ACT's work is to stimulate, facilitate and challenge for mutual sharing of information and knowledge on experiences or lessons on promotion of Conservation Agriculture (CA) and Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (SAM) in Africa. These efforts enable farmers, entrepreneurs, policy makers, researchers, learners and academicians and other stakeholders to access and share information and knowledge on CA & SAM, thereby contributing to better and more appropriate policies and programmes in the efforts to scale-up CA & SAM technologies in Africa. Ultimately Conservation Agriculture (CA) as an approach to managing agro-ecosystems helps improve and sustain land productivity, increase profits and food security while preserving and enhancing the resource base and the environment.

ACT is involved in generation or collection and synthesis and analysis of sustainable land management conservation agriculture (CA) and sustainable mechanization knowledge and information; interactive storage and dissemination of CA & SAM information through databases, newsletter, Information sheets and website; Interactive knowledge sharing through web based and also through hard copy materials, meeting and workshops; and provision of a mechanism for sustaining institutional memory on the continent’s experiences and knowledge base in CA &SAM.

Documentation and dissemination CA information materials

ACT explores and supports various aspects that would result in exchange and sharing of information and knowledge on CA & SAM by engaging itself in documentation and dissemination of various target specific information materials. Equally, ACT provide leadership on understanding and application of the concept and principles of CA as well as SAM technologies in Africa, facilitate exchange visits and interactions, especially farmer-to-farmer visits, production and facilitate sharing/ dissemination of extension/awareness materials; and support to on-farm demonstrations/field days.

Lobbying, advocacy and public awareness

ACT proactively engages in the building of political will and activity support for CA & SAM at various levels. At community/village level ACT targets decentralised systems, traditional and civic leaderships, local schools, farmer organisations, local service providers and dealers and other local/village institutions to rallying public awareness and support, political will and programme support towards practical interventions for scaling up CA and adoption of SAM. At regional, continental and global level lobbying and advocacy strategies shall focus on bringing into the decision-making processes local validated information and data to allow and stimulate informed decisions in favour of more proactive CA & SAM support. ACT stimulates and facilitates the bringing out of data and information that highlight practical linkages between CA, SAM and food security, household/community incomes and ultimately socio-economic prosperity (including bringing into practical and scientifically validated association to phenomenon such as climate change, carbon sequestration, and rainwater productivity. ACT engages international initiatives such as the CAADP and EAP in AU/NEPAD, various agricultural and environmental related UN agendas

Stimulate and facilitate coalition building and partnerships

ACT stimulates and facilitates coalition building and partnerships on and about CA and SAM development and promotion across sector, disciplines and geographical orientations. ACT is committed to the principles of mutual collaboration, partnerships and sharing of information and knowledge on sustainable natural resource management and drawing on synergies and complementarities.

ACT engages in the promotion of learning about Conservation Agriculture (CA) and sustainable land management practices. This embraces curriculum development; development and distribution of training materials; actual training and training support for farmers and staff; Mentoring and Quality assurance. Every year ACT conducts both international and national CA & SAM training attracting participants from government, NGOs and private institutions. ACT also along the same line conducts tailor made training workshops for various organisations.

Research for Development support

ACT engages itself in supporting both basic and applied research to provide validated in-context explanation and understanding on both effects and impacts results from the application of CA and appropriate SAM. There is currently weak and simply lack of understanding of practical and locally articulated means and decision tools for adapting and adoption CA practices and SAM technologies in a given situation. ACT focuses on contributing to national and regional/international research agendas by highlighting CA and SAM research (knowledge/ technological) gaps and issues, research coordination, appraising and prioritising of research needs, and commissioning short term/issue specific studies.