From page 22
in order to help commercial
farmers and smallholders to
be ready to adapt and
change.
Agriculture itself is also part of
the problem in terms of
emissions of greenhouse gases
and other impacts on
biodiversity and the environ-
ment, so a change in
approach is necessary for
mitigation.
In principle, CSA uses
techniques which try to
increase agricultural produc-
tivity in ways that are
environmentally and socially
sustainable. These methods
include combining traditional
and scientific knowledge. The
techniques include mulching,
intercropping with drought
and flood-tolerant crops,
conservation agriculture,
integrated crop-livestock
management, improved
grazing, improved water
management, crop rotation
and changing planting
schedules, as well as using
enhanced weather forecasting
and early warning systems.
The FAO, at whose confer-
ence the concept of CSA was
launched in 2010, has
deemed this method of
agriculture to be particularly
suited to smallholders in
developing nations. However,
recent studies have shown
that, although there are some
success stories in Africa,
including in South Africa,
generally the concept has not
been embraced on our
continent.
Many small farmers and
smallholders will find
adoption of this agricultural
approach challenging due to
limited access to appropriate
ON THE FARM
!One of the greatest problems is lack
of access to appropriate information
or inability to fully utilise existing
information. What information there
is does not use accessible language
either. "
farm equipment and tools,
inadequate farm inputs and
materials such as seeds,
inorganic fertilizers, pesticides
and herbicides, inadequate
finance, limited physical
infrastructure, unfavourable
land tenure systems and
gender inequalities.
Perhaps one of the greatest
problems is lack of access to
appropriate information or
inability to fully utilise existing
information. What informa-
23
www.sasmallholder.co.za
tion there is does not use
accessible language either.
As with agriculture in general,
CSA is a knowledge-intensive
process that requires
substantial planning, intuition
and a willingness to experi-
ment and learn. However,
the knowledge base for CSA
is substantially different from
that for conventional
agriculture. So if the govern-
ment wants CSA adopted , it
need s to give small farmers
more training and support.