The Southern Africa Conservation Agriculture Regional Working Group (CARWG) http://carwg.act-africa.org/ was established in 2007 to coordinate the activities of organisations working to promote the introduction of conservation Agriculture (CA) in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region. CARWG works with a network of National CA Task Forces (NCATF) which coordinates stakeholders in the individual 13 SADC countries. The African Conservation Tillage Network (ACT) is the current Chair of CARWG.

With the outbreak of the FAW in the region, there have been new revelations by research Institutions that suggest that use of cover crops in the push-pull approach appears to reduce damage by the FAW. It is important to for CARWG members to interact with ICIPE researchers to learn and exchange experiences on the management of the FAW without use of anti-CA practices (such as residue burning, heavy applications of pesticides or deep tillage) as advocated for by some stakeholders.

It is in this context that ACT in partnering with FAO to organise a training and meeting in Kenya to enable some 30 CARWG members from the 13 SADC countries to be exposed through trainings and a field tour on the application of FAW management with push-pull, and use of smallholder mechanisation two wheel tractors for CA.

The proposed dates for the training and the field missions are 20-22 March 2018. The proposed venue for the Training is Nakuru (Egerton University). Suitable field visit sites featuring push-pull need to be identified from your side.