There are growing numbers of smallholder farmers throughout the developing world who are successfully implementing conservation agriculture practices adapted to specific local conditions and existing crop and livestock production customs. As a result, farmers are using a wide variety of reduced tillage techniques and various means to protect soils with organic ground covers. It is clear conservation agriculture, like all agriculture practices, offers no single “silver-bullet solution” that satisfies every farm condition. The constraints and availability of natural resources, local climatic conditions, socio-economic policies and other factors all have a role in shaping a farmer’s approach. However, conservation agriculture offers unique and critically-needed solutions to many of the challenges all farmers face, requiring us to make every effort to develop its full potential.
A rigorous scientific understanding of the success factors involved in conservation agriculture for smallholder farmers is only now being established. Consequently, much of the evidence that demonstrates conservation agriculture’s potential for this group of farmers is drawn from a limited number of sub-scale development initiatives and underfunded research by scientific institutions and civil society organizations.
Although the Author says they do not have all the answers however they argue that there is no question about the need for more public and private sector support for research in this area. There are many promising signs that investing in conservation agriculture practices will lead to improved farmer livelihoods, increased food security and enhanced local and global environmental quality. Examples of how it is being successfully implemented, and the scientific research that is providing solutions to key issues, are discussed in the detailed article written by the author on conservation agriculture’s basic truths and their applicability to smallholder farmers.
In brief the ten basic truths are;
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.
Truth #2: A combination of education and site-specific analysis will help balance competing uses for crop
residue.
Truth #3: Diverse varieties of cover crops, crop rotations and substantial residue retention can reduce
reliance on herbicides.
Truth #4: Efforts to identify crops adapted to local conditions, building capacity of farm organizations and
improving smallholder access to key inputs are gaining traction.
Truth #5: Many smallholders who adopt conservation agriculture experience increased crop yields.
Truth #6: Conservation agriculture’s focus on soil health, reduced erosion and an emphasis on crop
diversity reduces the exposure of smallholders to crop failures.
Truth #7: Investing in conservation agriculture requires a long-term commitment to
achieve widespread adoption.
Truth #8: Plants use synthetic fertilizer more efficiently when combined with conservation agriculture practices.
Truth #9: Investment in farmer organizations helps farmers develop the skills and confidence to
encourage and support the adoption of new practices like conservation agriculture.
Truth #10: Smallholder farmers themselves must participate as partners in the research, development and demonstration efforts to advance conservation agriculture adoption.
Detailed article written by Howard G. Buffett on these ten truths can be accessed at