Technical interventions and practices in CSA Meryl Richards, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security

Results Key messages from the briefs: Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) in irrigated rice reduces water use by up to 30%, halves methane emissions, and can save farmers money on irrigation and pumping costs. Conservation agriculture (CA) can increase resilience to climate change and has the potential to contribute to climate change mitigation. The benefits of CA are highly site- specific. Organic resource management practices as part of Integrated Soil Fertility Management support greater crop productivity under low and high rainfall owed to improved water and fertilizer use efficiency. Coffee-banana intercropping generates 50% more revenue than either coffee or banana monocrop. SSNM optimizes the supply of soil nutrients over space and time to match crop requirements. Incentives for adoption of SSNM depend strongly on fertilizer prices. A gender-sensitive approach to CSA (1) explores differential vulnerability of men and women to risk, opportunities and benefits, (2) ensures participation from both men and women, (3) addresses gendered constraints to uptake of practices and (4) promotes practices that benefit both men and women. Manure is a resource for improved crop production, renewable energy, and improved farm income

Linkages and partners Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa Climate and Clean Air Coalition Livestock and Manure Management Component FAO Institut des Sciences Agronomiques de Burundi Institute on the Environment (University of Minnesota) International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Wageningen University and Research Center World Resources Institute with other work areas of the KAG? With other Action Groups of GACSA? With implementers at the field level?

Lessons learned Building “CSA literacy” Context specificity Readership enhanced by frequent linkages to other work Utility to implementers and farmers? Information gaps: economic analysis, finance How does this work advance the knowledge for CSA and support achievement of GACSA goals.

Thank you for your attention! Feedback welcome: meryl.richards@uvm.edu