Conservation agriculture is an accepted resilient agriculture strategy. Effective at the small scale, in plot size of less than 50 hectares, smallholder farmers can increase productivity and help build resilience to climate shocks. Conservation agriculture can lead to increased productivity, build resilience and protect the soil.

While there is no evidence to date that conservation agriculture improves nutrition, the potential exists that the techniques could impact nutrition security at the household level for women and mothers. One example of implementing resilience design in Zimbabwe, works with families so they are better able to respond to shocks and stresses of weather by focusing on improving soil and water health through better pattern and land understanding, and through building farmer capacity to design more resilient farm sites.

In addition, Conservation Agriculture Project, supported by NORAD, focused their training in youth programs in community schools. Youth were trained in farming practices with tools and inputs in a local training plot that supported the local community. One goal of the program was to train young farmers to continue farming in the future.

Horticulture Innovation Lab works in Cambodia showed the application of conservation agriculture techniques with drip irrigation reduced the time spent farming, and thus decreased the farm related workload of women in the household.

Resilience Design in Smallholder Farming Systems Training in Zimbabwe

Farmer Led upscaling of Conservation Agriculture project

TOPS Permagarden toolkit (Ethiopia)

TOPS Evaluation report

Join the Discussion

• What other conservation agriculture practices may you recommend to further conserve water usage?
• What are the advantages of involving youth in conservation agriculture practices?