Namibia to transition to climate-smart agriculture

A new conservation agriculture framework is being designed to transition Namibian farmers from rain-fed traditional farming practices toward climate-smart agriculture.The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) - through a 10-country regional project - is supporting the development of the second generation of the Comprehensive Conservation Agriculture Programme (CCAP) in Namibia.The five-year programme, ‘Strengthening coordination, scaling up and governance of conservation agriculture in southern Africa’, will inspire Namibian farmers to adopt conservation agriculture in order to ensure resilience, food security and nutrition as well as environmental protection.According to the FAO, consultations among key stakeholders are underway to guide the design of the intervention, and also ensure ownership and its successful implementation.According to the organisation, the first ever CCAP for the period 2015 to 2020 registered commendable progress towards improving food production and income for farmers in Namibia.CCAP is a framework for the coordinated implementation of conservation agriculture by all stakeholders in the country.According to a statement, the framework is aimed at increasing the application of conservation agriculture principles and practices among crop-growing farmers of Namibia.Best decisionGodfried Meeja from the Otjozondjupa Region said adopting conservation agriculture was the best decision he ever made as a farmer, as he increased yields and now earns a decent income.Meanwhile, Paulina Aluuma encouraged other farmers to adopt the practice as it is an effective means to counter negative climate change effects such as low and variable pattern rainfall experienced in Oshana.“Conservation agriculture has been promoted as an entry point to climate-smart agriculture and has the potential to contribute towards mitigation of some of the climate change and food system challenges in Namibia,” deputy executive director in the agriculture ministry, Mildred Kambinda, said in a meeting to evaluate the conservation agriculture framework.Assistant FAO representative in Namibia, Ferdinard Mwapopi said as the global climate crisis intensifies, more and more countries are beginning to adopt climate-smart, sustainable agriculture to ensure food security to feed millions of vulnerable people.“Namibia still remains a net importer of food items and is thus highly exposed to environmental and economic factors affecting it as well as those prevailing food-exporting countries, and this increases its vulnerability to the shocks.”VulnerabilitiesAgriculture in Namibia is primarily rain-fed, with the majority of the population engaged in subsistence farming.“Despite agriculture being the main source of food for small-holder farmers, most conventional farming practices have negative impacts on the ecosystems and contribute to environmental degradation, for example loss of soil quality,” Mwapopi noted.With Namibia’s vulnerabilities - such as prolonged dry spells and floods, which at times take place simultaneously - conservation agriculture adoption will provide sustainable food production, the FAO said.

Namibia to transition to climate-smart agriculture

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-12

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Namibia to transition to climate-smart agriculture

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-12

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