. Figure 1 conservation agriculture in action in zimbabwe. Namibia vision 2030 presents a clear view of where we are, where we want to go from here, and over what time frame. Fund of namibia, which provides financial and technical support to activities conserving and sustainably utilizing the countrys biodiversity.
Namibia environmental and climate change policy brief 4 june, 2008 this policy brief was carried out as a desk study in april to may 2008. Namibias conservation efforts have helped increase wildlife populationsparticularly large animals such as elephants and predators like cheetahs. Devolution as a tool for the legal empowerment of the poor by karol c. Jul, 2016 a video created by sangeun bae and nicole lee in partnership with the giz, detailing the benefits and challenges associated with conservation agriculture implementation in northern namibia. Conservation agriculture is generally a winwin situation for both farmers and the environment. Dec 14, 2015 a new study, gender and conservation agriculture in east and southern africa. Namibia environmental and climate change policy brief. Which principles of conservation agriculture contribute to the desired effects. It is a way to improve the livelihoods of millions of people and achieve sustainable. Numerous environmental benefits may result from agricultural activities that sequester soil c and contribute to environmental security. Conservation agriculture should help you grow more, and will produce a greater variety of crops. Conservation agriculture ca is an alternative landuse system reconciling economic viability, social balance, soil fertility restoration, and environmental conservation as well as climate change. Namibia was the first african country to incorporate protection of the environment into its constitution, and the government has reinforced this by giving its communities the opportunity and rights to manage.
Giz conservation agriculture technical guide for technicians. Pdf traditional cultivation methods in namibia are characterised by cultivating the same type of crops persistently on the same piece of land. Conservation agriculture goes green and yellow the. A largescale push for the adoption of conservation agriculture practices began in early 2012, with commencement of the usaidfunded namibia conservation agriculture project ncap, which is. Conservation tillage cover crops planting of closegrowing crops usually annual legumes, mainly to protect the soil, between perennials, or in the period between seasons for annual crops. Assessment of the effects of conservation practices on. Conservation agriculture employs all modern technologies that enhance the quality and ecological integrity of the soil, but the application of these is. Garth dedicated his adult life to doing conservation in a way that respects and honours the rights of the people who live with wildlife. Conservation agriculture is seen as an ideal system for sustainable and climatesmart agricultural intensification, through which farmers can attain higher levels of productivity and profitability while improving soil health and the environment. Thanks to conservation agriculture, maria has to do less work, her yields have gone up, and she has become an independent, confident member of the community. Conservation agriculture 1 was introduced by the fao 2008b as a concept for resourceefficient agricultural crop production based on an integrated management of soil, water and biological resources combined with external inputs.
Conservation agriculture ca is a set of soil management practices that minimize the disruption of the soils structure, composition and natural biodiversity. Promotes conservation of marine ecosystems and the responsible utilization, conservation, protection and promotion of marine resources on a sustainable basis. Facilitating conservation agriculture in namibia through understanding. In an effort to increase the adoption of climate adapted farming methods, the namibian government launched the comprehensive conservation agriculture programme 20152019 in 2015. Namibia was the first african country to incorporate protection of the environment into its constitution, and the government has reinforced this by giving its communities the opportunity and rights to manage their wildlife through communal conservancies. Agriculture in namibia is based mainly on livestock farming.
Conservation agriculture sequesters a relatively small amount of carbonan average of half a ton per acre. Handbook of conservation agriculture twovolume set 1st. Integrated rural development and nature conservation. Conservation agriculture is a farming system that promotes minimum soil disturbance i. As these populations grow and their ranges expand, they come into more frequent contact with communities. Conservation agriculture farmer innovation programme. Without improved efficiency measures, agricultural water consumption is expected to rise by about 20% globally by 2050. It was a miracle, she says, i will practise conservation agriculture forever.
Facilitating conservation agriculture in namibia through. Conservation agriculture aims to boost agricultural production by optimising the use of farm resources and helping to reduce widespread land degradation through the integrated management of available soil, water and biological resources combined with external inputs. Namibia specific conservation agriculture conservation. Conservation pioneer hugh hammond bennett worked tirelessly to establish a nationwide soil conservation service along witha system of soil and water conservation districts. Conservation agriculture and sustainable crop intensification fao. Namibian national farmers union 2008, only 2% of namibias land receives sufficient rainfall for growing crops. Amongst other things, the gef guidelines describe when and how the gef. Conservation agriculture enables crops to use the nutrients in the soil more effectively. Conservation agriculture, based on notill, the permanent cover of soil surface by crops and their harvest residues and crop rotation, is an efficient system to protect the soil against erosion and to improve som lal, 2015.
Perception of farmers on conservation agriculture for. Conservation agriculture manual for implementation prepared by martin moyo 10120 this manual was created for the swade sustainable land management project with support from. The project assists communal farmers in northern namibia to implement conservation agriculture, as a response to climate change and declining land productivity. Conservation agriculture is an appropriate technology that can address some of the underlying crop management problems facing farming in the sub region. Minimum operational and technology requirements for implementing ca in.
Conservation agriculture 15 global perspective 15 conservation agriculture in subsaharan africa 16 conservation agriculture in east and southern africa 17 iii. Mechanization of smallholder conservation agriculture in zambia. Handbook of conservation agriculture twovolume set. Conservation agriculture has already contributed to the sustainable intensification of agriculture in several developed and developing regions of the world by improving. It enhances biodiversity and natural biological processes above and below the ground surface, which contribute to increased water and nutrient use efficiency and to. This study assessed the knowledge level of farmers on conservation agriculture and the household factors,which influence farmers to take up conservation agriculture in the omusati region of namibia. Will you be able to harvest these crops, dry them, and store them in your grain store. However, a novel conservation agriculture ca technique has been developed and introduced in namibia which significantly boosts yields and stabilises them against droughts and floods. Overview of the global spread of conservation agriculture. Food and agriculture organization of the united nations 6,358 views. The main focus of conservation agriculture has been on high management levels and good extension work, optimising all resources through best land and field practices. Conservation agriculture ca is a production system based on the principles of minimum mechanical soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotation. Madagascar, mozambique, south africa, namibia, zambia. Namibia s conservation efforts have helped increase wildlife populationsparticularly large animals such as elephants and predators like cheetahs.
Conservation agriculture ca climatesmart agriculture. The nnf promotes sustainable development, the conservation of biological diversity and natural ecosystems as well as the wise and ethical use of natural resources for the benefit of all namibians both present and future. Conservation agriculture ca was introduced in the 1930s as a soil conservation system to counter the dust bowl in the united states. The principles of conservation agriculture conservation agriculture takes advantage of natural ecological processes to conserve moisture, enhance soil fertility, and improve soil structure, and to reduce soil erosion and the presence of diseases and pests. Overview of the worldwide spread of conservation agriculture. Namibias giraffe giraffe conservation foundation gcf is dedicated to securing a future for all giraffe populations in the wild. The training contributes in the development and promotion of conservation. Manual on measures on improved food availability through pro motion of. The importance of conservation agriculture ca research and cassava production for food security in recent years, the mechanisation division of the agricultural research council institute for agricultural engineering arciae has focused its research efforts on specific areas. Conflict with wildlife remains a concern where agriculture shares land with wildlife. In turn, factors influencing the adoption of conservation agriculture. Conservation agriculture goes green and yellow the namibian. Gcf is the only charity in the world that concentrates solely on the conservation of this most quintessential of africas megaherbivores and its habitat. View conservation agriculture ca research papers on academia.
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