African Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit Charts a Bold Path

The long-awaited?African Union Commission-led?Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit (AFSH)?commenced earlier this month (7-9 May, 2024) with much anticipation. Why did the this Summit carry such collective optimism? We believe it served as key catalyzing event capable of gathering a full spectrum of stakeholders ready to engage in the critical investment needed for healthier, more productive soils in Africa.

AFSH was one of the largest gatherings focused on soil health, convening over 4,000 stakeholders to assess Africa's soil health trajectory since the Abuja Declaration in 2006. Expectations for the event included?the adoption of the Nairobi Declaration,?unveiling of?the?AFSH?10-year?Action Plan, the?Soil Initiative for Africa Framework, and stakeholder engagement to underscore the critical role of fertilizer in ensuring Africa's food security. With approximately 65% of cropland being degraded, and large swaths of food insecure populations, urgent actions are required to address soil fertility depletion and enhance food production in Africa.

As a proud AFSH implementing partner, many of our staff were heavily invested during the months and years prior on pre-summit planning, technical needs, stakeholder engagement, and assembling key partnerships to achieve impact on the ground. For example, the side event on Sustainable Agricultural Transformation in Africa through Improved Nutrient Stewardship was an excellent stage?for us?to demonstrate the?pivotal?role of 4R nutrient?stewardship?in soil?health improvement ...now reinforced through its inclusion in the AFSH Action Plan. Results of the multi-country 4R Solution?Project?provided?credible?evidence?needed for mainstreaming this locally relevant agronomic innovation system.

We are also proud to establish key partnerships?within two new initiatives officially launched at?the?AFSH. First, the Coalition of Implementers for Soil Health (CIFSH) is a promising new relationship between APNI, IITA (representing EiA), IFDC, and FARA designed to coordinate our respective expertise and resources to accelerate soil health improvement in Africa?through sustainable fertilizer management. Second, is?our?involvement in the launch of the new?Regional Soil Health Hub for?West Africa and?the?Sahel to secure a sustainable and food secure future for the region?underpinned by healthy, productive soils.

Both these initiatives provide space for APNI to apply our core competence to two priority actions of 1)?supporting?capacity?development?of National research and extension systems and farm advisory services to effectively translate?plant nutrition?science into actionable knowledge for the farmers;?and 2)?mainstreaming?our bottom-up research and farming practice innovation systems to create locally relevant, farmer-centric solutions to?ensure scaling?of?nutrient management?technologies and innovations?to?accelerate?change.

Much work to be done, and at the close of ASFH optimism remains high!

APNI Contributors

Sara Lamsili, Jr. Project Communications Manager

Gavin Sulewski, Sr. Editor and Communications Lead

Upcoming

Watch for our activities related to the 9th International Symposium on Soil Organic Matter taking place 26-31 May 2024 in Benguérir, Morocco.