Platform for African – European Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development

Monday, February 5, 2018

Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization of Conservation Agriculture

Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization of Conservation Agriculture in Smallholder Kenyan Maize Farmers for Sustainable Intensification and Increased Climate Resilience 
– Student Dissertation by Holly E. Morgan

Upscaling of sustainable-intensification systems such as conservation agriculture, which has shown great capacity to increase farm productivity and climate-resilience while reducing environmental degradation, has yet seen limited uptake in sub-Saharan Africa despite its potential. The purpose of this study is to examine challenges and successes of sustainable agricultural mechanization of conservation agriculture, a vital component of the innovation’s success, by conducting a location-based case-study in Laikipia, Kenya.

Areas in need of attention were: finance, extension services, and equipment access. Recommendations for issue remediation were developed from stakeholder interviews conducted in the case study, and findings from examination of mechanization success-stories in other countries and systems. Continued examination of trends across different communities and contexts will support a more robust, exhaustive understanding of mechanization challenges and opportunities, thereby enabling informed policy-making and project design for upscaling conservation agriculture. 

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