Sustainable and Resilient Farming Systems Intensification (SRFSI)

Sustainable and Resilient Farming Systems Intensification (SRFSI) is a seven year project led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) with funding from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). It is led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT). SRFSI is a collaborative project with the objective to improve the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of smallholder agriculture in the Eastern Gangetic Plain (EGP) of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal by promoting CASI (Conservation Agriculture based Sustainable Intensification) technologies.

Covering eight districts across the EGP, along with research partners in each district, development partners, and International partners including three Australian Universities (University of Queensland, Curtin University, and University of New England), CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization), IFPRI (International Food and Policy Research Institute), IWMI (International Water Management Institute), IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) and iDE (International Development Enterprises), SRSFI carried out activities to address four main objectives:

1. Understand farmers’ circumstances with respect to biophysical and socio-economic environments.
2. Develop with farmers more productive and sustainable technologies that are resilient and profitable for smallholders.
3. Catalyze, support, and evaluate institutional and policy changes that establish an enabling environment for the adoption of high-impact technologies from Objective 2.
4. Facilitate the widespread adoption of sustainable, resilient, and more profitable farming systems.

There are possible trade-offs with proven advantages in implementing CASI principles in the Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP).

Why is SRFSI needed?

The Eastern Gangetic Plains of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh shelter 300 million people out of which most of them fall on the rural poverty line and strongly depend upon agriculture for food security and livelihood. However, due to low crop yields from these areas, it does not provide a solid foundation for food security. In addition, under-developed markets, minimum agricultural knowledge and service networks, critical labor shortage, limited water resources, and serious climate change are making smallholder farmers vulnerable and limiting their investment in modern agricultural technologies which can enhance productivity and profitability.

It has been widely accepted that in order to boost food security and to improve the economic conditions of smallholder farmers, the effort should be focused on sustainable intensification of conservation agriculture-based systems. Considering that the farmers in the EGP region have limited ability to invest in innovation, SRFSI addresses two research questions:

Would conservation agriculture-based farm management practices and the efficient use of water resources provide a strong base for smallholder farmers to increase their crop productivity and resilience?
Would institutional innovations that help strengthen adaptive capacity and link farmers to markets and support services enable farmers (both male and female) to continue to innovate despite the climate and economic change?

The EGP region is also inclined to various climate risks like floods, drought, and atypical cold waves, also including some common ones like terminal heat and erratic rainfall patterns which have a negative effect on crop production. With these constraints, it is apparent that the adoption of improved farming practices with less risk that help increase yield is instantly required which validates the need for this project.

The CASI technologies that the SRFSI project endorses help in reducing production costs and stabilize crop yields under climatic stress. This project also prioritizes support to service providers who will in turn help provide easy access to farmers to new CA technologies, like Zero Till Drill, thereby removing the need for individual small farmers to purchase expensive agricultural machinery.

For more information on the SRFSI project, see our resources or CIMMYT Research Data & Software Repository Network.

… for more productive, profitable and resilient farming systems

The SRFSI project is a regional research for development collaboration of more than 30 partners, focused on the Eastern Gangetic Plains.