Supporting smallholders in maintaining soil health: key challenges and strategies

Publication date: 06/08/2018
Extent: 24 pages

Contributions by: David Güereña, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Nepal

Chapter synopsis: Smallholder farmers are important stewards of global soil resources with strong linkages between livelihoods, global poverty and soil health There is no single method to engage with smallholder farmers in managing soil health, as they are a diverse group scattered across multiple geographies, soil types, agro-ecologies, cropping systems and cultures. However, systematically understanding the key challenges and behaviour drivers among selected groups of smallholder farmers can provide insights into targeted approaches to address the challenges. This chapter defines and characterizes smallholder farmers before describing the key constraints and challenges they face, including financial, labour, agronomic input, behavioural and knowledge-access constraints. The chapter examines the key levers that can assist smallholders in maintaining soil health, and provides suggestions for further reading in this area.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2017.0033.32