This document discusses conservation agriculture (CA) in Salamieh district, Syria. It notes that CA can play a role beyond profitable farming by being a catalyst for social development in fragile rural environments. It provides background on challenges facing Salamieh district, such as increased drought and limited economic opportunities. The document argues that expanding options, opportunities, and access to services through approaches like CA could help secure rural livelihoods in sustainable ways. Long-term engagement and partnerships across different sectors would be needed to fully realize the social benefits of CA in the region.

1. AGA KHAN FOUNDATION
Conservation Agriculture: Perspectives from Salamieh district, Syria
Shinan N. Kassam
Baqir Lalani
Bassil Al-Eter
5th World Congress of Conservation Agriculture
Brisbane, Australia
September 27th, 2011

2. CENTRAL MESSAGE
Conservation agriculture (CA) has a role,
outside the realm of profitable agricultural
production practices, sensitive to a range of
environmental concerns and sustainability, to
one of a catalyst for social development in
fragile rural environments.

3. Brief Profile of Salamieh District
 One of five districts within Hama
Governorate.
 Covers an area of about 5300sq km.
 Total population is estimated at 244 000.
 40,000 households in the district spread
over 172 villages.
 Unemployment rate estimated at 30% of
the population (more than 18 years old) .
 65% of the population estimated to be under
the age of 25. Hama province
Salamieh District
 70% of the population earns less than $150
per month.

5. BACKGROUND
• Increased frequency of drought
• Strong crop-livestock interactions
• Regulatory response has been varied
• Agro ecological zones defined but not updated in 50+ years;
• Pricing policy for barley, wheat and other strategic crops;
• Promises of water diversion schemes;
• Subsidies for drip irrigation
• Limited grass roots movements

6. OBSERVED RESPONSE
• Numbers of groundwater wells continue to
increase but so do the number of dry wells;
• Increased adoption of ‘modernized’ irrigation
where groundwater is still available but . . . ;
• Decrease in the area of irrigated land;
• Search for drought tolerant seed

11. UNCOVERING OPTIONS
• Depends upon the nature of the objective(s);
• Requires an exercise of rethinking agricultural
research, agricultural education, public and
private services to agriculture, and . . .
agricultural policy;

12. PROPOSITION
Secure rural livelihoods in a fragile and water
short environment by expanding the set of
choices, opportunities and access to public,
private and environmental services.

13. CONSIDERATIONS
•optimal crop mix?
•water use efficiency
•public policy support
Under what land use management system?

15. • Zero tillage adoption on the rise in Syria;
• Moving past zero tillage and into CA will
require appropriate partnerships (research
centres, MoA, farmers and development
agencies) that share risks while proof of
concept is achieved;
• Institutionalization of a core philosophy
through appropriate agricultural education and
awareness;

16. • Need to engage in policy reform with the MoA
and from within the MoA (civil society agenda);
• Requires long term engagement and multiple
inputs in order to secure livelihoods (social
development agenda)…most donor funding
cycles are too short or too narrow in focus.