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Conservation Agriculture (CA) has captured the imagination of an impressive array of organisations, including the FAO, DFID, the EU, international research and development organisations (CIMMYT, CIRAD, ICRAF and ICRISAT) and numerous NGOs. Defined by FAO (2008a) as having three essential components–zero or minimal soil disturbance; a permanent soil cover provided by a growing crop or a mulch of organic residues; and crop rotation1–CA is now promoted widely to smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. 2 Next to international agricultural research and policy institutes, the faith-based organisations, international donors and NGOs have been at the forefront in such promotional efforts. Often building on the Judeo-Christian notion of environmental stewardship, which follows from the belief that it is the responsibility of man to look after the Earth (Passmore 1974), some of these organisations equate …