February 2025 Newsletter

A Month of Change, a Future of Commitment

Last year, IFDC celebrated its 50th?anniversary and rang in 2025 with a renewed dedication to another 50?years of developing agriculture from the ground up. I’ve been reflecting on how quickly things can change, as the United States experiences an unprecedented upheaval in how it approaches foreign aid.

?What a difference a month makes.

?Farmers around the world can tell you how devastating unexpected change can be for their families and their livelihoods, just as too much rain, or not enough, or at the wrong time, can wipe out a crop. They know how cyclones can push salt water into regions critical for food production or how millions of desert locusts can destroy the crop of a whole season. They know the only way is to adapt to it!

?The stop-work order and termination of U.S.-based foreign aid has had devastating consequences worldwide. Our own work was not immune, but a large part of our initiatives, implemented with strong non-U.S. government partners and funders, spans the globe.

?We have important work to do.

?IFDC remains steadfast in its commitment to improving farmers’ livelihoods and delivering healthier soils and plants for a food-secure and environmentally sustainable world. Our work improves key points in the system for greater food security: healthy soils and plants, thriving market systems for farmer prosperity, and strong enabling systems to support good policies and practices.

?There is no time to waste.

?We must be able to sustainably feed as many as 10 billion people by 2050. No single government or organization can solve that problem on its own. IFDC stands ready to help solve that challenge through our role in the Coalition of Action for Soil Health?(CA4SH), with the Coalition of Implementors for Fertilizer and Soil Health?(CIFSH), and through programs such as Soil Values, TRANSFORM, Triple Resilience, and dozens of other programs.

Thank you for standing with us.

Henk van Duijn

IFDC President and CEO

February Partner Feature:?Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH)

Founded in 2021, the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH)?aims to improve soil health globally by addressing critical implementation, monitoring, policy, and investment barriers that constrain farmers from adopting and scaling healthy soil practices. The coalition advocates for multi-stakeholder partners to facilitate the adoption and scaling of a global mechanism and processes.

Learn more about CA4SH.

Recent News and Blogs

Agroecology and soil restoration: A pathway to sustainable agriculture

The Soil Values program participated in the second edition of the Regional Agroecology Days of the Hauts-Bassins (JRAE) organized by the Hauts-Bassins Regional Directorate of Agriculture, Animal Resources, and Fisheries (DRARAH), held November 5?7, 2024. Soil Values's engagement at the 2024 JRAE event reinforced its commitment to supporting Burkina Faso’s agroforestry initiatives for sustainable land management and soil restoration, participating in presentations and engaging with agricultural development players in the Hauts-Bassins region.

Read more.

From passion to vision: Empowering women and youth through vegetable farming

Nineteen-year-old Adejole Florence, a passionate agriculture student at the University of Ibadan, is determined to strengthen Nigeria’s agribusiness sector through vegetable farming. Despite facing skepticism as a woman in a male-dominated field, she has persevered, winning recognition at HortiNigeria’s Youth Day event, where she was awarded essential farming tools. Inspired by her experience, Florence aims to empower more young women to pursue careers in agriculture, proving that farming is a pathway to opportunity, innovation, and economic growth.

Find out more.

Celebrating women and girls in science

This month, we celebrated the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, highlighting Senior Soil Scientist Dr. Caroline Kundu Agamala’s journey into agricultural science. "I saw my parents struggle with poor harvests. This inspired me to want to understand the role of soil in agricultural productivity," she shared, "Women and girls bring unique perspectives to solving some of the world’s most pressing agricultural challenges." By empowering women and girls in science, we unlock new solutions and innovations that will sustain future generations.

More about Dr. Caroline.

Join us for our International Women’s Day webinar

In honor of International Women’s Day, IFDC is hosting a special webinar on March 6 at 2 PM GMT to highlight the vital role of women in agriculture. Women are at the forefront of agricultural innovation, yet they continue to face barriers in accessing resources, markets, and decision-making spaces. Under the theme "Women at the Heart of Sustainable Agriculture: Innovations and Solutions for a Resilient Future," this session will explore the impact of women in shaping sustainable food systems and how IFDC’s initiatives are driving change.

Stay tuned for more.

Towards site-specific nutrient management strategies: An open database in Senegal

In an effort to enhance sustainable agricultural practices in West Africa, a recent review highlights the critical role of open-access databases in improving site-specific nutrient management. Focusing on Senegal, researchers integrated data from 79 studies to assess crop yield responses to nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) applications. Despite significant insights, gaps in soil nutrient data and inconsistent field treatments hinder precise recommendations. The study underscores the need for standardized data collection and harmonized open databases to support decision-making tools.

Learn more.

Learning proper dolomite application to mitigate soil acidity in Burundi

A study by the Burundi Institute of Agronomic Sciences (ISABU) and IFDC found that 73% of Burundi’s arable land is acidic, negatively impacting agricultural yields. To address this, the Dolomite Pilot Project under the PAGRIS project, funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is promoting the use of crushed dolomitic limestone to restore soil health. Experts recommend applying 25 kg of dolomite per 2.5 ares of acidic land, with plans to distribute over 100 tons per commune in the 2025B season. This initiative aims to enhance soil fertility and boost productivity for Burundi’s farmers.

Explore the story.

The Triple Resilience (3R) program releases its first newsletter

The February 2025 issue of the Triple Resilience (3R) program newsletter highlights the program’s progress in fostering social, economic, and environmental resilience in Mozambique’s Beira Corridor. The newsletter showcases impactful stories, including how farmers are using climate-smart techniques to mitigate the effects of El Ni?o, the role of agro-dealers in improving input accessibility, and initiatives empowering women and youth through employment and agricultural innovation.

Check out the newsletter.

Six years of progress: How the PCB project revolutionized potato farming in Nyandarua County

IFDC recently hosted a national close-out workshop in Nairobi to mark the successful completion of the Potato Value Chain Capacity Building (PCB) project, a six-year initiative funded by the Embassy of Ireland in Kenya. The PCB project successfully improved yields, market access, and resilience for over 6,500 smallholder farmers in Nyandarua County. The project introduced improved seed varieties, a digital market platform, and a modern storage facility while also driving key policy reforms.

Read now.