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Overcoming the physical and mental barriers for upscaling Conservation Agriculture in the Mediterranean

Original titleOvercoming the physical and mental barriers for upscaling Conservation Agriculture in the Mediterranean
Abstract

The overall objective of ConServeTerra is to facilitate wider adoption of CA principles in the Mediterranean region by tackling the mental, cultural and contextual realities surrounding farmers’ soil management decisions. ConServeTerra will approach the issue from two angles: First it will analyse and map the mental and cultural attitudes towards soil and its management, while simultaneously using educational tools (i.e., rainwater simulator) to improve farmers’ appreciation and understanding of soils. Secondly, selected pragmatic application of CA principles (e.g., strategic and reduced tillage, appropriate stubble grazing, and legumes) will be investigated. Accordingly, ConServeTerra will adopt a more pragmatic and ecological approach to CA based on site-specific biophysical, socio-economic cultural and mental factor considerations. These ecologically based systems restrict the use of expensive fertilizers and pesticides and are more flexible with the tillage intensity, which is a vital strategy in controlling weeds for low-input smallholder farmers.

Financing/ Donor
  • European Union
(Research) Program
  • European Commission, Horizon 2020
Project partners
  • University of Kassel (Germany)
  • University of Giessen (Germany)
  • University of Barcelona (Spain)
  • Consortium of Gallecs (Spain)
  • National Institute of Agronomic Research (Morocco)
  • Agriculture Developpement Environnement pour L'Avenir (Morocco)
  • University of IAVHassan II (Morocco)
  • El Baraka farmers association (Morocco)
  • West Maroc (Morocco)
  • National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia (Tunisia)
  • National Agency for Field Crops (Tunisia)
  • L'Association Pour l'Agriculture Durable (Tunisia)
  • Office of Livestock and Pasture (Tunisia)
  • Bahri Dagdas International Agricultural Research Institute (Turkey)
  • Conservation Agriculture Association (Turkey)
  • Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau (FiBL Switzerland)
  • Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau (FiBL Germany)
FiBL project leader/ contact
FiBL project staff (people who are not linked are former FiBL employees)
Role of FiBL

Work Package Lead (WP 1 and WP 7)

FiBL project number 6925
Date modified 20.02.2024
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