of improved seeds, can access them and get the extension services they need to .... Catholic Relief Services¶ (CRS) conservation agriculture development ...
Ten Truths About Conservation Agriculture and Smallholder Farmers BY HOWARD G. BUFFETT ,QWKH-XO\LVVXHZHSURYLGHGH[DPSOHVRQZKDWZHKDYHOHDUQHGGXULQJRXUĦ\HDUH[SHULHQFHZRUNLQJLQFRQVHUYDWLRQ DJULFXOWXUHLQERWKODUJHDQGVPDOOV\VWHPV1RZZHZDQWWRVKDUHZLWK\RXZKDWRWKHUVKDYHOHDUQHG There are growing numbers of smallholder farmers throughout the developing world who are successfully implementing FRQVHUYDWLRQDJULFXOWXUHSUDFWLFHVDGDSWHGWRVSHFL¿FORFDOFRQGLWLRQVDQGH[LVWLQJFURSDQGOLYHVWRFNSURGXFWLRQFXVWRPV$V a result, farmers are using a wide variety of reduced tillage techniques and various means to protect soils with organic ground FRYHUV,WLVFOHDUFRQVHUYDWLRQDJULFXOWXUHOLNHDOODJULFXOWXUHSUDFWLFHVRɱHUVQRVLQJOH³VLOYHUĥEXOOHWVROXWLRQ´WKDWVDWLV¿HV HYHU\IDUPFRQGLWLRQ7KHFRQVWUDLQWVDQGDYDLODELOLW\RIQDWXUDOUHVRXUFHVORFDOFOLPDWLFFRQGLWLRQVVRFLRĥHFRQRPLFSROLFLHV DQGRWKHUIDFWRUVDOOKDYHDUROHLQVKDSLQJDIDUPHU¶VDSSURDFK+RZHYHUFRQVHUYDWLRQDJULFXOWXUHRɱHUVXQLTXHDQGFULWLFDOO\ĥ QHHGHGVROXWLRQVWRPDQ\RIWKHFKDOOHQJHVDOOIDUPHUVIDFHUHTXLULQJXVWRPDNHHYHU\HɱRUWWRGHYHORSLWVIXOOSRWHQWLDO $ULJRURXVVFLHQWL¿FXQGHUVWDQGLQJRIWKHVXFFHVVIDFWRUVLQYROYHGLQFRQVHUYDWLRQDJULFXOWXUHIRUVPDOOKROGHUIDUPHUV LVRQO\QRZEHLQJHVWDEOLVKHG&RQVHTXHQWO\PXFKRIWKHHYLGHQFHWKDWGHPRQVWUDWHVFRQVHUYDWLRQDJULFXOWXUH¶VSRWHQWLDO IRUWKLVJURXSRIIDUPHUVLVGUDZQIURPDOLPLWHGQXPEHURIVXEĥVFDOHGHYHORSPHQWLQLWLDWLYHVDQGXQGHUIXQGHGUHVHDUFKE\ VFLHQWL¿FLQVWLWXWLRQVDQGFLYLOVRFLHW\RUJDQL]DWLRQV We do not have all of the answers but there is no question we need more public and private sector support for research LQWKLVDUHD7KHUHDUHPDQ\SURPLVLQJVLJQVWKDWLQYHVWLQJLQFRQVHUYDWLRQDJULFXOWXUHSUDFWLFHVZLOOOHDGWRLPSURYHGIDUPHU OLYHOLKRRGVLQFUHDVHGIRRGVHFXULW\DQGHQKDQFHGORFDODQGJOREDOHQYLURQPHQWDOTXDOLW\([DPSOHVRIKRZLWLVEHLQJVXFĥ FHVVIXOO\LPSOHPHQWHGDQGWKHVFLHQWL¿FUHVHDUFKWKDWLVSURYLGLQJVROXWLRQVWRNH\LVVXHVDUHGLVFXVVHGLQWKHIROORZLQJ RYHUYLHZRIFRQVHUYDWLRQDJULFXOWXUH¶VEDVLFWUXWKVDQGWKHLUDSSOLFDELOLW\WRVPDOOKROGHUIDUPHUV
Truth #1: Smallholder farmers who adopt integrated conservation practices can realize a higher return on investment in terms of labor savings, net income and improved soil quality.
With conservation agriculture’s reduced labor and time requirements for planting new crops, farmers are better able to VRZVHHGVGXULQJWKHRSWLPDOSODQWLQJµZLQGRZ¶6WXGLHVLQGLFDWHWKDWIRUHDFKGD\WKDWVHHGLQJLVGHOD\HGSDVWWKHRSWLĥ PDOSODQWLQJSHULRGKDUYHVWHGFURS\LHOGVFDQEHUHGXFHGE\ĥİĪ2ODI(UHQVWHLQ³=HUR7LOODJHLQWKH5LFHĥ:KHDW 6\VWHPV RI WKH ,QGRĥ*DQJHWLF 3ODLQV´ ,)35, 'LVFXVVLRQ 3DSHU ,QWHUQDWLRQDO )RRG DQG 3ROLF\ 5HVHDUFK ,QVWLWXWH:DVKLQJWRQ'& ī
