Problem: Intensive tillage-based agriculture is a major cause of soil degradation leading to surface runoff, soil erosion, soil organic matter decline and compaction. Soil management practices need to develop to ensure more sustainable and efficient use of resources. Solution: Conservation agriculture is based on practices that minimise soil disturbance through no-tillage, maintain permanent soil cover with organic residues, and use a diverse range of crop species to ultimately improve both water conservation and nutrient efficiency in agricultural soils.