I am one of the originators of the Worldwide Programme named "Conservation Agriculture". I have more than thirty years of progressively responsible professional experience in devising and imparting practicable land management and conservation effective methods for sustainable use of cropping and grazing lands in rainfed and irrigated agriculture, from the semi-arid to wet tropical zones, across a wide range of crops (grains, root crops, fresh fruits and vegetables, cotton, perennials and sugarcane), grazing enterprises and farm sizes. Particular emphasis in sustainable soil health management for production intensification via permanent soil cover, minimum disturbance of soil (“no-till”), crop rotation and controlled traffic; improved water use efficiency via the development of drought resistant soils; adaptation of agriculture to climate change and the development of simple and practical indicators for soil and land quality assessment.

See also my resume and my publications list, a brief biography, assorted writings, presentations and interviews (most of them about Conservation Agriculture) and my blog on Conservation Agriculture.

This web page is not one of my priorities. Much of the information here is several years old, and although still correct, not necessarily very relevant. I do try to make sure that all the links work, from time to time.

In October 2005 I was designated FAO Representative in Argentina providing policy and technical advice and assistance to Argentinean Government and national institutions, ONG and private sector in planning, developing, coordinating and implementing activities of FAO mandate.

From 1987 to October 2005 I worked as FAO as Technical Officer in Land Conservation and Management at FAO HQ Rome. I provide policy and technical advice and assistance to member countries and international institutions in planning, developing, coordinating and implementing activities in conservation of natural resources for agriculture including soil cover, soil amendments, crop rotation, moisture conservation and in-situ water harvesting, organic recycling and carbon sequestration, soil biodiversity enhancement and appropriate management practices to address land productivity, soil fertility and salinity and sodicity problems.

From 1982 to 1987, I was the on site Leader of the Tropical Soil Programme of the North Carolina State University (Indonesia, Brazil and Peru) at Yurimaguas, in the Amazon Jungle of Peru, with the position of Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Soil Science. Responsible for field research projects aimed at developing ergonomically, economically and ecologically-sound soil management technologies for acid, low fertility soils of humid tropical areas. In addition, I participated in the development of a major research station at Yurimaguas, Peru, which was one of the Amazonian’s leading agricultural research stations.

From 1970 to 1981 I was Associate Professor in Soil Science and Farming Systems at the University of Agriculture "La Molina", Lima, Perú and Leader of the Agronomic Project of the Maize Programme.

Education

I hold a Ph.D. in Soil Science and a minor in Crop Science, University of North Carolina State, USA, 1981. My dissertation was in the area of Production efficiency of intercrops relative to sequentially-planted sole crops in a humid tropical environment.

I obtained an M.S. in Soil Science (Soil Fertility), University of Agriculture "La Molina", Lima, Peru, 1981.

My B.S was in Agronomy and Agricultural Engineer, University of Agriculture "La Molina", Lima, Peru, 1969.

Countries of Work Experience:

Argentina; Australia; Bhutan; Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; China; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; Eritrea; France; Ghana; Guatemala, Honduras; Kazakhstan; Italy; Mexico; Nepal; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Pakistan; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Portugal; Russia; Switzerland; Spain; Surinam; Tajikistan; Tanzania; Uganda; Thailand; Turkey; Uganda; United States; Uruguay; Uzbekistan; Venezuela; Zambia; Zimbabwe.

How to Reach Me

You can send me an email to jbenitesjump@hotmail.com. I read everything sent there. If you need to talk to me on the phone sendme an email and I'll gladly mail you instructions on how to reach me.

More Hyperlinks

For compulsive browsers like myself

Here's a collection of assorted writings relating to FAO activities since 1987 http://search.fao.org/opensearch?lang=en&query=Benites and using google please type: Conservation Agriculture “Benites” or FAO “Benites” or soils “J. Benites” or Land “J. Benites” or Representante Argentina “José Benites”.