World Congress on Conservation Agriculture, 26-29 September 2011 - incorporating Farming Systems Design and Landcare

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) have joined forces to host the fifth World Congress on Conservation Agriculture (WCCA) incorporating the third Farming Systems Design Conference in Australia this year.

The Congress, held in Brisbane 26 to 29 September, provided a unique forum for scientists, policy makers, farmers and  students to discuss the application of conservation agriculture techniques to different farming systems around the world in order to boost food security and improve the agricultural environment.

With a focus ranging from high-tech, commercial farms to low-cost smallholder systems in the developing world, the Congress  included presentations from keynote speakers, workshop sessions facilitated by Australian and International researchers and a field day to the University of Queensland. The four principal themes were:

• More efficient management practices for conservation agriculture to improve livelihoods and reduce environmental footprint,
• Designing more productive farming systems that integrate solutions and balance trade-offs,
• Achieving impact through more effective consultation, participation and knowledge sharing,
• Informing policy development and supporting market effectiveness.

Read more and comment on the WCCA - FSD blog