The cheers and challenges of “Conservation Agriculture” programs implemented with small-scale farmers in identified dry and drought prone areas, with a particular focus on Kenya and Zambia

This talk will focus on the positive results we have obtained and hope to further achieve by using Conservation Agriculture (CA), as well as the main barriers and challenges faced in implementing CA in differing contexts. We will explore how CA can be scaled-up given the context-specific nature of farming and CA principles/practice.  The discussion will also include its implementation in drought prone countries and potential opportunities for sustainable global food production using CA in view of climate change and rapid population growth.

Presenters:

Stephan Lutz was born and grew up in Honduras where he attended an international school for elementary and high school. He later moved to Germany to continue his studies at the University of Kassel, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in “Tropical and Sub-Tropical Agriculture” and a Masters of Science Degree in “Ecological Agricultural/Third World Development.”  Angela Boss lives in Cumberland, BC and is the food security and agriculture technical adviser for World Renew, a bi-national Christian Relief and Development Organization. She holds a BS in International Agriculture and an MA in Human Security and Peacebuilding. Angela has consulted on agriculture and food security programs in 19 countries, including the Central African Republic, India, Zambia, and Niger. Past employment with ECHO Inc. and the Foods Resource Bank have greatly contributed to her breadth of experience with more than 15 North American relief and development agencies and their overseas partners. Angela has a keen interest in the intersection of food security and human security, gender integration in agriculture, and climate-smart practices.