What is CA-UK?
A new Association started following numerous requests for a dedicated body, are in practical terms, to bring into effect the following objectives, that of: promoting and supporting the adoption and spreading of Conservation Agriculture systems in the UK.
It is a member driven Association, directed at those farmers already adopting CA husbandry and by those interested in converting to CA.
CA-UK intends to facilitate the exchange of information, ideas and techniques between members about systems and practices.
To offer training and practical advice towards the implementation of CA and by nature of “Open Days”, “Field Days” and “Demo Days” around the country. We envisage a series of Seminar/Meetings to back up the knowledge exchange and demonstrations.
A “How to Start” section is designed to acquaint the enquiring farmer, from equipment types, systems, cropping and timing and general advice to enable a transfer to CA with as little confusion and trouble as possible.
The “news window” will update users on the international growth of CA and on the research and education, which is considerable, and liaise throughout Europe via the European CA Federation (ECAF) on which CA-UK represents the interests of the UK.
As an Association we are able to both advocate and apply pressure politically and institutionally for the recognition and advancement of CA, also via links to the FAO-hosted Global CA Community of Practice (CA-CoP) site (www.fao.org/ag/ca), facilitated by Professor Amir Kassam, to get a clear view of the depth of CA uptake internationally.
It is worthy of note that the FAO 2013/14 figure for global CA adoption runs at 160 million hectares of cropland increasing by about 10 million per year (some 2 1/2 times the total UK arable area).
CA principles can be applied to all land-based agricultural production system in rainfed and irrigated farming, including horticulture systems, orchards and plantations, agroforestry systems, crop-livestock systems, mixed systems, rice-based systems and organic systems.