The Ministers of agriculture converged at the second Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health (AFSH) summit, held in Nairobi, Kenya from May 7-9, 2024.
In a bid to fortify food security and revitalize soil health across Africa, ministers of agriculture converged at the second Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health (AFSH) summit, held in Nairobi, Kenya from May 7-9, 2024. With a resolute focus on advocating for accessible fertilizers at reasonable prices, the ministers underscored the pivotal role of fertilizers in augmenting food production and sustaining agricultural practices.
Under the stewardship of Kenya’s President William Ruto and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the summit unfolded under the theme “Listen to the Soil,” marking the continent’s largest soil health forum since its last assembly 18 years ago in Nigeria.
The summit commenced with a ministerial session on its inaugural day and is slated to culminate with a high-level meeting, where the Nairobi Declaration will be endorsed, delineating a comprehensive 10-year strategy aimed at enhancing fertiliser utilization and soil health across Africa.
Expressing grave concern over the declining soil quality across the continent, particularly with some regions experiencing up to 65 per cent degradation, ministers led by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Mithika Linturi, echoed a clarion call for accessible fertilizers to stem this tide and amplify food production, especially amidst the looming specter of climate change.
Linturi articulated the urgent imperative of affordable fertilisers to counteract these adverse trends and to bolster food production, elucidating, “Africa needs to improve fertiliser use, be it organic or inorganic. Statistics indicate that the average amount of fertiliser applied to crops grown on the continent is still very low.”
Experts underscored significant variances in fertiliser usage across Africa, with Egypt employing approximately 400 kilograms per hectare, juxtaposed against countries like South Sudan and the Central African Republic, which utilize as little as 0.02 kg and 0.23 kg per hectare, respectively. Despite government subsidies in many African nations to mitigate fertilizer costs, the average application still lags well below the global average of about 120 kg per hectare.
Linturi elucidated the deleterious repercussions of land and soil degradation, such as diminished crop yields, food insecurity, diminished agricultural incomes, and environmental degradation. He advocated for a collaborative approach towards achieving food security through bolstering soil health, particularly in nations grappling with limited arable land.
Emphasizing the significance of tailoring country-specific Soil Fertility Replenishment Strategies, Linturi advocated for balanced nutrient fertilisation through the promotion of best practices in soil management encompassing both organic and inorganic fertilizers.
Ministers from across the continent shared poignant case studies of soil degradation and fertilizer application within their respective domains, outlining imperatives towards crafting a master plan for food and nutritional security in Africa.
Frank Tumwebaze, Uganda’s Minister of Agriculture, lauded the modest strides made since the inaugural AFSH summit in June 2006 but urged for sustained efforts. “Crop yields in Africa are only one-third of the global yield average. Part of the solution is to increase fertilizer application on the continent,” emphasized Tumwebaze.
With over 2,000 stakeholders hailing from the agriculture sector in attendance, including African Heads of State, governmental dignitaries, policymakers, private-sector entities, and civil society organizations, the summit galvanized concerted efforts towards fostering affordable fertilizer solutions.
The African Development Bank pledged to explore avenues for cooperation and partnerships in fertilizer financing across the continent, advocating for the scaling of agritech initiatives as a catalyst for agricultural transformation.
Representatives from diverse sectors, including the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, urged for the expeditious doubling of food production to meet the burgeoning demands of Africa’s burgeoning populace.
As the curtains draw on the second AFSH summit, the resounding call for accessible fertilizers reverberates across the continent, underscoring a collective resolve to fortify food security and rejuvenate soil health for generations to come.