No-Till Farming in the Maghreb Region Enhancing Agricultural Productivity and Sequestrating Carbon in Soils

Abstract

In the Maghreb region, productivity of rainfed and irrigated crops has been threatened due to social and technological constraints, water scarcity, low and variable rainfall, reduced soil fertility and quality, and improper agricultural management. Consequently, complex links between food insecurity and environmental, climatic, social, and economic factors are increasingly being manifested. Hence, it is important for sustainable intensification of agriculture production systems to feed the growing population in the region, and it is now at the top of the agenda of policy makers. Sustainable intensification involves increasing the productivity of agriculture while minimizing any negative economic, social, or environmental consequences (The Montpellier Panel, 2013). The critical component of this pathway is the utilization of the existing land to produce greater yields, better nutrition, and higher net incomes for farmers while reducing over reliance on pesticides and fertilizers and lowering emissions of harmful greenhouse gases or GHGs (Godfray et al. 2010). In this regard, like in other regions of the world, the Maghreb is implementing obligations related to most conventions, protocols, and principles to which it is committed including the 2015 Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.