Food Security through Conservation Agriculture.

The Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (SANREM) Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP) implements multidisciplinary and multi-institutional applied research that mobilizes science and technology, fosters innovation and improvement in the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture and natural resource management, and leads to improved food production, secure livelihoods, and expanded trade opportunities and capacities for stakeholders.  Phase IV research activities are focused on increasing smallholder food security through the introduction of conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS).  SANREM CRSP began its Phase IV research on conservation agriculture in Haiti, South America, South and Southeast Asia, and South, West, and East Africa in October 2009 and will continue through September 2014. Seven projects will share $15 million in funding from USAID.  Phase IV research and capacity building activities will develop and demonstrate locally sustainable CAPS for smallholder rain-fed crop production systems that improve food security and the productive capacity and ecosystem services of degraded and productive agricultural lands.  The poster describes the goals and objectives of the program, the research partnership, the research sites in 13 countries, research hypotheses that are being tested, and cross-project methodologies.