Adopting conservation agriculture practices requires a big shift in farmers’ attitudes; this is in itself a challenge. But radio and other media can play a role in addressing this challenge by promoting conservation agriculture. As a broadcaster, you can air programs about the different practices involved in conservation agriculture, as well as giving air time to farmers who are practising it so that they can tell their stories.
Introduce the idea slowly, providing more details and information with each successive program. Reinforce the idea that farmers who choose to adopt these practices will face challenges, as they would with any new practice, but that experience is showing that farmers have the tools to solve these problems as they arise.
Of course, innovation is a trademark of farmers everywhere. The reward for farmers will be that their soils will become productive again and their farming systems will become more sustainable.
Our Script of the week provides information about conservation agriculture, in particular its three signature practices: reducing or eliminating tillage, keeping the soil covered, and crop rotations and combinations.