Overview

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.

Full Product Details

Author:   Amir Kassam (University of Reading, UK) ,  Saidi Mkomwa (African Conservation Tillage (ACT), Nairobi) ,  Theodor Friedrich (FAO Representative in Cuba, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Cuba) ,  J N Blignaut (University of Pretoria, South Africa)
Publisher:   CABI Publishing
Imprint:   CABI Publishing
Dimensions:   Width: 17.20cm , Height: 2.30cm , Length: 24.40cm
Weight:   0.887kg
ISBN:  

9781780645681

ISBN 10:   1780645686
Pages:   318
Publication Date:   14 December 2016
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

1: 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

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Author Information

Amir H Kassam (Edited By) Amir Kassam is: (i) Moderator of the FAO-hosted Global Platform for Conservation Agriculture Community of Practice (CA-CoP), (ii) Chairman of the International Conservation Agriculture Advisory Panel for Africa (ICAAP-Africa); (iii) Vice-Chairman of the Conservation Agriculture Association of the United Kingdom (CA-UK); (iv) a Member of the European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF); (v) Visiting Professor in the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, UK, where he teaches Conservation Agriculture; (vi) Convener of the Land Husbandry Group of the Tropical Agriculture Association (TAA), UK, Member of the Strategic Steering Group of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI), UNEP, and Board member of the Asian Center of Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture Intensification (ACISAI) at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok. Kassam is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (UK), and a member of several international advisory committees, Boards and Panels. He is cited in several 'Who is Who' in the UK and the USA. He has published widely. In 2005, Kassam was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Honours List for services to tropical agriculture and to rural development. Saidi Mkomwa (Edited By) Saidi Mkomwa is: (i) Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the African Conservation Tillage Network (ACT) since 2008, (ii) Member of the International Steering Committee hosting the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th World Conservation Agriculture Congresses, (iii) Member of the Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) of ICRAF's Drylands Development Programme (DRYDEV), since 2016, (iv) Registered professional member of the Engineers' Registration Board of Tanzania, since 2002, and (v) Technical Secretary of the International Conservation Agriculture Advisory Panel for Africa (ICAAP-Africa)

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