Corrie Maria Swanepoel (ARC) https://www.circasa-project.eu/

1. Outcomes of the CIRCASA
workshop
Corrie Swanepoel
ARC-Institute for Soil, Climate and Water
26 Oct 2018

2. • Coordination of International Research
Cooperation on soil CArbon Sequestration in
Agriculture
• Funded by the European Union, Horizon 2020
Research and Innovation Programme
• Global initiative with 23 partners in 17 counties
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3. CIRCASA consortium
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4. Goals of CIRCASA Project
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Develop international synergies concerning research and
knowledge transfer on agricultural soil C sequestration at
European Union (EU) and global levels.
1. Strengthen the international research
community
2. Improve our understanding
3. Co-design a strategic research
agenda with stakeholders
4. Create an International Research
Consortium
Objectives:

5. WP2. Addressing stakeholder’s views.
Knowledge and research needs
1. Gather stakeholders’ perspectives on the potential for soil
carbon management to contribute to climate change
mitigation and adaptation and SDGs
2. Identify with stakeholders the challenges to – and
solutions for – the implementation of soil C sequestration
options via regional workshops
3. Review knowledge gaps and research needs emerging
from stakeholders’ perspectives
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6. 23 October 2018 – CIRCASA Africa
• Co-organised with 4p1000
• 18 people attended
• Stakeholders included NGO, government, farmers ,
researchers and farmer organisations
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7. Workshop structure
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• Three main topics included:
• Identify management practices that promote SOC
sequestration
• Identify barriers to why these are not implemented
• Suggest possible solutions

8. • Discussion took place in breakaway groups
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9. • Practices, barriers and solutions was interactively
prioritised
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10. Results were shared in the group
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11. Workshop outcomes: SOC management options
• Most commonly implemented
• Mulch
• Crop rotation
• Intercropping
• Minimum tillage
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12. Workshop outcomes: SOC management options
• Most effective
• CA applied with all principles (minimum soil disturbance,
permanent soil cover, multi-cropping)
• Agroforestry
• Rangeland and livestock integration
• Soil restoration and conservation (including ridges,
contour ploughing, vetiver grass)
• Manage natural areas such as wetlands, woodlands, and
rangelands (avoid loss)
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13. Workshop outcomes: SOC management options
• Interesting option
• Living roots, biodiversity and active soil biology
• Biofuels and biochar
• Recycle organic waste to create organic fertilizer
• Raised beds and furrow systems
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14. Workshop outcomes: Barriers
• Lack of incentives, funding or immediate returns
• Knowledge, including problem identification,
possible solutions, knowledge transfer or gaps
between research and farmers
• Access to resources, including funding,
implements, equipment and capacity
• Mind-set (changing habits, breaking incorrect
believes and superstitions)
• Lack of supporting policy
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15. Workshop outcomes: Solutions
• Bottom-up initiatives: assist farmers to drive
initiative, action participatory research, on-farm
experimentation
• Partnerships – avoid working in isolation. Learn,
share, coordinate work effort
• Effective incentives such as tax rebate or payment
for ecosystem services
• Awareness campaigns for both farmers and
government officials though NGOs, media etc.
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16. Workshop outcomes: Research needs
• Models for SOC sequestration for spatial variability
and different management practices to evaluate
best practices in various locations
• Evaluate effectiveness of various management
practices in different areas
• Social research on rate of uptake, and effective
strategies of knowledge transfer.
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18. Thank you for
your attention!
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Visit our website www.circasa-project.eu
This project has received funding
from the European Union's
Horizon 2020 research and
innovation programme
under grant agreement No
774378