Social and income trade-offs of conservation agriculture practices on crop residue use in Mexico's central highlands

Analysis shows that at a national level, Mexico has a fodder surplus while the central highlands have a deficit. Crop residues are a major fodder source in Mexico, contributing up to 40% of fodder availability. Crop residues are also an important income source which implies costs for introducing CA in the central highlands. Our analysis indicates that retaining crop residues in-situ influences gross margins and that retention of roughly 45% of residues maximizes gross margins in situations where opportunity costs for the use of crop residues exist. Partial residue retention, sequential introduction and combination of technologies may facilitate CA uptake but CA remains a challenge for resource-poor farmers given their limited liquidity, risky production environment and difficulty to forego current income for future benefits. More interdisciplinary research is needed around economic optimal residue retention levels under different farming and production conditions, to identify the ecological needed minimum cover of crop residues for CA and to develop alternative low-cost sustainable technologies with short-term benefits.