From theory to practice: key lessons in the adoption of Conservation Agriculture in South Africa

Abstract

In 2013 a specialised Conservation Agriculture (CA) programme was launched with the task to formalise and coordinate CA research with grain farmers in South Africa, including smallholders. The key question and challenge this new initiative faced was how to work with these farmers and build on what they were doing. This chapter explores this question by sketching the particular context in South Africa, then by exploring a number of theories relevant to this situation and how they were implemented locally (in South Africa) and globally. From there a number of conclusions and recommendations are shared for CA research and development projects in the future.