Socio-Economic Analysis of Conservation Agriculture in Southern Africa

Abstract

More than four decades after the start of the Green Revolution, agricultural scientists continue to face the challenge of increasing food production to meet the demands of a growing population, particularly in developing countries. Of most concern to scientists is that the sources of agricultural productivity growth (improved varieties, fertilizer and water) have been in use for the last two to three decades, but with no significant yield gains, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. As the demand for food continues to increase, there are now added requirements, not only to provide food security for a growing population, but also to provide more nutritious food to make protein, vitamins and some essential minerals more available, particularly for the most vulnerable communities such as households affected by HIV/AIDS