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Cited by 1,499Soil Management and Crop YieldAgricultural Innovations and PracticesAgriculture, Land Use, Rural Development

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 118 of the 118 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Conservation agriculture and smallholder farming in Africa : the heretics ’ view

Open access
Giller, Ken E., Witter, Ernst, Corbeels, Marc, Tittonell, Pablo·2009·Field Crops Research
DOI 10.1016/j.fcr.2009.06.017
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Abstract

Conservation agriculture is claimed to be a panacea for the problems of poor agricultural productivity and soil degradation in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It is actively promoted by international research and development organisations, with such strong advocacy that critical debate is stifled. Claims for the potential of CA in Africa are based on widespread adoption in the Americas, where the effects of tillage were replaced by heavy dependence on herbicides and fertilizers. CA is said to increase yields, to reduce labour requirements, improve soil fertility and reduce erosion. Yet empirical evidence is not clear and consistent on many of these points nor is it always clear which of the principles of CA contribute to the desired effects. Although cases can be found where such claims are supported there are equally convincing scientific reports that contradict these claims. Concerns include decreased yields often observed with CA, increased labour requirements when herbicides are not used, an important gender shift of the labour burden to women and a lack of mulch due to poor productivity and due to the priority given to feeding of livestock with crop residues. Despite the publicity claiming widespread adoption of CA, the available evidence suggests virtually no uptake of CA in most SSA countries, with only small groups of adopters in South Africa, Ghana and Zambia. We conclude that there is an urgent need for critical assessment under which ecological and socio-economic conditions CA is best suited for smallholder farming in SSA. Critical constraints to adoption appear to be competing uses for crop residues, increased labour demand for weeding, and lack of access to, and use of external inputs.

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Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. Abdalla, 2007, The response of two-sorghum cultivars to conventional and conservation tillage systems in central Sudan, AMA – Agric. Mech. Asia, Afr. Lat. Am., 38, 67
  2. Alabi, 2004, Effect of tillage method on soil properties and performance of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in Southwestern Nigeria, J. Sust. Agric. Environ., 6, 22
  3. Bolliger, A., 2007. Is Zero-till an appropriate agricultural alternative for disadvantaged smallholders of South Africa? A study of surrogate systems and strategies, smallholder sensitivities and soil glycoproteins. PhD Thesis. University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, p. 67.
  4. Davis, 2008, Extension in sub-Saharan Africa: overview and assessment of past and current models, and future prospects, J. Int. Agric. Ext. Educ., 15, 15
  5. Dugue, 2004, Evolution of relationships between agriculture and livestock in the savannas of West and Central Africa. A new framework for analysis and intervention for improving modes of intervention and favouring innovation, Oleagineux, 11, 268
  6. Mashingaidze, A.B., Govere, I., Rohrbach, D., Hove, L., Twomlow, K., Mazvimavi, K., 2006. Review of NGO Efforts to Promote Conservation Agriculture in Zimbabwe, 2005/2006 Season (unpublished, pre-edited draft).
  7. Moyo, A., 2002. Assessment of the effect of soil erosion on nutrient loss from granite-derived sandy soils under different tillage systems in Zimbabwe. PhD Thesis University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe.
  8. Nyagumbo, I., 2002. The effects of three tillage systems on seasonal water budgets and drainage of two zimbabwean soils under maize. PhD Thesis, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe.
  9. Steiner, 1998, Sustainable management of soil resources through zero tillage, Agric. Rural Dev., 5, 64

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Metadata

Authors
Giller, K. E., Witter, E., Corbeels, M., & Tittonell, P.
Affiliations
  • International Center for Tropical Agriculture (KE)
  • Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SE)
  • Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (FR)
Corresponding author
Giller, Ken E.
ORCID
Venue
Field Crops Research
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-10
Volume
114
Issue
1
Pages
23-34
ISSN
0378-4290 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.fcr.2009.06.017
OpenAlex
W2095693034
Cited by
1,499
References
118
Citations by year
2026: 73 · 2025: 75 · 2024: 61 · 2023: 79 · 2022: 82 · 2021: 117 · 2020: 112 · 2019: 109 · 2018: 100 · 2017: 110 · 2016: 103 · 2015: 97 · 2014: 113 · 2013: 83 · 2012: 79
FWCI
102.32
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Field Crops Research (publishedVersion)
  • Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (acceptedVersion)
  • Agritrop (Cirad) (submittedVersion)
  • VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Management and Crop Yield
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agricultural Innovations and Practices
  • Social Sciences › Development › Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development
Keywords
conservation agriculture, smallholder farming, sub-Saharan Africa, technology adoption, crop residues, gender division of labor, soil fertility, soil erosion, herbicides, external inputs, agricultural productivity

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