Conservation agriculture and performance of farms in West Africa

Abstract

In West Africa, conservation agriculture can contribute to achieving ecological intensification of farming systems if research produces more references on its effects at the farm level. This study conducted in Burkina Faso assesses ex ante the effects of conservation agriculture on the performance of virtual farms representing the different types identified in the area. Two whole-farm simulation tools were used: Cikeda and Olympe. The effects of applying conservation agriculture on 50% of the cereal area were simulated for income, cereal and fodder balances and labour. Simulations show that conservation agriculture has positive effects on income and the fodder balance, but it increases the demand for labour. For producers, adopting conservation agriculture is a means of engaging their farms in an evolution pathway, for example through the development of livestock activities. The introduction of cattle fattening can therefore trigger investment in conservation agriculture for farms with a stocking rate lower than 1.5 animal per ha. There is also, however, a need to develop collective organizational innovations, particularly for the management of crop residues.