Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
-
ProjectFactsheetScaling Up Climate-Smart Crop and Mechanization Systems to Promote Sustainable Crop Production in Sri Lanka and Zambia 2021
Also available in:
No results found.Unsustainable agriculture practices contribute to land degradation, which impacts the fertility and productivity of soil and leaves land vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change. These issues threaten food security and reduce livelihoods, particularly for smallholder farmers. To combat these problems, FAO implements the Save and Grow approach. This approach promotes and intensifies sustainable crop production through the use of high quality seeds and planting materials and the implementation of integrated pest management and conservation agriculture practices. Key to conservation agriculture are the planting and management of climate smart crops and the implementation of mechanization systems for land preparation, direct seeding, weeding and harvesting. The project will be implemented in Sri Lanka and Zambia. It was designed to create synergies with an ongoing project that is already supporting the implementation of the approach in the targeted countries. Several constraints to the adoption of sustainable crop production practices have been identified throughout the implementation of the ongoing project. These include a lack of knowledge of sustainable agronomy and its benefits among beneficiaries and inadequate market linkages, which limit the availability of sustainable agronomic inputs and mechanization services, as well as the sale of crop yields. The goal of this project is to help rural smallholder farmers in Sri Lanka and Zambia to overcome these challenges and to encourage them to adopt the Save and Grow approach. -
Book (stand-alone)Technical bookThe status of water use efficiency and productivity with a focus on paddy rice in Zambia 2022
Also available in:
No results found.In view of the projected world water demand, increased water use efficiency in irrigation is crucial to sustainably increase agricultural productivity. Paddy field systems are especially water demanding, though products such as rice is not only a staple food, but also constitutes a major social and economic activity providing public goods and is a key source of employment and income for the rural population in Zambia. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been active to increase the understanding of the status of water use efficiency and water productivity in Zambia through implementing the project “Efficient Agricultural Water Use and Management Enhancement in Paddy Fields”, funded by the Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). The project objective is to identify limits and potentials of paddy rice production at national level. The project findings presented in this report is a basis for assisting the country with the evaluation of the status of water use efficiency and water productivity of paddy fields, providing technical and policy support to enhance water resources management in Zambia. This report will help increasing the knowledge and building capacities of technical experts in relevant institutions, ministries and universities in Zambia. Its analysis of best practices will assist in determining the needs and existing gaps and what options are available to fill these gaps. Furthermore, the policy action matrix developed and the investment portfolio compiled will support the development of future financial plans in the country. -
Book (stand-alone)Manual / guideSave and Grow – A technical guide to agricultural practices in Zambia
Towards sustainable agricultural intensification
2021Also available in:
No results found.This guide has been developed for extension officers in both the public and the private, including those interested in agricultural development in Zambia. The goal of this manual is to serve as a tool that allows readers to access up to date information about various agricultural practices and their advantages and disadvantages. There are many organisations in Zambia that have programs that aim towards sustainable development in the agricultural sector. Amongst these programs, there are many different approaches to the goal of improving livelihoods. Although these various programs have good reasons for promoting their specific methods, this manual aims to take an independent stance to portray what all of them offer and why. This manual also includes significant information about new approaches and traditional farmer practices or conventional farming methods. The central theme in this manual is that there can never be only one way to achieve a goal under such diverse conditions as are found in agriculture. Although a certain amount of benefit can be gained by rigid guidelines to agricultural practice (for example a specific crop spacing, tillage method or fertilizer recommendation), the diverse factors that affect peoples’ decisions relate to economic, social and environmental conditions make such guidelines impractical in many cases.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
No results found.