Towards sustainable & productive farming systems for Africa: experiences and lessons from SIMLESA Mulugetta Mekuria SIMLESA Program Coordinator CIMMYT Southern Africa Regional Office, Harare, Zimbabwe

Land degradation Poor marketsClimate variability Limited resources Food insecurity Low productivityScarce biomass The Problem Complex

The Potential: closing the yield gap

Within the CAADP framework, SIMLESA is increasing maize and legume yields by 30% through: Conservation agriculture practices Improved maize & legume varieties Better markets & value chains It will reduce yield risks by 30% Enhancing capacity & sustainability To benefit 650,000 households Facilitating spillovers to the region Mrs Grace Malaichi CHAMPION FARMER, MALAWI A Response: SIMLESA in action

Where is ‘SIMLESA-10’ working?

WET AREAS DRY AREAS Complex interactions : Rainfall × Soil × Tillage × Residue cover × inputs etc SIMLESA Results on the Ground: Increased maize yield from CA in Malawi

40% Higher returns 54% Lower variable costs SIMLESA Results on the Ground: benefits of CA in Ethiopia

Scaling out: The weakest link in the R&D Continuum In country Strengthening and replicating innovation platforms Build technical capacity at all levels Build capacity in partnership formation – Public private partnerships Across the region Accelerating spillovers across countries – Ethiopia/Kenya to Rwanda/Burundi/Uganda/South Sudan – Tanzania/Malawi/Mozambique to Zambia/Botswana

Further Research Gaps Integrated soil fertility management for CA Integration of crop-livestock systems for CA – Forage/fodder legumes Post harvest technology, storage and processing, food quality Policy options for sustainable intensification Resilience enhancing and risk reducing technologies – Stress tolerant QPM – Herbicide resistant maize and legumes – Cell-phone based insurance

Take Home Messages Sustainable intensification through CA in Africa is not only necessary but urgent Phased intensification across farming systems Focus on impact pathways, innovation platforms and systems integration

Happy SIMLESA Partners