Climate Change Mitigation - Climate Resilient Agriculture for Ensuring Food Security - page 324

Table 13.14 Potential agroecological benefi ts associated with conservation agriculture (FAO 2010 )
Agroecological benefi ts

Resulting from…

Due to…

Progressive suppression
of weed growth

Improved soil structure
and stability

Reduced tillage

Long-term yield increase Reduced water and wind erosion Reduced tillage, soil cover, mulching,

intercropping, and crop rotation

Increased soil fertility, stability
and structure.
Improved retention of water,
nutrients, and soil moisture

Reduced runoff Decreased erosion and improved soil

structure and water retention capacity

Reduced tillage and soil cover

Improved rooting conditions Increased soil fertility and stability

and improved soil structure

Reduced tillage, soil cover, mulching,
intercropping, and crop rotation

Improved agrobiodiversity Higher biological activity in soil

and fi eld

Soil cover and mulching

Crop diversifi cation Crop rotation and intercropping

Output stability Reduced vulnerability to climatic

shocks

Improved rooting conditions

Enhanced biological pest and
disease control

Crop rotation
Higher biological activity in soil
and fi eld

Reduced waste of water and inputs Reduced runoff Decreased erosion, improved soil

structure. and water retention capacity

Table 13.15 Potential environmental benefi ts associated with conservation agriculture (FAO 2010 )
Environmental benefi ts Resulting from… Due to…

Decrease of land degradation Reduced erosion, higher soil fertility,

and improved soil structure

Reduced tillage, soil cover, mulching,
intercropping,
and crop rotation

Improved agrobiodiversity Higher biological activity in soil

and fi eld

Reduced downstream
sedimentation and siltation

Reduced runoff Decreased erosion, improved soil

structure, and water retention capacity

Reduced contamination of soil
and surface and groundwater

Reduced runoff Decreased erosion, improved soil

structure, and water retention
capacity

Reduction of CO 2 emissions
to the atmosphere

Higher carbon sequestration Reduced tillage, soil cover,

and mulching

Conservation and enhancement
of terrestrial- and soil-based
biodiversity

Crop diversifi cation Crop rotation and intercropping

Higher biological activity Soil cover and mulching

health emergencies have reduced the labor sup-
ply and contributed to the increasing “feminiza-
tion” of the agricultural sector.
Tables 13.14 and 13.15 summarize the potential
agroecological benefi ts associated with conserva-
tion agriculture found in the FAO ( 2010 ) report.
The socioeconomic benefi ts of conservation
agriculture implementation are illustrated in
Table 13.16 .

Table 13.17 outlines the economic benefi ts of
conservation agriculture implementation by the
FAO. Net income from the same area is almost
double compared to the income from conven-
tional tillage, and the labor hours are also reduced.
While reduced labor requirements might be a
constraint to the implementation in other situa-
tions, the FAO ( 2010 ) notes that in Lesotho the