The United Nations defines sustainable land management (SLM) as “the use of land resources, including soils, water, animals and plants, for the production of goods to meet changing human needs, while simultaneously ensuring the long-term productive potential of these resources and the maintenance of their environmental functions”. In many countries around the world, especially in Africa and the Middle-East, farmed land is rainfed rather than irrigated. In these semi-arid regions, depending on land management practices, much of the rainfall on agricultural land is lost as non-productive evaporation from the soil surface. The water challenge in these areas is to enhance low crop yields by improving water availability for plant growth. Minimum tillage and mulch results in twice as much available water as does deep tillage. Hypothesize as to how this strategy meets the SLM criteria: ensures the long-term productive potential of these resources and the maintenance of their environmental functions. All BUT ONE could apply