Crops

Sustainable and resilient farming systems intensification in the Eastern Gangetic Plains (SRFSI)

Overview

This project aimed to reduce poverty in the Eastern Gangetic Plains by making smallholder agriculture more productive, profitable and sustainable, while safeguarding the environment, and encouraging women to participate.

In a collaborative venture with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) with more than 20 partners representing the research, development and educational sectors, the project aimed to answer two key questions:

Can farm management practices based on conservation agriculture system intensification practices increase smallholder crop productivity and resilience?
Can institutional innovations that strengthen smallholders’ capacity to adapt and link women and men farmers speed up change processes?

This project is part of the DFAT/ACIAR-funded Sustainable Development Investment Portfolio (SDIP) program.

Project outcomes

Understanding farmers’ circumstances in terms of the cropping systems they use, the natural and economic resources they have access to, how they make a living, and their capacity to bear risk and introduce new technologies.
Working with farmers, developed more productive and sustainable technologies that are resilient and profitable, and supported widespread adoption of sustainable, resilient and more profitable farming systems.
Introduced, supported, and evaluated institutional and policy changes to establish an environment that supports farmers as they introduce new technologies.

Maize

Wheat