Organic agriculture: African experiences in resilience and sustainability

This publication demonstrates that organic management can benefit people, the economy and ecosystems and that this can be achieved in Africa, where hunger and degradation stubbornly persist, despite decades of development efforts. The work presented in this volume stems from the conference on Mainstreaming Organic Agriculture in the African Development Agenda, held in Lusaka, Zambia, from 2 to 4 May 2012. Participants of this Conference shared research results confirming that organic agricultural practices increase yields, improve livelihoods and food security, conserve indigenous knowledge, plant varieties and animal breeds, as well as sociocultural development, and provide much greater resilience in times of climate extremes, such as drought and heavy rains. This publication expands on selected research presented during the Lusaka Conference. The different chapters document sustainability experiences, including: mainstreaming organic agriculture into African development approaches

and smallholders' knowledge harnessed through family farmers learning groups and customized information and communication technologies.

indigenous ethno-veterinary practices and new understanding of customary systems of resource management

ecofunctional intensification through management of legumes, systems of rice intensification and integrated farming

community-based livestock systems combining holistic range management