Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
16.6 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES
Transforming smallholder farming from subsistence to productive and environmen-
tally restorative agriculture is a high priority in the context of (i) increasing popula-
tion, growing affluent lifestyle, increasing consumption, and preferences toward an
animal-based diet; (ii) a changing and harsh climate with increasing frequency of
extreme events and growing variability and uncertainty; (iii) reducing availability
of renewable freshwater supply and increasing risks of pollution, eutrophication, and
contamination; (iv) degrading soils and desertifying lands, and increasing conver-
sion of agricultural lands to industrial, urban, and recreational uses; and (v) decreas-
ing per capita arable land area; and the ever increasing demand for food production
while reducing the environmental footprint of agroecosystems. There are long-term
climate implications of increasing concentrations of CO
2
and greenhouse gases
(Friedlingstein et al. 2011) to small landholders. Thus, it is pertinent to consider
historical and future perspectives of global soil (and carbon) response to climate and
land use changes (Eglin et al. 2010). Thus, there are research, outreach, education,
and communication priorities that must be addressed (Figure 16.3).
Improving knowledge
• Soil and site-specific
technologies
• Critical limits of key soil
properties
• Climate-resilient technologies
• Enhancing green water supply
• Soil restoration (e.g., C pool)
• Reducing drudgery
• Protocols for payment of
ecosystem services
Outreach
Communication
• Increasing use of IT
services (i.e., cell phone,
TV, radio)
• Improving transport
• Linking rural communities
to market
• Enhancing prestige of the
farming profession
• Reaching out to
smallholder and under-
privileged farmers
• Establishing extension
centers
• Creating credit facilities
• Increasing interaction
between researchers,
extension agents, policy
makers and farmers
Priorities for
sustainable
intensification
of smallholder
agriculture
Education
• Including soil sciences in
primary and secondary
schools
• Establishing farmer schools
and field days
• Enhancing awareness about
soils and their role in
ecosystem services
• Changing the mindset
FIGURE 16.3
Priorities for promoting adoption of sustainable intensification.
