Overview

The economic challenges to CAPS adoption are among the most formidable obstacles that will confront LTRAs and their collaborating host-country partners. While the benefits to participating smallholder farmers and their families are short-term time savings (e.g., land preparation, weeding) and longer-term increases in soil fertility and erosion control that result in greater yields, income and food security, there are also substantial short-term costs of adoption (e.g., applications of herbicides, soil amendments, specialized equipment, risk and uncertainty associated with new, intensified management systems). Additional benefits such as ecosystem services accrue over time to the broader society. This project collaborates with the LTRAs in developing a common baseline and methodology for addressing the impacts of CAPS. Analyses are expanded to the higher level landscapes to provide significant insight into general strategies that promote wide-scale adoption of CAPS.