Unconventional
Unconventional
Unconventional
©FAO/J. Kienzle
During the past 40 years, the world has lost a third of its arable land, about 430 million
hectares. Conservation Agriculture is a farming system that can prevent such losses
while regenerating degraded lands. It promotes minimum mechanical soil disturbance
(no/zero tillage), maintenance of a permanent soil cover and diversification of plant
species. It enhances biodiversity and natural biological processes above and below the
ground surface, which contribute to increased water and nutrient use efficiency and to
improved and sustained crop production.
What we do
Conservation Agriculture is a concept in
support of sustainable land management,
environmental protection and climate
change adaptation and mitigation.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
promotes the adoption of Conservation
Agriculture principles (minimum mechanical
soil disturbance (no/zero-tillage, permanent
©ACT/B. Njenga
soil cover and crop rotations) that are
universally applicable in all agricultural
landscapes and cropping systems.
Conservation Agriculture is based on three interlinked principles adapted to reflect local conditions and needs:
Minimum mechanical soil disturbance (i.e. no/zero tillage) through direct seed and/or fertilizer placement.
This reduces soil erosion and preserves soil organic matter.
Permanent soil organic cover (at least 30 percent) with crop residues and/or cover crops. Maintaining a protective
layer of vegetation on the soil surface suppresses weeds, protects the soil from the impact of extreme weather
patterns, helps to preserve soil moisture, and avoids compaction of the soil.
CB8350EN/1/03.22 – Revised version
Species diversification through varied crop sequences and associations involving at least three different crop
species. A well-designed crop rotation promotes good soil structure, fosters a diverse range of soil flora and
© FAO, 2022
fauna that contributes to nutrient cycling and improved plant nutrition, and helps to prevent pests and diseases.
FAO. 2016. Save and Grow in practice: Maize, rice and wheat. Rome. https://www.fao.org/3/i4009e/i4009e.pdf