ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the national agricultural research stations in Malawi and Zambia began conservation agriculture (CA) trials in the 1990s, calculating yield differences in maize under varied tillage, mulching and crop rotation systems. Whilst increasing production is clearly beneficial, particularly in an import-dependent country such as Zambia, few studies consider the relative merits of CA in relation to agri-food system resilience. Maize is known to be particularly vulnerable to water shortages. In this chapter 73 percent of women engaged in Conservation Agriculture were members of community committees, compared to 58 percent of women engaged in conventional agriculture. The number of national-level studies of the drivers and underlying causes of deforestation of miombo woodlands in Zambia and Malawi. This chapter has reviewed history of CA in Zambia and Malawi, highlighting the emergence of narratives of CA success that have formed the basis of a growing community of advocacy and investment in this 'climate smart' solution.
