ABSTRACT
This chapter describes Conservation Agriculture (CA) and associated carbon (C) management with its potential role in meeting food demands while minimizing environmental damage; and examines how improvements in carbon cycling and energy flow might advance the effectiveness of CA systems in meeting these challenges. CA is more than avoidance of tillage—it is an ecosystem approach that involves progressive, system-wide change in the farmer's cultural practices, along with a change in mindset, to bypass the use of the plow. The chapter proposes that CA be framed on the premise of promoting solar energy flows through lands while, at the same time, maintaining sufficient reserves of energy to achieve long-term resilience. The goals of CA are to improve long-term productivity, profits and food security, particularly under the threat of climate change. Because CA avoids tillage, it is less time-consuming and can be more cost-effective than conventional farming methods.
