Global learnings to inform the local adaptation of conservation agriculture in Eastern and Southern Africa

Brown, Barbara J.; Llewellyn, Rick; Nuberg, Ian

doi:10.1016/j.gfs.2017.10.002

Cited by 62 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…In terms of insights into how land use change towards NGS may be influenced, first and foremost NGS have to offer a financial advantage, or at least not a disadvantage if it can provide other benefits. This again supports previous work, for example that of Brown et al (2018) [11] who note the importance of economic stimulus to ensure profitability among landowners who were adopting Conservation Agriculture. The overall profitability of the NGS is key, but it is also clear that cash flow is an important consideration.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…This has been a significant driver of the transition away from sheep and beef, which has been an important feature of New Zealand agricultural land change, particularly on the Canterbury Plains, one of the country's most intensively farmed regions. Beyond economic factors, there is an increasing volume of research within New Zealand and internationally focusing on rural decision making and adoption of new systems or practices that focuses on the influence and role for non-price factors, and in particular behavioral and psychological factors [11][12][13][14][15][16]. Approaches to considering the decision-making process need to be able to take into account the influence of these multiple factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Challenges and Opportunities for Land Use Transformation: Insights from the Central Plains Water Scheme in New Zealand

et al. 2019

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Agricultural systems in New Zealand, as elsewhere in the world, are subject to increasing environmental (and associated social) pressures, for example, around water quality and greenhouse gas emissions. Whilst novel, knowledge-based, alternative land use systems, exist that could relieve these pressures, the challenge facing New Zealand is how to achieve a timely transition to these systems at any meaningful scale. This paper considers the factors that are important to land managers in determining whether or not to change their land use system when the development of an irrigation scheme provides an opportunity for transformative change. A multicriteria decision-making framework using the analytical hierarchy process is used to assess the factors influencing decision makers who are shareholders in the Central Plains Water Scheme in the South Island of New Zealand. As expected, financial factors generally were weighted above other factors in terms of importance. Social, environmental and market factors were rated similarly, whilst regulatory and knowledge factors appeared generally less important. In addition to profitability, the study identified the desire of land managers to simplify complex agricultural systems, their need for scale, their concerns over knowledge competition, their willingness to collaborate and the challenge brought about by ‘cultural path dependency’ as being important. This suggests that if novel systems can be developed that better meet these needs and concerns as well as addressing the wider environmental and social challenges, then there may be a greater chance of engendering a land use transition.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges and Opportunities for Land Use Transformation: Insights from the Central Plains Water Scheme in New Zealand

et al. 2019

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“…Conservation agriculture (CA) is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as a crop farming practice characterized by simultaneous implementation of the three principles of minimal tillage and soil disturbance; minimum 30% permanent soil cover using crop residue and mulches; and crop rotation and intercropping with three or more types of crops (Brown, Llewellyn, & Nuberg, 2018). In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), a partially modified practice of CA is more common.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender and conservation agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

Wekesah

Mutua

Izugbara

2019

International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability

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Conservation agriculture (CA) involves the practice of concurrent minimum tillage, permanent soil cover using crop residue, and crop rotation. Evidence indicates that CA increases agricultural productivity, reduces farming labour requirements, and improves soil quality. While CA is practised in several African contexts, little is known about its interaction with gender. This review synthesized knowledge on the interplay of gender and CA in sub-Saharan Africa. The review highlighted the relative neglect of gender issues in research on CA in SSA. Existing research was limited both in quantity and to a few countries in the region. There was also little critical focus on gender as a social phenomenon: a few of the studies conceptualized gender in terms of the socially constructed roles of men and women while the majority framed it in terms of the sexual categories of male and female. Compared to men, and due largely to gendered barriers, including lack of access to land; machinery; inputs; extension services; and credit facilities, women farmers adopted CA less and disadopted it more. CA increased women's incomes, labour involvement, household food security, as well as risks for land and crop dispossession by men when farming becomes lucrative. It also increased workloads, employment opportunities and health risks for women. CA positively altered gender relations, boosting women's participation in agricultural decision-making at the household level. Deliberately enlisting women as beneficiaries; working with men to advance their understanding of women's needs in agriculture; and offering agricultural inputs directly to women are some strategies that enhanced women's participation in CA. Gaps in current research on gender and CA include: critical focus on and understanding of gender as a social construct in relation to CA; the long-term impacts on CA for gender relations, incomes for men and women, and women's empowerment; the sustainability of strategies for supporting gendered participation in CA; and the dynamics of gendered access to local farmland markets for CA.

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“…Severe competition between conflicting uses of crop residues for mulching and feeding livestock has been reported as a barrier in many smallholder farming systems globally (Powlson, Stirling, Thierfelder, White, & Jat, ), Africa in general (Brown, Nuberg, & Llewellyn, ) and Zimbabwe in particular (Mupangwa & Thierfelder, ). Other studies have reported lack of equipment and inputs (Sims, Thierfelder, & Kienzle, ), dearth of information on input sources (Nyanga, ); inadequate extension services (Brown, Llewellyn, & Nuberg, ; Yahaya, Pokharel, Alidu, & Yamoah, ); lack of credit (Johansen et al., ; Yahaya et al., ) and difficulties in changing the mindset of farmers from conventional tillage to CA (Bunderson et al., ) as additional constraints to adoption of CA in SSA. The prescriptive nature of marketing CA (Brown, Nuberg, et al., ) instead of providing farmers with a basket of technologies that match their circumstances has stifled adoption (Giller et al., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behaviour of smallholder farmers towards adoption of conservation agriculture in Zimbabwe

Mugandani

Mafongoya

2019

Soil Use and Management

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Conservation agriculture is critical to sustainably increasing agricultural productivity, enhancing climate resilience and food security. Much research on adoption of conservation agriculture has focused on its agronomic benefits, but little attention has been paid to the contribution of the behaviour of farmers over its adoption. To close this gap, a study was carried out to investigate the behaviour of smallholder farmers towards the adoption of conservation agriculture in Chivi, Murehwa and Mutoko districts, Zimbabwe. Data were collected through a pre‐tested questionnaire administered to 360 farmers, selected through a multi‐stage sampling process. This method was triangulated through focus group discussions, key informant interviews and personal observations. Data were analysed using percentages, means and inferential statistics. The results show that, although fewer than 10% of the respondents had received any formal training in agriculture, more than 80% of them relied on it for their major source of income. The respondents had high levels of knowledge on the social, environmental and economic benefits of conservation agriculture. However, the majority of the non‐adopters had an indifferent perception towards conservation agriculture. The knowledge and perception of the farmers was explained by age, gender, education and experience with conservation agriculture. Results also show a weak but significant correlation between knowledge and perception (Rs = 0.306, p < 0.05), knowledge and adoption (Rs = 0.484, p < 0.05) but a strong and significant correlation between perception and adoption (Rs = 0.808, p < 0.05). Addressing perception gaps is key to enhance adoption of conservation agriculture.

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Global learnings to inform the local adaptation of conservation agriculture in Eastern and Southern Africa

Cited by 62 publications

References 31 publications

Challenges and Opportunities for Land Use Transformation: Insights from the Central Plains Water Scheme in New Zealand

Challenges and Opportunities for Land Use Transformation: Insights from the Central Plains Water Scheme in New Zealand

Gender and conservation agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

Behaviour of smallholder farmers towards adoption of conservation agriculture in Zimbabwe

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