Conservation agriculture: A pathway to achieving sustainable development goals

Abstract

Conservation agriculture (CA) is an approach to optimize farm and watershed performance. It integrates local and national economic systems while considering societal, environmental and institutional frameworks. This approach engages value chains supported by public, private and civil sectors. CA seeks to harmonize the use of natural resources with population needs, employing sustainable intensification to meet human demands effectively and preventing the loss of arable land. Conservation agriculture directly influences all sustainable development goals (SDGs) by leveraging the core principles of minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop rotation. Conservation agriculture can prove to be a viable option for meeting the targets of the sustainable agenda. This practice supports environmental, social and economic justice, which creates a holistic developmental route that supports the burgeoning population. Conservation agriculture relies on a knowledge-based strategy to reduce production costs, enabling farmers to adopt new technologies more readily. While CA demonstrates significant benefits across scales, its adoption remains constrained by socioeconomic factors and limited mechanization in the smallholder context. Advancing CA requires a multidisciplinary, participatory research paradigm coupled with policy support, institutional support and capacity building for farmers. CA offers a sustainable framework that ensures sustainable intensification and environmental stewardship in the long term.