Conservation Agriculture in Development: The Case of Africa

The rising world population is increasing the pressure on agriculture to produce more food (Fig. 1 and 2). This is more so for the African continent, where it is not just about food supply, but also a critical factor in economic development, poverty alleviation and improving living standards especially in rural areas. On the other side agricultural production is one of the factors contributing to the degradation of natural resources in Africa. Qualitative assessments of available data suggest that about 20% of Africa’s agriculture lands are severely degraded as a result of direct agriculture activity (McNeely et al. 2001). Environmental problems are considered an inevitable trade off of productive agriculture. On the contrary, Conservation Agriculture proven agricultural production options, which combine production with sustainability.