 Sustainable
Agriculture Extension Manual
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Sustainable Agriculture Extension Manual |
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Sustainable Agriculture Extension Manual |
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Foreword
Most of Africa has infertile soils, fragile environments, and erratic rainfall. Vast areas of agricultural land are degraded. In the view of some analysts, these characteristics inhibit possible increases in agricultural production and food security. Many have argued that traditional African agricultural systems or alternative technologies cannot sustain high crop yields on smallholders' farms, and that high-input technologies (including agrochemicals and biotechnologies) must therefore be used. But such high-input technologies are often too expensive for smallholders to use, are socially or economically inappropriate, and have negative ecological impacts.
This handbook demonstrates a better strategy to attain sustainable agriculture in Africa. It advocates systematizing the best of farmers' practices, NGO-led innovations and practical research that emphasize locally available resources, crop diversification, animal integration, natural plant protection and systems of soil, water and genetic resource conservation.
The various examples in this handbook clearly show that there are plenty of concrete experiences at the farm level in Africa that can effectively:
- Arrest natural resource degradation.
- Diversify and integrate the production of crops, trees and animals.
- Restore soil fertility.
- Preserve biodiversity.
- Reduce losses caused by pests through enhanced biological control.
- Increase crop productivity.
- Provide ecological and economic benefits to farmers.
The challenge now is to put these ideas into wider practice so that the local-level successful innovations described in this handbook can be scaled up to reach thousands of farmers. Collaborative partnerships between farmers' organizations, NGOs and research organizations will be vital to put into operation the many practices herein assembled.
Miguel A. Altieri
General Coordinator
UNDP SANE (Sustainable Agriculture Networking and Extension) Program
Berkeley, California
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