Smarter conservation agriculture with crop and livestock integration

This work was made possible through the generous funding provided by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).  

The Conservation Agriculture in Crop-Livestock Systems (CLCA) project, funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), involved National Agricultural Research and Extension Services (NARES), local decision-makers, IFAD partners, and NGOs that worked together to create decision-making processes and guide investments in locally specific CLCAs. 

When ICARDA first introduced the sustainable integration of crops and livestock management into conservation agriculture approaches, Tunisian farmers like Adnen Abdrabbah were initially skeptical. It didn’t take long for the benefit to convince him. While Adnan was familiar with the foundational principles of conservation agriculture, such as minimizing mechanical soil disturbance, maintaining a permanent organic cover for soil from a growing crop or dead mulch, and implementing diversified crop rotations, it was not obvious how his sheep could be integrated as well, without compromising production yields.  

A key factor to the solution lay in high-yield forages, prompting Mr. Abdrabbah to experiment with a blend of oats, triticale, and vetch, a protein-rich grazing crop for livestock. This balance between livestock production and sustainable land use, inspired by the regenerative forces of nature, has since reduced his reliance on harmful pesticides while simultaneously improving yields. 

Adnen is one of 2200 crop-livestock producers, of which 40% are women, who directly adopted enhanced farming practices through the CLCA project, rolled out in North Africa (Algeria and Tunisia) and Latin America (Bolivia and Mexico) between 2018 and 2022. The project aimed to increase production and improve farmers’ resilience to climate change in drylands. In total, 20,000 households indirectly benefited from the project via access to local, adaptable soil conservation and water use efficiency technologies. They also learned and utilized better forage crops and biomass management practices that impacted the whole production system and the related value chains. 

Higher yields, lower costs 

By improving natural resources like soil fertility and biodiversity, conservation agriculture (CA) enhances resilience to climate change and increases yields. It promotes minimum soil disturbance by reducing mechanical soil tillage – key in developing countries where access to machines is challenging – using cover crops to maintain permanent soil cover and crop rotation to avoid the negative effects of monoculture agriculture. In arid areas where market pressures and competition for resources are high, CA practices have been proven to help farmers diversify their income sources and foster a better balance between crops and livestock. 

In Algeria and Tunisia, the CLCA project led to a significant reduction in irrigation water use and an increase in barley and wheat production, as well as reduced fungal diseases in durum wheat fields, among other environmental impacts. In Algeria, where around 720 farmers were using tailored CLCA packages at the end of the project, the adoption of no-till practices allowed a gain in yields from 0.6 to 1.4 tons per hectare and a 13-24% decrease in production costs. Moreover, in Tunisia, CLCA technology reduced soil loss due to erosion by 14% compared to conventional practices. 

Farmers from various regions across Algeria shared their positive experiences with zero tillage (ZT) under the CLCA project. Kebaili Laala from the Saleh Bey/Sétif site noted the quicker crop emergence compared to traditional methods, making 10,000 Algerian Dinars in profit despite lacking a tractor. Selim Benhmid from the Ain Mlila/Oum Bouaghi site highlighted how ZT saved both time and money with extraordinary forage growth that benefits livestock and prepares the soil for the next season. Houcine Khamej, also from Saleh Bey, emphasized the preservation of vegetative cover and improved fodder availability for sheep through direct seeding and conservation agriculture. 

"To yield such result, we involved the farmers and local and national players in the development of locally relevant and efficient CLCA technologies and practices to ensure wide uptake of sustainable farming practices. Keeping farmers – both men and women – at the heart of this project and giving them the means to make the right decisions for their development plans was instrumental,"  - Mourad Rekik, ICARDA. 

It starts and ends with the farmers

Grounding its work in participatory adaptive research, ICARDA established knowledge hubs attended by farmer groups and associations to integrate new technology, disseminate CA innovations, train farmers, and fill research gaps. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-field training and demonstrations were halted, so researchers had to innovate. In Tunisia, for example, where access to agricultural extension is often limited, technical SMS messages related to CA, livestock, and forages were sent to hundreds of farmers, 50% women.  

Halfway to the end of the project, 180 knowledge products provided compelling, evidence-based solutions tailored to a wide range of end-users—from the scientific community to development and rural practitioners—familiarizing them with CA practices and benefits. 

ICARDA's researchers also designed on-farm training and trials on animal health, feeding practices, forage mixtures, seed cleaning, and treatment units specifically for women and youth. This gender-sensitive approach has significantly contributed to changing social norms and the broad adoption of CA practices. For example, in Tunisia, this led to the distribution of 25 handheld seeders to women farmers, who often own and manage small land plots where large machinery can't operate, reducing labour and slashing costs by 40%.

"Before the training, I had never planted on my own. Although I'm a farmer, I would always hire someone to cultivate my land. After receiving the handheld seed spreader and trying it, I loved it. ICARDA provided us with training on how to use it, and now women like me don't need anyone's help to farm their land." – Ayda Aguil, Tunisian farmer.  

The project also facilitated the development of small-scale mechanization in North African countries by supporting the development of locally manufactured agricultural machinery. This includes feed pelleting, grinding machinery, seed treatment, and cleaning equipment. These technological innovations were designed to improve the efficiency of feed and forage seed production while reducing farmers' operating costs. As a result, more than 1,200 members of farmer associations, including a significant number of women, have benefited from targeted training programs and improved access to essential machinery. Such achievements supported agricultural productivity and promoted gender inclusion and equity within the established KHs.

"Knowledge hubs and farmer cooperatives were crucial in developing and scaling out innovations among farmers in all regions because they made it possible to identify primary needs for farmers and subsequently develop a menu of solutions adapted to each context and tailored to their interests. For instance, focusing on solutions to improve forage helped us bring farmers on board and expand into more diversified CLCA innovations."  - Aymen Frija, ICARDA

This is how the CLCA project found solutions that allowed the diversification of cropping systems, improving soil health while ensuring the healthy growth of animals. 

Synergies for new markets 

Innovation goes further than field level. To overcome the absence of a formal forage seed system in Tunisia, the Institut National de Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie (INRAT) and Compagnie Grainière Tunisienne (COTUGRAIN) formed a public-private partnership. Together, they contributed to making highly productive forage mixtures and market varieties available to farmers.  

"Through the CLCA project, we've become actively involved in producing high-quality, balanced forages to nourish our livestock, helping us address the shortage of quality feed in our region, Sers." – Noura Gatri, Tunisian farmer and President of the Women Farmers' Association "GFDA Sers," Kef District, NW Tunisia.

In addition, six webinars were organized to share knowledge and experiences between researchers, farmers, and decision-makers from Algeria, Tunisia, Bolivia, and Mexico. This South-South knowledge exchange validated the overall new CLCA approach, which relies on a set of principles and a menu of integrated crop-livestock options developed alongside farmers that could evolve and be adapted to local contexts. 

This flexible, participatory approach means that CLCA is redefining conventional agronomy and demonstrating that traditional conservation agriculture practices are unsuitable for mixed, small-scale farmers in drylands. In such settings, where soil health and water efficiency are increasingly challenged by climate change and crop monoculture, farmers must adopt new, climate-smart crop and livestock approaches. CLCA offers them a viable, sustainable alternative. 

As global food security challenges escalate due to the effects of climate change on agrifood systems, ICARDA's participatory and adaptive CLCA research approach is proving to be a powerful, cutting-edge scientific tool to complement advancing agricultural practices that also values women farmers as pivotal to modern agri-innovation. 

However, it can only achieve its full potential through a robust network of collaborative efforts and the pooling of expertise and knowledge—both traditional and contemporary. Partners and donors like IFAD, which plays a crucial role in fostering sustainable agricultural practices, should ensure continued and increased investment in building climate resilience and productive agrifood systems.  

Contributors:

• Mourad Rekik, Principal Scientist - Small Ruminant Physiology and Management, ICARDA

• Aymen Frija, Senior Scientist - Agricultural Economist (Economic Modeling) and Country Liaison of ICARDA-Tunisia, ICARDA 

• Zied Idoudi, Research Associate – Economics and Participatory Methods, ICARDA 

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