2024 Africa Fertilizer Summit Ignites Commitment to Accelerate Soil Health and Agricultural Transformation
The 2024 Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Summit has commenced in Nairobi, Kenya, anticipating the participation of over 4,000 individuals to foster dialogue, partnerships, and commitments aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability across the continent.
The three-day summit, themed ‘Listen to the Land,’ endeavors to achieve four primary objectives. Foremost among them is the formulation of the Nairobi Declaration on Fertilizer and Soil Health, alongside the development of a 10-year Action Plan for Fertilizer and Soil Health, the enhancement of the Soil Initiative Africa, and the exploration of Financing Mechanisms for the Action Plan.
The summit was inaugurated by H.E. Ambassador Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment at the African Union. In her opening remarks, she commended 10 countries for surpassing the Abuja Declaration target of 50 kg/ha of fertilizer nutrients.
These countries include Morocco (55.29Kg/ha), Eswatini (57.77Kg/ha), Botswana (59.27Kg/ha), Kenya (60.66Kg/ha), Zambia (63.90Kg/ha), Malawi (96.74Kg/ha), South Africa (104.64Kg/ha), Mauritius (186.50Kg/ha), Seychelles (542.47Kg/ha) and Egypt (542.57/ha). However, she highlighted that 22 African countries reported a minimal application of only 10 kg/ha, contrasting significantly with global counterparts such as China (274.8Kg/ha), Germany (130Kg/ha), Canada (126.1Kg/ha), Indonesia (298.2Kg/ha); Israel (265.5Kg/ha), Malaysia (2143.6Kg/ha), and England (1637.1Kg/ha), where nutrient application has driven notable agricultural success.
Ministers of Agriculture from Kenya (Hon. Mithika Linturi), Uganda (Hon. Dr. Frank Tumwebaze), and Ethiopia (Hon. Prof. Eyasu Elias), along with Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Musalia Mudavadi, emphasized the pivotal role of soil health transformation in driving economic growth and food security. They stressed the importance of comprehensive action plans that integrate both organic and inorganic fertilizer applications to replenish nutrients effectively.
Dr. Fatunbi Oluwole Abiodun, representing the Soil Initiative for Africa, underscored the imperative of increased fertilizer usage in rejuvenating the continent’s soils, emphasizing their essential role in restoring lost nutrients. Afterwards, Dr. Manyewu Mutamba introduced the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan, focusing on policy enhancement, improved access to fertilizers, sustainable usage, and capacity development.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s Agriculture Minister, Hon. Elias, highlighted the benefits of increased fertilizer access for smallholder farmers, showcasing significant yield improvements of up to 100% for critical cereal crops in his country.
Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Agriculture, Hon. Dr. Paul Ronoh showcased the government’s use of digital technologies to manage agricultural transformation strategies, particularly highlighting the role of the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) in shaping his government fertilizer subsidy program.
“For the last 10 years the Government of Kenya has worked to capture all farmers in a digital database. We are currently at 5.9m farmers and we are able to tell how many farmers collected which fertilizer and for which crop, as well as the value transacted,” he said.
The first day of the summit also saw Uganda’s Agriculture Minister, Hon. Tumwebaze, presenting a draft of the Nairobi Declaration for Fertilizer and Soil Health, outlining commitments by African governments to enhance local fertilizer production, restore soil health on degraded lands, operationalize the Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism, and implement conducive policies for fertilizer and soil health interventions.
Additionally, ministers from 30 African countries presented interventions for transformative soil management, emphasizing the significance of coordinated efforts to address agricultural challenges across the continent.