Role of innovative crop species diversification, mixed farming, polyculture, structural diversity and conservation agriculture in dry regions to end hunger & achieve sustainable development

Crop species diversification and Conservation agriculture plays vital role in poverty alleviation and consequently to sustainable development. A major challenge for the implementation of diversified agricultural systems for farmers is finding the appropriate balance of diversification within the farm system to satisfy both production and protection values. There is need aimed at developing optimization strategies for diversification. A sustainable agriculture approach seeks to utilize natural resources in such a way that they can regenerate their productive capacity and also minimize harmful impacts on ecosystems beyond a field's edge. Alternative ways to be less dependent on non-renewable energy sources in today’s agriculture. Agroecosystems cannot be sustainable in the long run without the knowledge, technical competence and skilled labor needed to manage them effectively. Provided the constantly changing and locality-specific nature of agriculture, sustainability requires a diverse and adaptive knowledge base, utilizing both formal, experimental science and farmers' own indigenous technical knowledge. Today world faces severe shortage of food, fuel, fodder, feed and fertilizer. These shortages are only aggravating by the day, given the rapid rise in population of both humans and livestock. Sustainable livelihood creation is a way that these problems can be curbed to a certain extent. Sustainable livelihood means not only income generating activities, but creation of long lasting, ecologically stable and economically productive enterprises.