The need for sustainable intensification in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is widely recognized. Although a lot of emphasis is being placed in current Research for Development work on increasing the efficiency with which land, water and nutrients are being used, farm power appears to be a ‘forgotten resource’. Undoubtedly, sustainable intensification in SSA will require an improvement of the farm power balance through increased power supply - via improved access to mechanization - and/or reduced power demand via energy saving technologies such as conservation agriculture (CA). This fundamentally informs the development, approval and launch of CIMMYT implemented ACIAR funded FACASI project at the project inception workshop held in Arusha Tanzania, 25-30th March, 2013.

The overall goal of the project is to improve access to mechanization, reduce labour drudgery, and minimize biomass trade-offs in Eastern and Southern Africa, through accelerated delivery and adoption of 2WT-based technologies by smallholders.
The inception workshop attended by close to 40 participants from 12 countries was officially opened by Dr Lucas M Mugendi on behalf of the Director for Research and Development, MOA Tanzania. It was graced by Dr John Dixon, Cropping Systems and Economics program of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR); and Ms Mellissa Woods, Director of the Australian International Food Security Centre (AIFSC).

For more information, contact Frdric Baudron at: F.Baudron@cgiar.org