1) The document discusses opportunities for youth employment in sustainable agricultural mechanization and conservation agriculture (CA) in Africa. 2) CA practices like no-till farming can build soil, reduce erosion, lower input costs, and increase yields. Mechanized tools and equipment can make farming less laborious. 3) An initiative called AfricaMechanize is launching platforms and a knowledge hub to link farmers, service providers, and equipment manufacturers to support adoption of sustainable agricultural mechanization practices in Africa. 4) Capacity development is needed at various levels through initiatives like CA Centers of Excellence to train farmers and entrepreneurs in CA and mechanization and create an enabling environment for their widespread adoption.

1. Mechanized Conservation
Agriculture Offers Irresistibly
Interesting and Admirable CSA
Employment Opportunities for
Africa’s Youths
Presented at
3rd Africa Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance Forum
by
Saidi Mkomwa, Executive Director,
African Conservation Tillage Network (ACT)
Dakar, Senegal,
28 March 2019

2. What Constitutes Decent
Employment?
1. Opportunities for work that is productive and
delivers a fair income,
2. Security in the workplace and social protection
for families,
3. Better prospects for personal development and
social integration,
4. Freedom for people to express their concerns,
5. Organize and participate in the decisions that
affect their lives, and
6. Equality of opportunity and treatment for all
women and men.
ILO

3. Making Farming Competitive, Productive and
Sustainable with Conservation Agriculture (CA)
CA is a farming system
that enhances
biodiversity and natural
biological processes
above and below the
ground surface, which
contribute to increased
water and nutrient use
efficiency and to
improved and sustained
crop production

4. How CA makes farming smart
Planted 20th Feb 2019. Madrugada, Nakuru
Photo 20th March. No rain past 3 months.
 CA builds soil, stops erosion,
reverses degradation (1 mm
new soil per year)
 SOM increase 0.1-0.2% per
year. More available water in
soils (1 % OM = 150 m3/ha)
 Less water needs (-30-40%)
 Less fertilizer use (-50%),
also no fertilizer, less
pesticides (-20->50%), also
no pesticides
 Less machinery, energy &
labour cost (50-70%)
 Recharge of aquifers,
improved water quality

5. Mean maize grain yield over six seasons (2013
to 2016) cropping seasons in Laikipia, Kenya

6. Making Farming Less Arduous and
Admirable to the Youths
 28 vs 248 tractors per 1000 ha
 You need to walk 42 km/ha with an ox-
plough; 14 km/ha with a walking tractor!
 Av. age of the Kenyan farmer is 62
years! It is 45 years for the horticulture
farmer.
 Farming is seen as a resolve for rural
dwellers – not famers
Region Human muscle
power
Draught
animal power
Engine
power
Sub Saharan
Africa
65 25 10
East Asia 40 40 20
South Asia 30 30 40
Latin America and
the Caribbean
25 25 50

7. The opportunities presented by CA-based
Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization
 African Union SAM
Framework launched Oct
2018 & AfricaMechanize
 Mechanized Direct
seeding or mulch planting
 Timeliness of farm operations
 Extended planting window
 Precision planting, spacing
 Precision metering of scarce
seeds and fertilisers
 Precise positioning of seeds
and fertilisers at pre-
defined optimal spacing

8. What equipment for Conservation Agriculture?
Hand tools: Jab
planter, hoe, stick
Oxen direct seeding
Tractor mounted seederHighly mechanized
Start with what farmers have
2WT direct seeding

9. How CA-based Sustainable Agricultural
Mechanization induces needed Resilience
How mechanization in CA builds resilience?
 Rehabilitating and conserving natural resources: reduction
in soil erosion and compaction, and enhancing soil health;
 Sequestering carbon;
 Improved cropping ratio (doubling number of crops
without irrigation).
System resilience can be expressed
 Improved and more stable yields and profit;
 Reduced production inputs of seeds, water, nutrients,
biocides, and energy;
 Greater farm output and return to investment

10. AfricaMechanize
……….Africa's Global link to Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization…….

11. Sustainable Agriculture Mechanization Platform

12. Knowledge Hub

13. Equipment & Machinery

14. EQUIPMENT & MACHINERY
• This section offers buyers
(farmers, mechanized service
providers and projects) a one
stop shop for their equipment,
machinery and spares.
• It also offers linkage to market
for Agriculture machinery
manufactures in Africa and
Beyond.

15. MECHANIZED SERVICE PROVISION
Unique features:
• Real-time
• Free –No charges to Public
accessing services.
• Competitive –choose trained
service providers at market rate.
• Forum – Allows for service
providers to carry out peer-peer
discussions in a community of
practice
• Vetted service providers
• Tools & Reports for service
providers

16. Enterprise Diversification Opportunities
under CSA
1. CA translates to saved time (up to
57% of the growing season) – so what?
• What is 2 months of saved time if there
is nothing productive to do in the
remaining 8 months of the year?
2. Intensification: can we plant a 2nd or
3rd crop using the residual moisture
and produce more over time on the
same piece of land?
3. CA doubles grain yields! Good news.
But, at 5 tons/ha, a 10 hectare and a
0.5 hectare farmer are talking of 50
versus 2.5 tons! Inadequate to
eradicate poverty

17. Pan-African Level:
Creation of Enabling
Environments: ICAAP
Africa, iSAMAP Africa,
National Level:
Building Institutions:
Centres of Excellence;
CSO, Service Provider
Associations,
Grassroots Level:
Build demanded
Capacity: e.g.
Entrepreneurship &
Business Development
Systemic: Policies, Plans,
Regulatory Frameworks
Organizational: Establish
efficient structures,
processes and procedures
Individual: Skills, knowledge,
competencies and attitudes.
ACT NETWORK
The Africa We Want: Agenda 2063
Prosperous Africa based on Sustainable Development
Cross Cutting
Level:
ICT-based platforms &
Knowledge
Management
Knowledge Management &
Information Sharing
3. Modernized
infrastructure,
decent housing,
healthy and well
nourished citizens
7. Africa’s natural
endowments are
healthy &
protected, with
climate resilient
economies and
communities
6. Blue
ocean
economy for
accelerated
economic
growth
4. Transformed
economies for shared
growth, decent jobs &
economic opportunities
for all
1. A high standard
of living, quality
of life and well-
being
2. Well educated &
skilled citizens,
underpinned by
science, technology
and innovation
5. Modern agriculture
for increased
production,
productivity & value
addition contributes to
prosperity and food
security
The need to Develop Capacity at all Levels

18. The CA Centres of Excellence

19. CoE Capacity Development
Functions

20. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
THANK YOU
FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE
WORKING TOGETHER
#AfricaMechanize