National Agricultural Extension Representatives

Conservation agriculture (CA), with its main tenets of 1) minimizing soil disturbance, 2) maintaining residue on soil surface and 3) mixing/rotating crops has been promoted and adopted, to varying degrees, across the globe. It is estimated that eight percent of all arable land is under CA management . While commercially applicable (e.g., Australia, Brazil and the United States), CA has also received attention as a ‘pro-poor’ strategy for ameliorating smallholder agricultural production and a means of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Thus far, research on CA in southern Africa has primarily focused on the factors associated with adoption and agronomic outcomes based on field research in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In contrast, Lesotho - a small, landlocked country surrounded by the Republic of South Africa - has received relatively little attention despite its decades-long struggle with severe soil erosion. The extremely high rate of erosion has not only resulted in the proliferation of gullies and the degradation of soil fertility but has also contributed significantly to food security concerns and long term decline in staple crop production. As a result, nearly a quarter of the population is currently in need of food assistance to survive. The average maize yield in Lesotho is stagnant at approximately 400 kg per hectare per year or 95 % less than the typical maize yield in the United States. This research uses household survey data from over 430 households in Botha Bothe district in northern Lesotho to determine the effects of adoption on households in terms of socio-economics and food security and to briefly highlight the potential drivers of and ways to counteract disadoption. This district is of particular interest because different methods of CA (mechanized and manual labor) and technology dissemination (through government-led Extension service and non-governmental organizations) are being deployed concurrently. Results suggest that household demographics, input availability and familiarity with CA all influence its adoption in the short and medium term.

Within the framework of the MANITATRA project implementation on COMESA funding which consists in scaling up the dissemination of agro ecological techniques and /or Climate Smart Agriculture[1] in the Middle West and South East regions of Madagascar, a field day dedicated to Climate Smart Agriculture was planned in each intervention area. The Field Day in the Middle West was held in March 2015 and was a real success.

Instruction handbook for manual drilling teams on hydro-geology for well drilling, well installation and well development

This resource is a presentation made by CCARDESA during the AFAAS Extention week 2017, It focuses on the approach of the Adaptation to Climate Change in Rural Areas of SADC (ACCRA) Programme’s  approach to capacity building for scaling Climate Smart Agriculture in southern Africa and the & lessons learnt.

This climate proofing tool is part of the training package on Tackling Climate Change in Agriculture: Approaches to climate change adaptation and climate smart agriculture in southern Africa. It is based on the Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Development Co-operation Climate Proofing Tool initially developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and GIZ in 2009. This climate proofing tool expands the original tool towards a stronger focus on climate change adaptation in agriculture in southern Africa, and places more emphasis on knowledge co-generation with respect to the specific case study system at hand. It has been adapted to southern Africa by the SADC Adaptation to Climate Change in Rural Areas in Southern Africa (ACCRA) Programme. ACCRA has been established by the German Government through the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), funded by the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ). The programme is implemented by the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research & Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA).

The training package combines a range of different technical/topical modules with this climate proofing tool and its practical application within specified case studies. This climate proofing tool forms an integral part of the training package.

The climate proofing tool consists of a series of steps which will be implemented in small groups, who will work together throughout the training course. Each group will focus on a particular case study or system of interest – an agricultural system or value chain.

The climate proofing steps include:

• Assessing the current and future climate risks
• Identifying adaptation options
• Selecting adaptation measures

Pre-defined case studies form the basis of applying the climate proofing tool. The selection of the case studies will have been done in advance by the programme implementing the training or by the participants themselves, or both. The case studies have been prepared with details on existing climate conditions, systems characterisation including biophysical, as well as socio- economic aspects.

This resource is part of the CCARDESA Training Package on Climate Change and Climate Smart Agriculture. It focuses on fostering partnerships for up scaling climate smart agriculture. The powerpoint version of this resource is available for modification and reuse upon request

This resource is part of the CCARDESA Training Package on Climate Change and Climate Smart Agriculture. The power-point version of this resource is available for modification and reuse upon request

This is resource is a part of the Training Module on Climate Smart Agriculture. It covers CSA and gender. The power-point version of this resource is available for modification and reuse upon request.

This resource is part of the CCARDESA Training Module on Climate Change and Climate Smart Agriculture. It discusses water management and soil conservation for climate resilient agriculture. The power-point version of this resource is available for modification and reuse upon request.

This resource is part of the CCARDESA Training Module on Climate Change and Climate Smart Agriculture. It discusses CSA in the context of livestock farming. The power-point version of this resource is available for modification and reuse upon request.