Cotton expansion and biodiversity loss in African savannahs, opportunities and challenges for conservation agriculture: A review paper based on two case studies

Baudron Frédéric, Corbeels Marc, Monicat François, Giller Ken E.. 2009. Cotton expansion and biodiversity loss in African savannahs, opportunities and challenges for conservation agriculture: A review paper based on two case studies. Biodiversity and Conservation, 18 (10) : 2625-2644. Pan-African Workshop on Community-based natural resource management approaches, Niamey, Niger, 10 Mars 2008/17 Mars 2008.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-009-9663-x

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Quartile : Q2, Sujet : BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION / Quartile : Q2, Sujet : ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES / Quartile : Q2, Sujet : ECOLOGY

Liste HCERES des revues (en SHS) : oui

Thème(s) HCERES des revues (en SHS) : Psychologie-éthologie-ergonomie

Résumé : We review agricultural impacts on biodiversity and the potential of conservation agriculture in developing productive and environment-friendly cropping systems. We then analyse experiences from two African landscapes of global importance for conservation: the Mid Zambezi Valley in Southern Africa and the periphery of the ''W-Arly- Penjari'' complex in West Africa. In both areas, expansion of cotton farming, considered as one of the most polluting forms of agriculture in the world, drives major land use change and loss of biodiversity. In both areas, various forms of conservation agriculture have been developed and tested. We highlight the potential benefit of conservation agriculture in controlling negative environmental effects traditionally associated with agriculture and reducing the need for land conversion through increased biophysical resource use efficiency, turning agriculture from a threat to an opportunity for conservation. Finally, we raise a number of issues that constitute challenges for the widespread adoption of these technologies by resource-poor farmers, and formulate recommendations for the development, evaluation and diffusion of conservation agriculture technologies for smallholders in semi-arid Africa.

Mots-clés Agrovoc : Gossypium, durabilité, agriculture, impact sur l'environnement, productivité, conservation des ressources, étude de cas, biodiversité, petite exploitation agricole

Mots-clés géographiques Agrovoc : Bénin, Burkina Faso, Afrique du Sud, Niger

Mots-clés complémentaires : Agriculture de conservation

Classification Agris : P01 - Conservation de la nature et ressources foncières
F01 - Culture des plantes

Champ stratégique Cirad : Axe 1 (2005-2013) - Intensification écologique

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