Socioeconomic Impacts of Conservation Agriculture based Sustainable Intensification (CASI) with Particular Reference to South Asia

Abstract

Compared to the past successes of global food supply, reduced natural and social capitals, Food-Energy-Water insecurities, climate change and volatile international commodity markets threaten future food production. Among the options for sustainable agriculture, various No-till (NT) practices have been adapted to different farming systems around the world. One particular adaptation, Conservation Agriculture based Sustainable Intensification (CASI) that combines the strengths of conservation agriculture and sustainable intensification, has succeeded in a number of farming systems including parts of South Asia. Farmer-participatory on-farm research results in the irrigated Rice-Wheat Farming System of Bangladesh, eastern India and Nepal showed that CASI strengthened the Food-Energy- Water nexus through increased food crop productivity, and energy and water use efficiencies. Furthermore, CASI reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved natural resources. Notable socioeconomic impacts of CASI were improved household food security and income, reduced production costs, better returns to labor, benefits to women, expanded social capital and strengthened system resilience. These socioeconomic benefits are important drivers of smallholder adoption of CASI and underpin the prospects for widespread scaling. These impacts from South Asia are an example of the potential for CASI adaptation for other irrigated and dryland farming systems elsewhere in South Asia, as well as in East Asia, the Middle East and Africa.