Conventional soil tilling and other practices have led to loss of soil fertility and lower crop yields in many parts of Central Asia. In a region where agriculture is an important part of the economy and contributes significantly to food security, action to reverse this trend must be a priority.

Since 2011, FAO has been introducing elements of “Conservation Agriculture” – a set of practices and techniques designed to conserve soil structure and fertility – in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. These practices include growing crops on raised beds, zero tillage, diversification of cropping systems, retaining crop residue and other techniques. The work is part of a multi-country project under the FAO-Turkey Partnership Programme.