Advanced Course–Asia & North Africa: CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE Gateway for Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Systems

The Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices with increased acceptance across the globe are being considered as harbinger for sustainable intensification of smallholder production systems. Its positive impact on natural resources, and resilience to climate change effects are widely acknowledged. In developing world specially Asia and Africa, CA is a relatively new introduction and hence capacity development is vital for development, adaptation and scaling CA based technologies for impact at scale on smallholder farmers in these regions. Therefore, an advanced and practical course on conservation agriculture shall offer unique capacity development opportunity to the scientific community associated with natural resource management research for development (NRMR4D). The advanced course on CA in Asia, was initiated during 2010 and 10th in the series with expanded geography (North Africa) is and BISA under the aegis of CGIAR Research Programs on WHEAT, MAIZE, CCAFS in close collaboration with Indian NARS (ICAR, PAU etc). This course links the advances and  multidisciplinary approach for sustainable intensification of maize and wheat based system in particular and cereal & legume based systems in general. The technologies and strategies for restoration of natural resource and climate resilient production systems with vast expertise of CIMMYT researcher and partners across Asia, Africa and Americas. Keeping in view the high response, the course has become a regular flagship activity wherein selected young men and women researchers from NARS as well as international organizations and NGOs across Asia and North Africa involved in CA based sustainable intensification can be benefited.