“Conservation Agriculture” is now on track to become the national standard for farming in Turkey.

Farmers, policy makers, technical experts and nongovernmental organizations agree on the need to scale up use of this innovative approach, which helps increase crop yields while simultaneously protecting the environment.

The environmental and economic consequences of many conventional farming practices are staggering. Ploughing and tilling of fields causes soil to erode, water to evaporate and biodiversity to disappear. In a study of four Central Asian countries, experts estimated that land degradation and water salinization caused losses totaling US$ 2.5 billion in potential agricultural production.

Conservation Agriculture encourages alternative techniques such as crop diversification and “biological tillage” to preserve soil quality for the long-term. The proven benefits of Conservation Agriculture are compelling many countries to integrate it in their rural development programs.

“As part of its new Save and Grow initiative, FAO is encouraging farmers to adopt Conservation Agriculture techniques that intensify crop production while sustainably managing natural resources,” said Yuriko Shoji, FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for Central Asia. “Turkey is joining a growing international movement that recognizes that economic prosperity and environmental stewardship are not mutually exclusive.”

The shift to Conservation Agriculture in Turkey is already under way. Research and field experiments are fully operational and manufacturers are producing environmentally friendly tools like no-till drills. The next step is to prepare a national strategy for expanding Conservation Agriculture across the country, with technical training for farmers and policy guidance for government decision-makers.

The groundwork for a national strategy was laid at a recent workshop in Ankara, organized by FAO’s Sub-Regional Office for Central Asia and the Turkish Ministry of Food, Livestock and Agriculture.

As Turkey forges ahead, other regions are showing increased interest in transitioning to Conservation Agriculture. Next month, FAO will open discussions with a half-dozen post-Soviet countries to evaluate the potential for conservation agriculture in Eastern Europe.

27 November 2014, Ankara, Turkey