A presentation made at the WCCA 2011 event in Brisbane, Australia.

1. The Role of Social Capital in the
Adoption of Conservation Agriculture:
The Case of likoti in Lesotho
Laura Silici, Theodor Friedrich and Amir Kassam
5th World Congress of Conservation Agriculture
incorporating 3rd Farming Systems Design Conference, 26-
29 September 2011 Brisbane, Australia

2. Outline
• Lesotho: socio-economic and environmental constraints
• The practice of Likoti
• Materials and methods: source of the data, variables and
statistical tools (Bayesian Networks)
• Results and discussion: impacts on sustainable crop
intensification
• Results and discussion: the role of social capital and the
importance of participatory training
• Conclusions and policy implications

3. Lesotho: Country Overview
• High unemployment
• Internal and external migrations
• High rate of HIV/AIDS
• Extensive land degradation
• Low agricultural productivity
• Recurrent food crisis
Depleting social
capital
Reduced livelihood base
(including farming) and high
vulnerability

4. The Practice of Likoti

5. Materials and Methods: Source of the Data
• Two stratified sample populations of farmers (117 CA + 112
conventional) interviewed on socio-demographic
features, food security status, wealth, social capital and
community organization, farming and agricultural
production
• Workshops and open interviews with key informants
• 123 composite soil samples tested for soil fertility and soil
texture
• Yields recorded from a sub-sample of farmers

6. Results and Discussion: Impacts on
Sustainable Crop Intensification
• Higher agricultural productivity, due to improved efficiency
in the use of inputs and other resources
• Greater environmental sustainability due to improved soil
structure and enhanced fertility
• Higher social sustainability
• Accessibility to the technology by all social
categories, including the most vulnerable
• Improved food security status

7. Results and Discussion: Determinants of the
Adoption of CA in Lesotho
• Degree of trust and cooperation, especially when
combined with a participatory approach pursued by
committed trainers
• Economic incentives provided to vulnerable
households in the very early stages of adoption
• Literacy and education (especially relevant in case of
female adopters)

8. Conditional dependence among social capital and CA variables, adopter sub-sample
SOCIAL
CAPITAL
ADOPTION
OF CA
SOCIO-
ECONOMIC

9. Conditional dependence among social capital and CA variables, evidence in the Location node
(Lowland sites: poor participation  lower CA knowledge)

10. Conditional dependence among social capital and CA variables, evidence in the Location node
(Mountain sites: high participation  better CA knowledge)

11. Conclusions and Policy Implications
• Social capital plays a significant role in the adoption and the
performance of sustainable agricultural practices
• But... how “to invest” in social capital?
– The choice of the most appropriate technology critically
depends on the preliminary assessment of social capital
dimensions
– Social capital ‘enabling factors’ (e.g. education, capable
agency of committed leaders, meso-institutions) can be
consistently included in policy interventions

12. Thank you!
Laura Silici l.silici@btinternet.com
Amir Kassam kassamamir@aol.com