Conservation agriculture in subsistence farming : case studies from South Asia and beyond

Conservation agriculture systems have long-term impacts on livelihoods, agricultural production, gender equity, and regional economic development of tribal societies in South Asia. This book presents South Asia as a case study, due to the high soil erosion caused by monsoon rainfall and geophysical conditions in the region, which necessitate conservation agriculture approaches, and the high percentage of people in South Asia relying on subsistence and traditional farming. The book takes an interdisciplinary approach to analyse systems at scales ranging from household to regional and national levels. La quatrième de couverture indique :"Under the constant pressures of climate change and growing global populations, improving food security is of critical importance. Conservation agriculture techniques are low-input, non-prohibitive systems that can have long-term impacts on livlihoods, agricultural production, gender equity and regional economic development. Using South Asia as a case study due to its high soil erosion, geophysical conditions and percentage of people relying on subsistence farming, this book takes an interdisciplinary approach to analyse systems at scales ranging from household to regional and national levels. It illustrates key examples of conservation agriculture through the lenses of economics, agronomics, soil ecology, gender implications and technology, as well as exploring the long-term impacts of conservation agriculture adoption. Beginning with a brief history of the situation, it then focuses on the latest research with an emphasis on the applicability of results worldwide, making this book a vital resource for researchers and students of agricultural economics." "This book focuses on the latest research in conservation agriculture (CA), with an emphasis on the applicability of results worldwide. Using South Asia as a case study, it examines the history and current state of CA regionally and globally, and explores the long-term impacts the adoption of CA practices has on the livelihoods, agricultural production, gender equity, and regional economic development of rural societies. This inclusive framework is achieved via interdisciplinary analysis at scales ranging from the household level to regional and national levels, and contributions by multidisciplinary and multinational CA researchers and experts. The book, consisting of 12 chapters, provides a comprehensive analysis of the social, environmental, and economic factors that impact CA practice, and estimates the magnitude of such impacts, over the long term."--Abstract