Devolution as a tool for the legal empowerment of the poor by karol c. Conservation agriculture is a farming system that promotes minimum soil disturbance i. Integrated rural development and nature conservation. Perception of farmers on conservation agriculture for. Conservation agriculture abides by these principles to keep the soil together as a living ecosystem that enables food production and helps redress climate change. More recently, it has become widely promoted and adopted in latin america. Both socioeconomic and biophysical data were collected through household facetoface interviews from 40 households located in. Namibia environmental and climate change policy brief. In turn, factors influencing the adoption of conservation agriculture. Conservation agriculture an overview sciencedirect topics. 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. 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. Which principles of conservation agriculture contribute to the desired effects.
Conservation agriculture goes green and yellow the. 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 and sustainable crop intensification fao. It is proposed to be a solution for the problem of poor agricultural yields and soil degradation. But given the prevalence of annual cropping around the world, those tons.
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. Conservation agriculture in namibia holistic management. Namibia specific conservation agriculture conservation. Conservation agriculture namibia can is a namibian nongovernmental organization ngo that was formed for the purpose of increasing agricultural production in namibia. Promotes conservation of marine ecosystems and the responsible utilization, conservation, protection and promotion of marine resources on a sustainable basis. Conservation agriculture ca is a set of soil management practices that minimize the disruption of the soils structure, composition and natural biodiversity. Conservation agriculture is promoted to increase crop production and environmental sustainability. 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. Without improved efficiency measures, agricultural water consumption is expected to rise by about 20% globally by 2050.
It is a way to improve the livelihoods of millions of people and achieve sustainable. Conservation pioneer hugh hammond bennett worked tirelessly to establish a nationwide soil conservation service along witha system of soil and water conservation districts. It enhances biodiversity and natural biological processes above and below the ground surface, which contribute to increased water and nutrient use efficiency and to. 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 ca climatesmart 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. Conservation agriculture versus traditional agriculture techniques. Namibias giraffe giraffe conservation foundation gcf is dedicated to securing a future for all giraffe populations in the wild. It is a vision that will take namibia from the present into the future.
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. 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. The project assists communal farmers in northern namibia to implement conservation agriculture, as a response to climate change and declining land productivity. Conservation agriculture should help you grow more, and will produce a greater variety of crops. Conservation agriculture is an appropriate technology that can address some of the underlying crop management problems facing farming in the sub region. Farming with conservation agriculture in kenya duration. Facilitating conservation agriculture in namibia through. Conservation agriculture a manual for farmers and extension workers in africa conservation agriculture holds special promise for africa, where farming communities face the problems. 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. Conservation agriculture is the integration of ecological management with modern, scientific, agricultural production. In an effort to increase the adoption of climate adapted farming methods, the namibian government launched the comprehensive conservation agriculture programme 20152019 in 2015.
As these populations grow and their ranges expand, they come into more frequent contact with communities. 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. Conservation agriculture ca was introduced in the 1930s as a soil conservation system to counter the dust bowl in the united states. 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 manual for implementation prepared by martin moyo 10120 this manual was created for the swade sustainable land management project with support from.
Figure 1 conservation agriculture in action in zimbabwe. Handbook of conservation agriculture twovolume set 1st. Handbook of conservation agriculture twovolume set. About icrisat the international crops research institute for the semiarid tropics icrisat is a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization. Dec 14, 2015 a new study, gender and conservation agriculture in east and southern africa. Farming also contributes to water pollution from nutrient and pesticide runoff and soil erosion. 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. View conservation agriculture ca research papers on academia. Conservation policy, the new agriculture extension policy, the research master plan, the hiv and aids policy for the agricultural sector, the livestock development policy. Conservancies, community forests and other community conservation initiatives create the necessary legal framework for this. Conservation agriculture 15 global perspective 15 conservation agriculture in subsaharan africa 16 conservation agriculture in east and southern africa 17 iii. Advances in knowledge volume 30 issue 4 christian thierfelder, leonard rusinamhodzi, amos r.
Facilitating conservation agriculture in namibia through understanding. 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 food and agriculture organization. The national agricultural policy promoting agricultural productivity for national food security and economic growth and development through value chain development. Comprehensive conservation agriculture programme for namibia. 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 and smallholder farming in africa.
Minimum operational and technology requirements for implementing ca 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. Madagascar, mozambique, south africa, namibia, zambia. 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. 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. Giz conservation agriculture technical guide for technicians. Conservation agriculture for africa building resilient farming systems in a changing climate. Ca has proven potential to improve crop yields, while improving the longterm environmental and financial sustainability of farming. An essential component for act is building the capacity of frontline agricultural extension and research staff in conservation agriculture. Pdf perception of farmers on conservation agriculture.
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. Mechanization of smallholder conservation agriculture in zambia. 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. 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. 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. Conservation of plant genetic resources is relatively new to namibia. The namibia nature foundation is namibia s leading conservation and sustainable development organisation. Facilitating conservation agriculture in namibia through understanding farmers planned. Conservation agriculture conservation farming unit.
Mechanization of conservation agriculture in zambia. Perception of farmers on conservation agriculture for climate. Garth dedicated his adult life to doing conservation in a way that respects and honours the rights of the people who live with wildlife. Numerous environmental benefits may result from agricultural activities that sequester soil c and contribute to environmental security.
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. 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. Namibia s conservation efforts have helped increase wildlife populationsparticularly large animals such as elephants and predators like cheetahs. Namibias conservation efforts have helped increase wildlife populationsparticularly large animals such as elephants and predators like cheetahs. Conservation agriculture farmer innovation programme. When practised to a high standard it can significantly boost production, and improve the food security and livelihoods of farming households. Conservation agriculture offers an opportunity for all farmers in all regions of zimbabwe to improve yields and income, food security and. The training contributes in the development and promotion of conservation. 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. 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. Conservation agriculture has already contributed to the sustainable intensification of agriculture in several developed and developing regions of the world by improving. Fund of namibia, which provides financial and technical support to activities conserving and sustainably utilizing the countrys biodiversity. 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. Conservation agriculture is a sustainable production model that not only optimizes crop yields, but also reaps economic and environmental benefits as well.
Overview of the global spread of conservation agriculture. Dec 15, 2015 namibia specific conservation agriculture conservation agriculture namibia c. It was a miracle, she says, i will practise conservation agriculture forever. Fao conservation agriculture training resource manual for farmers in. Namibian national farmers union 2008, only 2% of namibias land receives sufficient rainfall for growing crops. 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. Namibia vision 2030 presents a clear view of where we are, where we want to go from here, and over what time frame. 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. 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. Subsistence agriculture in northern namibia has been unable to feed the population due to outdated agricultural techniques and erratic rainfall patterns.
The united states department of agriculture has a rich tradition of working with farmers and ranchers to enhance agricultural productivity and environmental protection. 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 enables crops to use the nutrients in the soil more effectively. 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. Conservation agriculture employs all modern technologies that enhance the quality and ecological integrity of the soil, but the application of these is. Conservation agriculture ca research papers academia. Pdf traditional cultivation methods in namibia are characterised by cultivating the same type of crops persistently on the same piece of land. The adoption of successful conservation agriculture methods has resulted in energy savings, higher organic matter content and biotic activity in. In africa, however, adoption rates by smallscale farmers has been slower and more context specific fao 2009 1. Conservation agriculture conservation agriculture standards minimum operational and technology requirements for implementing ca in namibia. Conflict with wildlife remains a concern where agriculture shares land with wildlife. Pdf perception of farmers on conservation agriculture for. Conservation agriculture ca is a production system based on the principles of minimum mechanical soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotation.
Gcf is the only charity in the world that concentrates solely on the conservation of this most quintessential of africas megaherbivores and its habitat. Amongst other things, the gef guidelines describe when and how the gef. Conservation agriculture ca is an alternative landuse system reconciling economic viability, social balance, soil fertility restoration, and environmental conservation as well as climate change. Assessment of the effects of conservation practices on. Community conservation is about managing natural resources sustainably to generate returns for rural people. Agriculture accounts for roughly 70% of total freshwater withdrawals globally.
Conservation agriculture goes green and yellow the namibian. Will you be able to harvest these crops, dry them, and store them in your grain store. Overview of the worldwide spread of conservation agriculture. Food and agriculture organization of the united nations 6,358 views. Conservation is a cornerstone of the namibian experience. Overview of conservation agriculture 10 conservation agriculture and farming technology 10 purpose of the report 12 methodology and approach 14 ii.