Recarbonising the soil: what is the value proposition for farmers
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1. The document discusses the opportunities of recarbonizing soils through conservation agriculture (CA) in Africa. 2. CA involves practices like no-tillage, permanent soil cover, and crop rotations that can sequester carbon in soils and mitigate climate change impacts on agriculture. 3. Implementing CA brings additional benefits to farmers including increased soil fertility and crop productivity, improved water retention, and greater farm profits and resilience to climate variability.
![Gains in Rainfall Infiltration Rate with CA
Less flooding – improved water cycle
Landers 2007
tillage + cover, measured
no-till + cover, measured
tillage, no cover, measured
tillage + cover, calculated
no-till + cover, calculated
tillage, no cover, calculated
Time (min.)
AccumulatedInfiltrationrate[mm.h-1]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/recarbonisingsoilsactpresentation-200317161927/85/Recarbonising-the-soil-what-is-the-value-proposition-for-farmers-13-320.jpg)
Recarbonising the soil: what is the value proposition for farmers
- 1. Recarbonising the soil: what is the value proposition for farmers? Presented at the SACAU ANNUAL CONFERENCE: Taking Stock of Southern Africa’s Climate Smart Agriculture Agenda: What are the Prospects for the Future? by Saidi Mkomwa, Executive Secretary African Conservation Tillage Network (ACT) 27th to 28th May 2019, AFECC Gloria, Maputo, Mozambique
- 2. Massive Opportunities for African Farmers o Africa’s population is urbanizing – food market of 250 M by 2030 o Africa’s annual food import bill $35 billion; $110 billion by 2025 o Africa has 60% of the global total uncultivated crop land o Africa is the youngest continent, 60% under 35 years old. 420 million youth aged 15-35; to double by 2040. 72% have access to Digital Tools (CTA).
- 3. There are Serious Threats to Agriculture in Africa 1. The number of the hungry is on the increase; it is decreasing elsewhere 2. Threatening climate change challenges 3. Farming related land resource degradation and loss of biodiversity – acidification, erosion, pollinators. 4. Declining rural labour force, ageing farming population and increasing feminization of agriculture 5. Inadequate capacity at all levels 6. Inadequate coordination, harmonization, and benchmarking for THE Agric. transformation
- 4. Recarbonizing Soils and CSA o Recarbonizing Soils: practical actions for carbon dioxide removals, and sequestration of carbon in soils. o 25% of the climate change problem (& solution) is due to land use issues. However, it is only 1% of the climate conversation. o Farms, forests and landscapes are front lines in this urgent effort to recarbonize and revitalize soils. o Regeneration and enhancement of soil health with CA- based carbon sequestration and SOM improvements (humus, manure, cover crops, no-till, crop & livestock rotations). o CSA is an approach that helps to guide actions needed to i) sustainably increasing agric. productivity and incomes; ii) adapting and building resilience to climate change; and iii) reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emission.
- 5. Source: Reicosky Tillage enhances Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions
- 7. Climate change mitigation through Conservation Agriculture Source: González-Sánchez et al., 2017
- 8. opportunities for African farmers First, start with mitigation and adaptability of farming to climate change with CA and show it cannot be done with conventional tillage agriculture; Then show the work done by ECAF-ACT on this topic for Africa and mention other places to include evidence from global sources to strengthen the argument. Then, include the following: • Regeneration and enhancement of soil health with CA-based carbon sequestration and SOM improvements; • Field based productivity gains leading to increased crop and farm profit and stability with CA • Farm-based improvements in environmental services to the household and livelihood with CA • Farm-based increase in market value of the farm with CA • Farm-based participation in schemes that pay for ecosystem services harnessed with CA • Landscape and watershed based ecosystem services based on CA. For the third step, there is quite a bot of evidence from the work doe in Africa as listed in the ECAF-ACT meta analysis. Also, our book on CA for Africa: Building resilient
- 9. Conservation Agriculture Mechanical Tillage Biological Tillage Action of Soil Biota Structure/Porosity ConventionalAgriculture High Soil Organic Matter low soil organic matter Soil Organic Matter = Drought Resistance 2 CO
- 10. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 AvailableWaterholdingCapacity(AWC) (%byweight) Organic Matter (OM) % by weight Sand Silt loam Silty clay loam Source: Berman Hudson, 1994. JSWC 49:189-194 SOM increases available water holding capacity!
- 11. How much water can your soil hold? 45 kg of dry soil: o With 4 to 5 % OM can hold about 81 kg of water o With 1.5 to 2% OM it can only hold 18 kg of water Walters and Fenzais 1979
- 12. Situation in Malawi – Tilled & CA Tilled CA Source: C Thierfelder, CIMMYT
- 13. Gains in Rainfall Infiltration Rate with CA Less flooding – improved water cycle Landers 2007 tillage + cover, measured no-till + cover, measured tillage, no cover, measured tillage + cover, calculated no-till + cover, calculated tillage, no cover, calculated Time (min.) AccumulatedInfiltrationrate[mm.h-1]
- 14. Infiltration curves measured by mini-rainfall simulator in January 2008 (left) and 2009 (right), Henderson Station Time (min) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 Infiltration(mmh-1 ) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 Conventional ploughing (CP) Rip-line seeded (RI) Direct seeding (DS) Time (min) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 Infiltration(mmh-1 ) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 Conventional ploughing (CP) Rip-line seeded (RI) Direct seeding (DS) January 2008 January 2009 Source: C Thierfelder, CIMMYT
- 15. How CA makes farming smart The “top-dry” field with dusty road nearby before planting on 20th Feb 2019. Madrugada, Nakuru, Kenya. No rain since Dec 2018. Photo taken 20th March 2019. 92% emergence.
- 16. How CA makes farming smart .. .. .. • CA stops runoff & erosion, enhances infiltration and insitu water harvesting • SOM increase 0.1-0.2% per year. More available water in soils (1 % OM =150 m3/ha) • Less water needs (-30-40%) • Less fertilizer use (-50%), and less pesticides (-20->50%). • Less machinery, energy & labour cost (50- 70%) • Recharge of aquifers, improved water quality
- 17. The ACT-ECAF studies on CC Mitigation and Adaptability with CA (2018)
- 18. CA for Climate Change Mitigation in Africa González-Sánchez et al., 2018
- 19. Potential SOC fixed annually by CA compared to systems based on soil tillage in Africa 145 Mt C per year = 533 Mt of CO2 per year Almost 3 times Europe’s potential! co2 González-Sánchez et al., 2018
- 20. No-Tillage Solution: What equipment for minimum soil disturbance? Oxen ripping Oxen direct seeding Highly mechanized The hand hoe – for basins making The Dibble stick
- 22. CA Solution: Permanent soil cover, crop rotations & associations Maize > Tephrosia relay after 8 months Maize – Canavalia Maize – Lablab You can’t have soil biology without plants as their host.
- 23. Pan-African Level: Creation of Enabling Environments: ICAAP Africa, iSAMAPAfrica, National Level: Building Institutions: Centres of Excellence; CSO, Service Provider Associations, Grassroots Level: Builddemanded Capacity:e.g. Entrepreneurship & Business Development Systemic Regulato : Policies, Plans, ry Frameworks ational:EstablishOrganiz efficient processe structures, s andprocedures Individua compete l: Skills, knowledge, ncies and attitudes. ACT NETWORK The Africa We Want: Agenda2063 Prosperous Africa based on Sustainable Development Cross Cutting Level: ICT-based platforms& Knowledge Management ge Management &Knowled Information Sharing 3. Modernized infrastructure, decent housing, healthy and well nourishedcitizens 7. Africa’s natural endowmentsare healthy & protected, with climate resilient economies and communities 6.Blue ocean economy for accelerated economic growth 4. Transformed economies for shared growth, decent jobs & economic opportunities for all 1. A highstandard of living, quality of life and well- being 2. Well educated& skilled citizens, underpinned by science, technology and innovation 5. Modernagriculture for increased production, productivity & value addition contributesto prosperity and food security Developing CA/CSA Capacity at all Levels
- 24. Recarbonising the Soil results to: Summary 1. Mitigation: removals of carbon dioxide, and sequestration in soils. Farming becomes a sink for carbon (rather than source) 2. Positive co-benefits; for soil fertility, productivity, water and nutrient retention. Thus more resilient agroecosystems to deal with climate variability. 3. Improved soil health and functions (as a result of carbon sequestration and increase in SOM due to CA). Productivity (yield); input factor productivity (efficiency); yield stability, and reduced inputs. Greater and stable crop and farm profit.
- 25. Recarbonising the Soil results …cont. … 4. SOM & biodiversity build up. Land easier to work with and the increase of land's economic market value. 5. Decrease in erosion, land degradation and improved water infiltration and drainage. Improved water quality and quantity in wells, underground water supplies, streams & rivers. Better human health; less time to look for quality water. 6. Participate in schemes that pay farmers to sequester carbon. 7. Participate in schemes that pay farmers to deliver good quality water in greater quantity e.g. supply clean water into reservoirs, hydroelectricity, for industry and for environmental services
- 26. General Overview 1. CA and CSA work. However, capacity is needed (and also Quality Assurance) to support its practice as a system (including livestock). 2. Livestock productivity needs to be enhanced by integration with crop production under CA. They are complementary and not competing. 3. Irrigation is feasible, for some areas. But, at what cost? Can we target the youths and resource poor in semi- arids (with no water to drink?). Note: Most irrigation schemes are “white elephants”. 4. CA works even in wetter areas to address weed management, leaching/acidification, and soil erosion.
- 27. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ACT appreciates the invitation to the workshop and the collaboration with SACAU in the promotion of Conservation Agriculture –based Climate Smart Agriculture. The collaboration and financial support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) to ACT is sincerely appreciated