BACKGROUND OF THE EVENT

In the last few decades, the modernisation of the agriculture has been accompanied by damaging effects on the environment. In fact, conventional agriculture, mainly characterised by intensive tillage and external inputs to replace organic matter depleted through harvested products and effects of practices such as straw burning and/or removal, is still widely used throughout the world. It has shown consistent negative effects on soil, water and air qualities, global climate, biodiversity at all levels, including the landscape and on ecosystem services and resilience. 

Soil degradation due to erosion and compaction processes is probably the most serious environmental problem caused by conventional agriculture. About 10 million hectares of land are lost per year for agricultural uses, due to soil degradation processes. Average annual soil erosion rates in many areas of the world (17 tons per hectare per year) greatly exceed the average rate of soil formation, which is 1 ton per hectare per year. Most countries are affected to some extent by this problem. For example, in the Mediterranean area, soil erosion is very severe, moderately to seriously affecting (50% to 70%) the agricultural land.

Conventional agriculture intensification (increased mechanisation and ploughing) over the past 50 years has contributed substantially to this trend, increasing the risk of desertification in the most vulnerable areas. The degradation has a strong economic impact on the affected agricultural land, and off-site on the surrounding environment and related public infrastructure. Estimates indicate that erosion increases agricultural production costs by about 25% each year (53 Euros per hectare). Further, if on-site and off-site costs are combined, the total annual cost of erosion from agriculture can be estimated at about 85.5 Euros per hectare. Water quality in particular is seriously impaired by conventional agriculture.

Conventional agriculture, i.e. mouldboard ploughing and/or straw burning produce extra carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions to the atmosphere and reduce the potential CO₂ sink effect of the soil, thereby decreasing the organic matter content of the soil and contributing to global warming. Historically, intensive tillage of agricultural soils has led to substantial losses of soil carbon (C), frequently over 50% during 20-30 years of cultivation. Conversely, the adoption of conservation agriculture practices, such as direct sowing or non-inversion tillage counteract these effects and allow sustained productivity.

Conservation agriculture refers to a wide range of diffeerent practices that permit the management of soil for agrarian uses, altering its composition, structure and natural biodiversity as little as possible and defending it from erosion and degradation. The various techniques and practices revolve around the optimisation of natural processes for recycling nutrients, restoring soil fertility, retaining moisture and minimising runoff while allowing drainage of excess water, maintaining soil and water quality and thereby optimising the land potential to support plant and animal growth and production on a sustained basis. Conservation agriculture includes direct sowing/ no-tillage, reduced tillage/ minimum tillage, non – or surface- incorporation of crop residues and establishment of cover crops in both annual and perennial crops. 

Generally, with conservation agriculture the soil is protected from rainfall erosion and water runoff; the soil aggregates, organic matter and fertility level naturally increase, and soil deformation through heavy wheel load and frequent traffic is reduced. Furthermore, less contamination of surface water occurs, water retention and storage is enhanced, emissions of CO₂ to the atmosphere are reduced and the soil biodiversity consistently increases. The results are significant in terms of the land productivity and its capacity to sustain criop and animal production. 

A large body of scientific and technological research results supporting the environmental benefits and agronomic performance of conservation agriculture were made available in the past few decades. Furthermore, the widespread adoption of conservation agriculture in the last decade has been increasing steadily in several countries (Argentine, Brazil, Canada, Australia, USA, among others) but notably not in many others. On the other hand, extensive areas of the world such as Asia, Africa and Europe need the knowledge and the support from their respective administration and industrial sectors to systematically begin changing their agricultural technology from one that destroys its soil (conventional approach) to one that conserves, and even “regenerates”, soil, water and air resources as well as the biological resources (conservationist approach).

Ranges of experiences are available including spontaneous adoption by farmers and its adaptation to suit different socio-economic and environmental conditions as well as strategies and participatory approaches for the dissemination and expansion of conservation agriculture techniques.

Scientific Secretariat:  

European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF),

CIFA Alameda del Obispo, Avda Menéndez Pidal, s/n, Apdo 3092, 14080 Córdoba (Spain) 

Phone & Fax: +34.957.760797

e-mail: conservation.agriculture@ecaf.org

Our web sites:

FAO: http://www.fao.org/ag/AGS/AGSE/main.htm

ECAF: http://www.ecaf.org