Strengthening Crop Production in Marginal Lands Through Conservation Agriculture: Insights from Sub-Saharan Africa Research

Conservation agriculture (CA) holds significant potential for enhancing crop productivity and soil health in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), a region facing food insecurity, poverty and climate change challenges. This chapter reviews the adoption and effectiveness of CA practices within SSA’s smallholder farming systems, considering their potential to improve soil quality and increase crop yields on marginal lands. Despite the proven benefits of CA, its adoption remains low among smallholder farmers, mainly due to complex socioeconomic and biophysical factors that affect their ability to implement the three core CA principles: minimum soil disturbance, maintaining soil cover, and crop diversification. Local research initiatives have provided valuable insights into the challenges, benefits, and adaptations necessary for successful CA implementation in SSA. These studies have assessed a range of parameters, including soil chemical, physical, and biological properties, greenhouse gas emissions, crop yield, and socio-economic implications. This chapter emphasises the potential of CA to enhance crop and soil productivity, contributing to sustainable farming practices on marginal lands in SSA. The ability of CA to improve soil organic matter, soil structure, water infiltration, nutrient cycling, and pest management is discussed. However, challenges such as limited awareness, access to resources, risk aversion, and cultural factors hinder widespread adoption. The chapter concludes with strategies to scale up CA adoption, including policy support, knowledge dissemination through extension services, and private-public partnerships. By leveraging local research and engaging stakeholders, SSA can promote conservation agriculture as a means to achieve sustainable agricultural development, food security, and improved livelihoods in marginal lands.