Conservation agriculture for Africa : building resilient farming systems in a changing climate

This book assesses the latest trends in the adoption of conservation agriculture. Focusing on the most recent technologies to improve agricultural resilience to climate change, as well as increase profitability and sustainability, it takes a continental and sub-regional approach to African agriculture. Covering climate-proofing, resilience, sustainable intensification, and the extension and adoption process for new techniques, this book is a vital resource for researchers of agriculture and sustainability Tillage 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 Content: 1Conservation Agriculture in Africa: An Overview Chapter 2Weather-Proofing Agriculture with Conservation Agriculture Chapter 3Conservation Agriculture: Growing more with less - the future of sustainable intensification Chapter 4Empowering Smallholder Farmers with Profitable and Sustainable Farming using Conservation Agriculture - the Case of East Africa Chapter 5Implementing the Principles of Conservation Agriculture in Malawi: Crop Yields and Factors Affecting Adoption Chapter 6Innovation Systems and farmer perceptions regarding Conservation Agriculture in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique Chapter 7Conservation Agriculture in North Africa: Experiences, Achievements and Challenges Chapter 8How Can We Cover Millions of Hectares with Conservation Agriculture in Africa? Chapter 9Climate-Smart push-pull - A conservation agriculture technology for food security and environmental sustainability in Africa Chapter 10How to Make Conservation Agriculture Ever Green Chapter 11Mechanization of smallholder Conservation Agriculture in Africa: contributing resilience to precarious systems Chapter 12Conservation Agriculture in South Africa: Lessons from Case Studies Chapter 13Extending Conservation Agriculture benefits through Innovation Platforms Chapter 14Summing Up This book provides an updated assessment of trends in the adaptation and adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) in different countries of Africa. It provides information on the contribution of CA systems to building resilience in a changing climate while increasing productivity, profitability and ecological sustainability. The book covers: the status of CA in Africa (Chapter 1); CA's climate-proofing characteristics (Chapter 2); productivity and efficiency of resource use, often referred to as 'producing more from less' (Chapter 3); smallholder adoption and the spread of CA in different parts of Africa (Chapters 4-7); aspects related to resilience (legume cover crops, diversified cropping system for pest control, agroforestry, and mechanization) in CA-based systems (Chapters 8-11); and policy and communication (Chapters 12-13). The final Chapter 14 provides a brief summing up of what the book represents in terms of the relevance and future of CA to agricultural development in Africa This book contains an updated assessment of trends in the adaptation for adoption of conservation agriculture and the latest on the technologies to induce resilience of agriculture to climate change, increase profitability and sustainability. It has continental and sub-regional focus, and also includes the following topics/sections: (I) Overview; (II) Climate-proofing Productivity with Conservation Agriculture; (III) Resilience and Sustainable Intensification with Conservation Agriculture; (IV) Research and Extension/Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in Africa; (V) Summing-Up. Tillage agriculture has led to widespread soil and ecosystem degradation. This book reviews research and development initiatives in Africa aimed at building resilient farming systems. It summarises the status of conservation agriculture today, discusses prospects for future development and provides case studies showing its performance in Africa.