SysCom and ProEcoAfrica/OFSA projects (Project brief)

Summary

There is continued global debate on which agricultural production systems are more productive, natural resource conserving, environmentally friendly, economically viable and accepted by society. Many stakeholders have raised concerns about the long-term impact of conventional agriculture on soil productivity, yields and the ecosystem. Organic agriculture is one of the prominent alternative farming approaches, advocated for its benefits to health, environment and social welfare, but is generally perceived as not productive enough to meet growing food demands.
Several studies conducted under temperate environments (mostly in Europe or Northern America) have established the benefits of organic farming over conventional farming. However, it has been questioned whether organic agriculture can contribute to sustainable development in tropical conditions. SysCom and ProEcoAfrica/ OFSA projects aim to fill this knowledge gap by working closely with farmers to design and undertake research in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, India and Bolivia.