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Letter from IFDC’s Leadership
Strength in the Face of Adversity.
The shocks of 2020 are already being written into the history books. Events such as the COVID-19 pandemic are once in a lifetime, and as such, we only have one chance to respond to an event for which none of us was prepared.
IFDC’s resilient staff overcame the many obstacles presented by the pandemic. More than 400,000 smallholder farmers in nearly 30 countries adopted yield- and income-improving agricultural technologies, transforming more than 190,000 hectares of farmland. More than 14,000 demonstration plots exemplified proven technologies to these farmers, letting them see with their own eyes the benefits of adoption, and over 5,000 outreach activities sought out agricultural entrepreneurs who want to make a difference. Training and capacity-building efforts reached 260,000 farmers, 46% of whom were women, which is key to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, Zero Hunger. Finally, a remarkable 838 public-private partnerships were formed – allowing IFDC to amplify both the quality and quantity of its efforts. Our research team continues to make strides in the area of soil health, and as a result, more than 50 scientific papers and reports were published by IFDC researchers in 2020.
Adoption of the agricultural products and practices pioneered and promoted by IFDC has changed the lives of millions of smallholders around the world. In 2020 the Africa Food Prize foundation evidenced this fact in the selection of Dr. André Bationo, chief of party for the Smallholder Agricultural Productivity Enhancement Program (SAPEP) in West Africa, who has been working to improve the lives of farmers for four decades. Bationo was recognized for his trailblazing work in microdosing, a climate-smart, yield-enhancing, and income-improving fertilizer application method, and warrantage, a credit system that helps farmers store and sell crops for higher pricing.
We are also honored that the 2020 World Food Prize laureate, Dr. Rattan Lal, agreed to join our board of directors. Lal’s work on developing and mainstreaming a soil-centric approach to increasing food production has already been recognized by many other international accolades, and we are excited to have his expertise assist in guiding the organization.
Last year, we wrote that we were “navigating uncharted waters,” and while there still seems to be some way to go, we have learned a lot and are confidently moving toward our vision of healthier soils and plants for a food-secure and environmentally sustainable world.
Let the history books remember not only the obstacles we faced, but the courage with which we faced them and the successes we achieved despite them.
Our Results in 2020
Benin* | Burkina Faso* | Burundi* | Cabo Verde | Cameroon | Chad | Côte d’Ivoire* | Ethiopia* | Gambia | Ghana | Guinea | Guinea-Bissau | India* | Kenya* | Liberia | Malawi | Mali* | Mauritania | Mozambique* | Myanmar* | Nepal | Niger* | Nigeria* | Rwanda | Senegal* | Sierra Leone | South Sudan | Tanzania | Togo | Uganda*
*Indicates presence of a country office/representative.
Vision
Healthier soils and plants for a food-secure and environmentally sustainable world.
Mission
Bring together innovative research, market expertise, and strategic public and private sector partners to identify and scale sustainable solutions for soil and plant nutrition that benefit farmers, entrepreneurs, and the environment.
Organizational Indicator Results for 2020
14,501
DEMONSTRATION PLOTS ESTABLISHED
Management practices and/or technologies tested in farmer fields for dissemination
267,023
FARMERS TRAINED (46% WOMEN)
Direct farmer participants in short-term
capacity building on management practices and/or technologies
416,522
FARMERS APPLYING GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES
Farmers who have applied improved farm management practices and/or technologies
193,768
AREA UNDER GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES
Hectares under improved management practices and/or technologies (managed or cultivated by farmer partners)
838
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
Agreements between public and private firms/actors and research, academic, civil society, and stakeholder associations
5,135
OUTREACH ACTIVITIES
Dissemination activities: workshops, forums, stakeholder consultations, publications,
and print, radio, and television media
New Organizational Indicator Results for 2020
41,389
CLIMATE-ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Area (ha) under improved technologies that promote improved climate risk reduction (mitigation/adaptation) and/or natural resource management (NRM) practices
5,738
NEW JOBS CREATED
Jobs created resulting from agri-business interventions during 2020
4,177
PRIVATE AGRI-ENTERPRISES
# of private sector (SMEs, MSMEs) firms that have benefited and improved as a result of interventions
Research Highlights
IFDC Research plays a unique intermediary role by transforming innovative fertilizer products and soil fertility management technologies into adaptable and scalable production technologies. We undertake applied research and implementation, involving scientific discovery, development, and testing of advanced fertilizers and related soil fertility management technologies; design of fertilizer manufacturing and quality control processes; market system development; and applied policy and regulatory analysis. The overall goal of IFDC research is to significantly boost the production of higher quality food, using less land and water; improve the climate resilience of farming systems; and reduce adverse environmental impacts associated with agriculture.
Research outputs generated across focus areas (2018-20)
| Technologies/Practices | # of outputs* | Phase 3 | Phase 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potash – slow release | 11 | 2 | |
| Activated PR (all) | 73 | 20 | 1 |
| Micronutrients | 93 | 20 | |
| Nanofertilizers | 20 | ||
| NextGen-ISFM tech | 11 | ||
| S Nutrition | 20 | ||
| N Product | 164 | 2 | |
| GHG Mitigation | 27 | 2 | |
| Resilience | 22 | 2 | 2 |
| UDP/FDP | 9 | 2 | 2 |
*Outputs include individual protocols, product formulations, fertilizer recommendations across different crops, ecologies and countries under research.
Phases 3 and 4 are advanced stages of research:
Phase 3: Made Available for Uptake (formal recommendations ready for dissemination to farmers; can use legally);
Phase 4: Demonstrated Uptake by Public and/or by Private Sector Org (not by individual farmers or by donor uptake)
Balanced Fertilization
Balanced fertilization is the key to sustained high productivity, increased nutrient use efficiency, reduced losses, and improved soil health. Balanced nutrition can be achieved through fertilizers, organic amendments, biofertilizers, and integrated use of these. To facilitate balanced fertilization, IFDC has developed a SMaRT framework that incorporates Soil testing, Mapping, Recommendations development, and Transfer to farmers.
Since 2017, comprehensive soil testing and a series of nutrient omission trials have been conducted in Ghana with support through the USAID RFS-SFT program. These trials demonstrated that sulfur (S), zinc (Zn), and boron (B) are often required to enhance crop productivity. For maize, grain yield increased at least 60% compared to the recommended NPK fertilization with addition of these secondary and micronutrients. Based on these results, balanced fertilizer recommendations were developed for maize and soybean on soils ranging from near neutral to acidic. As evident from the figure, the “best bet” rate for S, Zn, and B on strongly acidic soil is the “low rate,” which is only 50% of the “best bet” recommendation
For near-neutral soils (A), the “best bet” application rate of S, Zn, and B outperformed other rates, while in moderately acid (B) and strongly acid (C) soils, the trials indicated that the low rate of application would be recommended.
To ensure increased productivity in the soils of most parts of northern Ghana and realize the full benefits of the investments in fertilizers the government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, is now introducing NPK fertilizers that contain the nutrients we have identified as limiting (B, S, and Zn) to farmers across the country, particularly in the five northern regions.
In Rwanda two seasons of balanced fertilization trials with focus on fertilizer formulations were completed for six crops: Irish potato, rice, maize, wheat, beans (both climbing and bush) and soybean. The evaluations compared several “best bet” options containing various ratios of NPK combined with S, Zn, B and/or copper (Cu) with blanket NPK fertilizer recommendations used in Rwanda, either diammonium phosphate (DAP) or 17-17-17. The formulations were evaluated in various provinces with distinct soil characteristics to target optimal formulations. Average yield increases, which varied per province, were as follows: potato, 4-7 metric tons per hectare (mt/ha); rice, 1.2-2.4 mt/ha; maize, 0-7-3.2 mt/ha; wheat, 1.1-2.0 mt/ha; bush beans, 0.3-1.0 mt/ha; climbing beans, 0.7-1.6 mt/ha; and soybean, 0.8-1.0 mt/ha. Trial work focused on reducing micronutrient concentrations in formulations to lower costs without compromising yield. Based on these trials, eight formulations have the requisite two season of data for release in Rwanda. This research was funded by OCP in anticipation of these blends being produced in the Rwanda Fertilizer Company’s blending facility in Rwanda.
SOILS Consortium
SOILS Consortium research efforts in Ethiopia and Niger have made substantial progress in 2020 despite COVID-19. A unified fertilizer trial protocol for targeting fertilizer source and rate protocols in Ethiopia was jointly developed by IFDC, ICRISAT, and EIAR, and 362 field trials were implemented for teff (183), wheat (119), and sorghum (60) across Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR, and Tigray regions. The goal of this activity is to produce a model for prediction of responses to different nutrient combinations and rates, with emphasis on potassium (K), S, Zn, and B, that improves upon the current fertilizer targeting by using soil critical values only. The model considers multiple variables, including soil analysis values, soil properties such as soil pH, soil texture, and soil organic carbon, soil classification, landscape position, crop, weather (rainfall), and agroecology and link to crop response. The intended use of the model is within a dedicated decision support tool and within the Ethiopian Soil Information System (EthioSIS). Crops were harvested from 290 sites, excluding Tigray.
Initial results indicate:
- Yields of wheat and teff increased significantly, more than 300% vs. control, up to 8% relative to the NP treatment only, and over 25% compared to treatment with half of all the nutrients (50% of all nutrients + K) with application of 150% of K.
- Sorghum yield increments of about 37% and 21% were achieved at foot slope position compared to hill and mid-slope positions, respectively.
SOILS Consortium led efforts in Niger to “Enhance Resilience to Food Insecurity and Conflict through Land-Use Planning, Soil Rehabilitation, and Capacity Building” resulted in maps for Dossa Region, Niger to provide land capability classifications (LCC) to guide commune- and/or individual-level decision making on about appropriate land management including appropriate livestock, crop, fodder, rangeland, conservation, or other land management practices suitable for intensification. LCC is a land potential evaluation system that classifies land based on its limitations for agriculture, including factors affecting both potential productivity and degradation risk.
The LCC work in Niger is led by the University of Colorado Boulder (UCB) using smartphone-enabled LandPKS to gather site-specific information on soils and physical land properties, such as slope and texture. In fall 2019, the UCB team created an initial map product for the region and, in 2020, using field data collected by IFDC, refined the map, added an assessment of soil nutrient status, and tested whether remote sensing data could add additional value to the map products. The results of this analysis have been published in the journal Land and the map products have been shared with stakeholders, including the Millennium Challenge Corporation, for feedback or potential use. The figure to the right illustrates a comparison of the spatial details of LCC using the field data from this study in comparison to the SoilGrids digital soil product and the Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD) map from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). This comparison is a key step toward a more nuanced understanding of how best to scale the activities in Dossa to a broader regional level using a mix of field data and global soil data products.
Development of a High-Capacity Briquetting Machine for Sub-Saharan Africa
The most limiting factor for adoption of fertilizer deep placement in SSA and elsewhere is assured supply and access to fertilizer briquettes. To mitigate this constraint, development of a high-capacity briquetting machine began in Uganda in 2019 with the assistance of the USAID-funded RFS-SFT project and is near completion. This machine is anticipated to have a production rate of 5 mt or more per hour. This high-capacity model will be a key component of a briquette production and distribution model better suited to sub-Saharan Africa . Unlike Bangladesh, rice is grown in dispersed locations in sub-Saharan Africa, so it is logistically better to place a high-capacity briquetting machine at a urea distribution point, where briquettes can be distributed to diverse rice programs as well as cooperatives. This differs from the Bangladeshi model in which briquettes are fabricated at the point of sale of urea using a small briquetting machine that can run intermittently at a capacity of less than 0.5 mt per hour. The high-capacity machine has an adjustable feed and speed control to suit various characteristics of urea (prilled or granular of varying moisture concentrations) and can be equipped with a cooled motor or a diesel-powered engine to permit continuous operation.
Economics and Policies for Change
During 2020, IFDC’s economics and policy work focused primarily on research and advocacy efforts through focused surveys and consultations among stakeholders. The Kenya Fertilizer Platform (KeFERT), initiated in 2018 through IFDC’s efforts, continued facilitating fertilizer forums of interest to the stakeholders with the Ministry of Agriculture during 2020 despite COVID-19, conducted a webinar on Kenya soil mapping, and disseminated the new Kenya soil map site.
To support the fertilizer sector reform plan (FSRP) process in Niger, the five key new fertilizer regulations were disseminated on a large scale across the country to the primary stakeholders (fertilizer suppliers, crop producers, and agricultural technicians) in the domestic fertilizer value chain. This activity sought to raise awareness among key stakeholders on the new legal framework for fertilizer and has involved the distribution of outreach materials (hard copies of the regulations in local languages through mass media, face-to-face meetings, and key informant sessions). Of the five regulations passed, fertilizer actors placed more value on those related to licensing, sales, and sanctions.
In 2020, a field-based economic study was conducted among farmers, input retailers, and extension agents to understand their knowledge and perceptions of micronutrient fertilizer use (Zn, B, and manganese [Mn]) and their access in rice farming in Bangladesh. The private sector is the sole source of supplier of micronutrient fertilizers, technologies, and knowledge. Preliminary survey results from input retailers (45) and agricultural extension officers (15) in rice-growing southwestern Bangladesh indicate the need for close monitoring of micronutrient fertilizer quality available in the market, with a multiplicity of brands being imported and supplied by private firms for consumption.
Fertilizer Engineering, Production, and Research
IFDC’s engineering and pilot plant services division helps fertilizer producers solve production problems.
Despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as travel restrictions and working from home for some time, the pilot plant completed five projects for private sector partners. The team also provided technical assistance in troubleshooting operational problems in a foreign customer’s full-scale plant. An engineering package based on pilot plant operations conducted at IFDC was completed and was used as the basis for a detailed design of a full-scale plant to be constructed overseas. Research support was provided for activation of phosphate rock for field trials in sub-Saharan Africa. The pilot plant also underwent a major maintenance and refurbishing during the year.
Research on fertilizer formulations, properties, technical feasibility, and overall market feasibility of products is made possible through an interdisciplinary team of engineers, technicians, scientists, and economists.
Pilot Plants and Laboratories
- Fully continuous fertilizer granulation plants.
- Phosphoric acid plants.
- Laboratories for chemical and physical characterizations of fertilizer materials.
- Laboratories for fertilizer compaction/granulation, briquetting, pelletizing, and tableting.
North and West Africa
Benin | Burkina Faso | Cabo Verde | Cameroon | Chad | Côte d’Ivoire | Gambia | Ghana | Guinea
Guinea-Bissau | Liberia | Mali | Mauritania | Niger | Nigeria |Senegal | Sierra Leone | Togo
FERARI supports Ghana to Establish a Fertilizer Stakeholder Platform
IFDC’s Fertilizer Research and Responsible Implementation (FERARI) project is collaborating with the government of Ghana’s Fertilizer Expansion Program to establish the Ghana Fertilizer Platform (GFP) for the sustainable development of the fertilizer sector for food and nutrition security. Fertilizer stakeholders in Ghana welcome a multi-stakeholder GFP.
FERARI activities run from 2019 to 2024 and are co-funded by OCP, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), IFDC, and other involved institutions. Partners also include Wageningen University and Research (WUR), University of Liège (ULiège), universities and research institutes in Ghana, including University of Ghana (UG), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and the University for Development Studies (UDS).
North and West Africa Project Updates
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AfricaFertilizer
Budget: U.S. $490,500
Implementing Partners: International Fertilizer Association (IFA), Argus Media, and Development Gateway.
As the premier source for fertilizer statistics and information in Africa, the AfricaFertilizer.org (AFO) initiative has been collecting, processing, and publishing fertilizer production, trade, and consumption statistics for main fertilizer markets in sub-Sahara Africa. AFO worked with Development Gateway to develop an innovative dashboard – Visualizing Insights on Fertilizer for African Agriculture – to improve, manage, and visualize fertilizer data in Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria. We produced the 2020 Fertilizer Plant Register recording/mapping operational fertilizer plants in SSA, excluding South Africa. AFO updated fertilizer data and statistics at six workshops held in West Africa. We supported the publication of 12 editions of the West Africa Fertilizer Watch, six editions of the East and Southern Africa Fertilizer Watch, and six editions of the Africa Fertilizer Watch to monitor the fertilizer sector’s response to COVID-19. Twelve editions of the FertiNews e-newsletter were developed and disseminated on fertilizer statistics, market comments, and general fertilizer news.
Communal Approach to the Agricultural Market in Benin – Phase 2 (ACMA2)
Budget: €17.5 million
Implementing Partners: CARE International Benin-Togo and KIT
Donor: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Benin
Across four departments in Benin, ACMA2 (2017-2021) engaged with nearly 80,000 farmers, processors, and traders (40% men, 60% women, and 20% youth) that are organized in 65 agribusiness clusters to increase their revenues by 20%. The project’s implementation strategy is based on training and interventions in five integrated domains: access to agricultural inputs and innovations, market access and professionalization, access to agricultural finance, ICT for agriculture, and public-private partnership at the communal level. ACMA2 introduced good agricultural practices and strategic information accessible on its ICT4Ag platform. To support productivity improvement, farmers are taught climate-friendly practices. Commercial infrastructure built by the project gave involved actors access to markets and financing. In 2020, more than U.S. $1.7 million in credit was facilitated to support their activities. U.S. $10 million in agricultural product sales were recorded, bringing the cumulative total for the first three years of the program to more than U.S. $18,000,000.
Feed the Future Senegal Dundël Suuf
Budget: U.S. $8.5 million
Implementing Partners: Institut Sénégalais de Recherche Agricoles (ISRA), Agence Nationale pour le Conseil Agricole et Rural (ANCAR), Directorate of Agriculture, producer organizations, and the private sector
Donor: USAID
Dundël Suuf (2019-2022) is being implemented in five agroecological zones of Senegal to address the use of inappropriate fertilizer formulas, lack of adoption of improved fertilizer technologies, poor enforcement of fertilizer quality control, and an inefficient subsidy program. The program supports improvement of soil fertilization to increase agricultural productivity in the country. In its first year of implementation, 13 partners were selected to carry out 624 fertilizer deep placement (FDP) and microdosing (MD) demonstration plots on 1,037 hectares (ha) for 4,626 beneficiaries, 50% of whom are women. A total of 9,332 participants are being trained on FDP and MD application, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and budget management. Four preliminary texts and an inspection manual have been drafted and validated to facilitate the adoption of the ECOWAS fertilizer regulation. To contribute to subsidy reform, 2,150 flyers on the smart fertilizer subsidy program were shared.
Fertilizer Research and Responsible Implementation (FERARI)
Budget: $5.8 million
Implementing Partners: Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, OCP, Wageningen University, University of Liège, University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University for Development Studies, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Ghana)
Donor: OCP and institutional contributions
FERARI (2019-2024) is an international public-private partnership that builds science-based approaches to site-specific fertilization for widespread adoption by farmers in Ghana for improved food and nutrition security. In its first year, 225 on-station and on-farm fertilizer response trials of maize, rice, and soybean were conducted in collaboration with two research centers and were demonstrated to about 1,000 farmers. A baseline survey of 1,450 farmers was done to understand their farm livelihoods. Through stakeholder surveys, FERARI designed a Ghana National Fertilizer Platform that is being established. Its soil mapping expertise is being developed as a step toward an IT platform. The project’s activities support the Planting for Food and Jobs program of the Government of Ghana to embed development efforts into national policy priorities to reach impact at scale. The activities are being conducted using a transdisciplinary approach with 22 master’s-level students supervised by staff from FERARI and nine universities in Ghana, Morocco, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
Fertilizer Sector Reform Support Project in Niger (PARSEN)
Budget: U.S. $2,783,000
Donor: Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)/Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)-Niger
IFDC’s PARSEN project (2018-2021) is providing technical assistance for the successful implementation of Niger’s Fertilizer Sector Reform Plan, which is expected to significantly improve the use of fertilizers in agriculture through better involvement of the private sector. For 2020, activities were conducted to build the capacity of members of the national fertilizer importers, distributors, and agribusinesses association (ANIDE); strengthen its business relationships with farmer organizations, financial institutions, and the West African Fertilizer Association (WAFA); complete a specific fertilizer regulation framework, including adoption by Parliament and the Head of State, of an act on the suppression of offenses relating to fertilizer trade; establish a new Directorate of Fertilizer Inspection and Quality Control (DICE) within the Ministry of Agriculture; and facilitate the signing of a joint act by the Ministries of Agriculture and Finance for the establishment of a Fertilizer Common Fund.
Integrated Seed Sector Development in the Sahel (ISSD/Sahel)
Budget: €11 million
Implementing Partners: IFDC (consortium leader), Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)
Donor: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
ISSD/Sahel’s (2020-2024) objective is to ensure the availability and use of high-quality seed by establishing a viable, autonomous commercial seed sector supported by client-oriented seed services in Mali and Niger. Targeted priority crops comprise cereals (millet, sorghum, maize, and rice), legumes (peanut and cowpea), and vegetables (okra, onion, tomato, cabbage, and eggplant). ISSD/Sahel will boost commercial seed production, facilitate the professionalization of seed suppliers, mobilize the expertise of the Dutch and international private seed sector to benefit seed actors and promote large-scale availability and use of quality seeds to sustainably increase production of targeted food crops. Key results expected by the end of the project include improved food and nutrition security for rural and urban households, increased incomes for rural households, a strengthened private seed sector, an increase in permanent jobs for women and youth in agriculture, and more women engaged in commercial seed production.
Feed the Future Enhancing Growth through Regional Agricultural Input Systems Project for West Africa
Budget: U.S. $14,000,000
Key Partners: ECOWAS, West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), and West African Fertilizer Association
Donor: United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/West Africa Regional Mission
In West Africa, EnGRAIS (2018-2023) has supported regional institutions and fertilizer industry actors to address critical issues that constrain the effective supply and use of appropriate agricultural inputs, especially fertilizer. In partnership with CORAF’s PAIRED project, EnGRAIS has developed the innovative Fertilizer and Seed Recommendations Map for West Africa and its agricultural input packages to help farmers increase their productivity. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, EnGRAIS published 12 weekly bulletins of the West Africa Fertilizer Watch to ensure access to fertilizers by West African farmers before the start of the 2020 planting season. The project assisted the West African Fertilizer Association to arrange and secure a $520 million line of credit from the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development for its 60-plus members. With EnGRAIS support, several countries fast-tracked implementation of the harmonized ECOWAS fertilizer quality control regulation, which has now been published in 14 Member State national gazettes.
Feed the Future Nigeria Rural Resilience Activity
Budget: U.S. $1.5 million
Implementing Partners: Mercy Corps leads the consortium that includes IFDC and Save the Children International
Donor: USAID
Feed the Future Nigeria Rural Resilience Activity (2019-2024) is facilitating economic recovery and growth in vulnerable, conflict-affected areas by promoting systemic change in market systems. IFDC is championing interventions aimed at improving farm practices for increased productivity and incomes for farmers through engagement with value chain actors, public/private extension service providers, input network actors, and others by ensuring appropriate technologies and practices are mainstreamed into the primary activities of the respective partners/stakeholders. IFDC supported the COVID-19 Rapid Assessment, conducted scoping studies that shaped the interventions, contributed to the evidence-based value chain selections and Agricultural Input Access Strategies and Extension Content workshops, and developed extension communication materials covering the maize, rice, cowpea, and groundnut value chains. Capacity building for agro-dealers, extension officers, and lead farmers on safer use of agrochemicals was conducted and five Memoranda of Understanding were signed, which will contribute to strengthening the resilience of the market actors to sustainably lift over 90,000 households out of chronic vulnerabilities and poverty.
Smallholder Agricultural Productivity Enhancement Program (SAPEP)
Budget: U.S. $7,315,000
Donor: Islamic Development Bank
SAPEP (2015-2021) is designed to provide proven and appropriate agricultural technologies to improve the living standards of 500,000 households. Specific outcomes of the program include increased use of effective integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technologies, improved access to seed, improved access to financial services to actors along the value chain, and increased access to output markets. The program aims at increasing yield levels of major crops by at least 70% and income by at least 20%. In 2020, SAPEP hosted five regional workshops for country experts on soils, seed, markets, and finance, and monitoring and evaluation. Furthermore, the project established a modern soil and plant analysis laboratory. Progress was made in setting up farmer field schools, demonstration plots on ISFM technologies, screening of improved varieties, and production of improved seeds. Because of SAPEP’s level of performance, three new projects were granted to IFDC.
Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT): Soil Fertility Enabler
Budget: U.S. $1,802,097
Lead Implementer: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Donor: African Development Bank
The TAAT Soil Fertility Enabler (SFE)(2018-2021), led by IFDC, is supporting seven TAAT commodity compacts in soil fertility management under three intervention areas: creation of an enabling environment for dissemination of technologies, strengthening the technology delivery infrastructure, and deployment of fertilizer technologies. Over the past three years, the SFE, with a network of 33 partners including national agricultural research system (NARS) and the private sector, has registered 2,451 agro-input dealers in Burkina Faso and established a platform linking farmers to agro-input dealers, facilitating last-mile delivery of fertilizers; demonstrated 463 fertilizer technologies, including urea deep placement, microdosing, and ISFM; trained 492 farmers in the fundamentals of ISFM; produced 34 soil fertility maps to guide fertilizer recommendations; distributed 1,130 mini-kits (seed + fertilizer) for farmers’ own testing of microdosing; and tested 13 fertilizers in farmers’ fields.
Toward Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship (2SCALE)
Budget: €150,000,000 (€50,000,000 through public funding)
Implementing Partners: SNV, BoP Innovation Center
Strategic Partners: Partnership Resource Center
Donor: Netherlands Directorate-General for International Cooperation and private sector and financial institution co-investment
2SCALE is an incubator and accelerator program that manages a portfolio of public-private partnerships (PPPs) for inclusive business in agri-food sectors and industries across Africa. 2SCALE offers a range of support services to its business champions (farmer groups or small and medium enterprises) and partners, enabling them to produce, transform, and supply quality food products. These products go to local and regional markets, including to base-of-the-pyramid consumers.
Despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19 in 2020, 2SCALE managed to develop a full portfolio of 65 business partnerships in eight countries, including 30 newly established partnerships. This portfolio will provide a solid foundation to introduce innovations for eco-efficient agriculture, improve business skills, and develop nutritious, affordable food products for low-income consumers in the next two years of the program.
Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) Extension Service Supervision Project
Budget: U.S. $840,000
Implementing Partners: National Agriculture Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) and Agricultural Development Programs in Jigawa, Kano, Sokoto, and Zamfara states
Donor: World Bank, through the TRIMING project under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in Nigeria
TRIMING (2019-2021) assists farmers in Nigeria’s northern irrigation schemes to increase their agricultural productivity and has reached over 20,000 farmers in selected states. These farmers were trained through Farmer Field Business Schools (FFBSs) to boost their productivity. IFDC also employs a collaborative approach to link these farmers to input and output markets, as well as financial institutions, strengthening their capacities across the value chain. Nine productivity-enhancing technologies were promoted to farmers, with a particular focus on fertilizer deep placement (FDP). Farmers using this technology increased their yields by more than 50% to 5-8 mt/ha in various project intervention sites. Understanding the critical role that the Agricultural Development Programs (ADPs) play in ensuring sustainability of project efforts, IFDC has worked continuously to supervise and strengthen the institution’s capacities in various areas, including delivery of farmer extension and use of information and communication technology.
East and Southern Africa
Burundi | Ethiopia | Kenya | Malawi | Mozambique | Rwanda | South Sudan | Tanzania | Uganda
Boosting Yields through Access to Finance
The Resilient Efficient Agribusiness Chains in Uganda (REACH-Uganda) project connected with the Geshaho Farmers’ Group in Butaleja and linked them with the Microfinance Support Centre (MSC), which provides farmers access to agricultural loans and group loans with low interest rates.
To Jamila Nabirye and the 40 members of her group, this was a great relief and a turning point.
East and Southern Africa Project Updates
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AfricaFertilizer
Budget: U.S. $490,500
Implementing Partners: International Fertilizer Association (IFA), Argus Media, and Development Gateway.
As the premier source for fertilizer statistics and information in Africa, the AfricaFertilizer.org (AFO) initiative has been collecting, processing, and publishing fertilizer production, trade, and consumption statistics for main fertilizer markets in sub-Sahara Africa. AFO worked with Development Gateway to develop an innovative dashboard – Visualizing Insights on Fertilizer for African Agriculture – to improve, manage, and visualize fertilizer data in Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria. We produced the 2020 Fertilizer Plant Register recording/mapping operational fertilizer plants in SSA, excluding South Africa. AFO updated fertilizer data and statistics at six workshops held in West Africa. We supported the publication of 12 editions of the West Africa Fertilizer Watch, six editions of the East and Southern Africa Fertilizer Watch, and six editions of the Africa Fertilizer Watch to monitor the fertilizer sector’s response to COVID-19. Twelve editions of the FertiNews e-newsletter were developed and disseminated on fertilizer statistics, market comments, and general fertilizer news.
Accelerating Agriculture and Agribusiness in South Sudan for Enhanced Economic Development (A3-SEED)
Budget: $10 million
Implementing Partner: Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)
Donor: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) in Juba
A3-SEED (2020-2025) is supporting the commercialization of the seed sector to transition South Sudan from humanitarian relief support to a commercial, sustainable, and adaptive agriculture sector. Through existing private sector seed companies and outgrowers, seed production practices and input marketing and distribution will be improved so that quality seed is available down to the last mile. Smallholder farmers are being encouraged in the use of quality seed as well as good agricultural and climate-resilient farming practices. Over the next five years, A3-SEED will improve the livelihoods of more than 100,000 farming households, facilitate the development of 100 agro-dealers and 400 new businesses owned or managed by women and youth, and ensure over 42,000 hectares of farmland is under agroecological production and resilient to shocks and that 50% of relief seed is procured locally.
Food Security Through Climate Adaptation and Resilience (FAR-Sofala)
Budget: U.S. $1,039,500
Managing Organization: Swisscontact
Donor: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)
Since 2017, the FAR-Sofala (2017-2022) project has been working to achieve sustainable availability of and access to nutritious foods for 5,000 farming households in the cereal, legume, and vegetable value chains in Buzi District, Mozambique. The introduction of improved seed and fertilizer, climate-smart agricultural practices, capacity building for farmers, and linkages to input and output markets has provided 3,587 farmers (74% women) access to nutritious food as well as money from selling produce. In 2020, COVID-19 awareness and practices were incorporated into the project’s field days. Measures included convening small groups of no more than 15 farmers, with social distancing of 1-1.5 meters and hygienic practices, such as handwashing. Educating farmers in rural areas about COVID-19 has allowed food-insecure countries, such as Mozambique, to continue business as usual, without interrupting their farming operations while practicing measures to prevent the spread of the disease among their communities.
Potato Value Chain Capacity Building (PCB) Project
Budget: €2.3 million (€1 million cost share from partners)
Implementing Partners: IPM Potato Group, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services, Kevian Kenya Limited, Kirinyaga Seed Limited, National Potato Council of Kenya, Nyandarua County Government, Sustainable Food Systems Ireland, Teagasc
Donors: Irish Aid, Embassy of Ireland in Kenya
The PCB project (2018-2022) is a public-private partnership with the overall objective of improving livelihoods of small-scale farmers and families living within Nyandarua County, Kenya, by increasing the revenue generated from potato farming at least 30% through the adoption of new technologies. These technologies include the use of certified potato seed, consistent use of good agricultural practices, improved farm management skills, and market access. In 2020, the project reached 1,558 farmers (56% female) using the Farmer Field Business School training model. Cumulatively, the project has trained 3,827 farmers directly and over 6,000 others indirectly. PCB has availed over 100 mt of certified potato seed and 350 mt of clean seed multiplied by farmers using skills acquired from the project. The project has trained 95 lead farmers who cascade farmer-to-farmer extension, thereby supporting government extension personnel.
Private Seed Sector Development (PSSD)
Budget: €7,761,600
Implementing Partner: Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)
Donor: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Burundi
PSSD (2018-2022) aims to double production and incomes of 108,000 farmer households in Burundi by ensuring sustainable access to certified seed and agricultural advisory services. In 2020, the project made significant strides toward the establishment of a sustainable seed industry in Burundi. The project supported 58 Burundian seed producers and companies to establish 6,261 micro-demonstration plots and train 68,140 farmers. The close proximity of the micro-demonstration plots to farmer communities ensured that 44% of all training participants were women. Because sales and distribution strategies were tailored to Burundian farmer households, private sector partners sold a cumulative 1,343 mt of certified seed at commercial rates directly to 87,376 Burundian farmers. The inherent gender-inclusiveness of these tailored sales and distribution strategies meant that 36,094 of all clients were women.
Promotion of Nutrition-Sensitive Potato Value Chains in East Africa (PNSP)
Budget: €1,810,500
Implementing Partners: Uganda National Potato Platform and National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO)
Donor: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
PNSP (2017-2022) aims to increase productivity and associated incomes of 3,307 smallholder potato farmers (67% female) while simultaneously improving nutrition through dietary diversification for 5,136 farmers (75% female) in Eastern Uganda. Through the promotion of good agricultural practices, potato yields have improved from 12.5 mt/ha at baseline to 14.4 mt/ha in 2020. To address shortages of quality seed in the Mount Elgon highlands, four farmer-based seed producer associations were supported in their establishment of screenhouses to produce early generation seed, and 34 seed producers have been trained to produce quality declared potato seed. Through hands-on training in the establishment of home kitchen gardens, cooking demonstrations, community dialogues, and radio messaging, knowledge of and practices around nutrition have improved, with the Individual Dietary Diversity Score increasing from 3.1 (out of 9) food groups at baseline to over 5 in 2020.
Resilient Efficient Agribusiness Chains in Uganda (REACH-Uganda)
Budget: €13,286,700
Implementing Partners: Cardno Emerging Markets and Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)
Donor: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Uganda
By the end of 2020, REACH-Uganda (2016-2021) had been implemented in 20 districts in Southwestern and Eastern Uganda, targeting the improvement of potato and rice market systems. Using the market systems development approach, the project has improved market engagement for farmers, strengthened household resilience, and deepened availability of agricultural support services. As a result, 36,398 farmers (62% women, 37% youth) have been trained in farming as a business, good agricultural practices, and climate-smart agriculture. A total of 6,627 potato and 17,532 rice farmers have earned an additional U.S. $10.2 million from increased productivity. Rehabilitation of 67 km of feeder roads has allowed improved access to markets, health, and education for more than 156,000 people. By 2024, REACH-facilitated agribusiness linkages between farmers and 26 private sector firms, including banks, will assist 59,798 farmers and create 826 full-time jobs. Furthermore, 3,600 farmers are projected to register increased savings of U.S. $2.1 million.
Soil Fertility Stewardship Project (PAGRIS)
Budget: €8.8 million
Implementing Partners: Wageningen Environmental Research and Twitezimbere
Donor: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Burundi
PAGRIS (2020-2024) is an innovative project in Burundi that seeks to achieve ecologically sustainable land management. After a six-month inception phase, the project identified 42 pilot villages, 215 relevant watersheds of around 20 ha each, and 294 research farmers. The communities within the watersheds have been taught to develop their own plan to improve landscape management, tackle soil erosion, reach stewardship agreements, and implement integrated practices through collective community action. The research farmers have been trained to co-create their own integrated farming plan and to test and implement land stewardship strategies and practices using the participatory learning and action approach. At the institutional level, PAGRIS supported the Soil Fertilization Directorate (DFS) to improve the strategic and technical quality of fertilizers that have been produced and distributed in Burundi through the National Fertilizer Subsidy Program (PNSEB).
Supporting Agricultural Productivity in Burundi (PAPAB)
Budget: €33.5 million
Implementing Partner: Wageningen Environmental Research, Oxfam Novib, and ZOA
Donor: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Burundi
PAPAB (2015-2020) promoted market-oriented, climate-resilient, and sustainable agricultural techniques, supported by fertilizer subsidies. The project sustainably increased agricultural productivity, strengthened resilience, and raised incomes for 865,666 farming households during Component 1 and 59,575 farming households during Component 2 (see the PAPAB final report). A 2019 impact study carried out to assess the integrated farm planning approach showed that over 80% of households significantly increased their incomes over three years. In 2020, the project supported the National Fertilizer Subsidy Program (PNSEB) to give about 800,000 farming households access to 56,236 mt of fertilizers and 9,210 mt of dolomite.
Toward Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship (2SCALE)
Budget: €150,000,000 (€50,000,000 through public funding)
Implementing Partners: SNV, BoP Innovation Center
Strategic Partners: Partnership Resource Center
Donor: Netherlands Directorate-General for International Cooperation and private sector and financial institution co-investment
2SCALE is an incubator and accelerator program that manages a portfolio of public-private partnerships (PPPs) for inclusive business in agri-food sectors and industries across Africa. 2SCALE offers a range of support services to its business champions (farmer groups or small and medium enterprises) and partners, enabling them to produce, transform, and supply quality food products. These products go to local and regional markets, including to base-of-the-pyramid consumers.
Despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19 in 2020, 2SCALE managed to develop a full portfolio of 65 business partnerships in eight countries, including 30 newly established partnerships. This portfolio will provide a solid foundation to introduce innovations for eco-efficient agriculture, improve business skills, and develop nutritious, affordable food products for low-income consumers in the next two years of the program.
Asia
India | Myanmar | Nepal
Success Story: En Route to Improved Agronomic Literacy
The use of balanced fertilizer application has benefited more than a hundred members of the cooperative by gaining an average income of $219 in a season from cultivating cauliflower – a cash crop in Nepal’s Terai region. This additional return has helped farmers to adequately feed an average family of 4.5 people for the entire year.
Asia Project Updates
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Uplands Agro-Input and Farm Services Project
Budget: U.S. $6,069,474
Implementing Partners: Private sector input and service providers (ISPs), Myanmar Department of Agriculture (DOA), and financial institutions
Donor: Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Starting in the Dry Zone and continuing in the Uplands, AIFS (2015-2020) worked to strengthen a network of agricultural input and service providers to enable commercial agricultural production, with the ultimate aim of improving smallholder farmer incomes. Enhancing the partnership between ISPs, DOA, and farmers was the pathway to ensuring sustainability of information sources after project completion. In 2020, COVID-19 presented a major disruption for the project, which already had a short time frame. By late March, all field operations had ceased. While field-based training was not possible during this period, other activities were conducted. Demonstrations were harvested with good collaboration from DOA and the farmers. ISPs continued to receive remote contact from the project to gather data and prepare business development proposals. Stakeholders now have the confidence to give advice on what factors to consider when choosing inputs. Capacity development gradually builds resilient systems that can better face future pressures and shocks from the climate or market. A total of 42,551 stakeholders directly benefitted from the project.
Feed the Future Nepal Seed and Fertilizer Project
Budget: U.S. $1,143,000
Lead Implementing Partner: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
Donor: USAID
IFDC is implementing fertilizer sector-related activities as a subcontractor on the NSAF project (2016-2021) in collaboration with public and private sector actors, including the Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), Department of Agriculture, Nepal Entrepreneurs and Fertilizer Association, and agro-input companies. The project is working on rice, maize, lentils, onions, cauliflower, and tomatoes in 26 districts, comprising 21 districts in the Feed the Future Zone of Influence in Nepal plus five earthquake-affected districts in Bagmati Province. In response to COVID-19, an initial assessment was conducted with partner cooperatives in April 2020 to determine the availability of fertilizer. IFDC assisted the national agricultural research system (NARS) in preparing digital soil mapping, the scope of work for the fertilizer blending policy activity for MoALD, and training materials on organic matter buildup in Nepalese soils. IFDC also assisted the Government of Nepal in importing 50,000 mt of urea fertilizers from Bangladesh during the pandemic.
Accelerating Farm Incomes: Building Sustainable Soil Health, Markets, and Productivity (AFI)
Budget: U.S. $2,513,472
Donor: Walmart Foundation
Project Hosting: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
AFI (2019-2022) is helping peri-urban farmers of Telangana State realize the large market opportunities created by the ever-growing consumer demand for fresh produce in the Hyderabad metropolitan area. During 2020, emphasis was placed on dissemination of good agricultural practices (GAPs) to farmers. Diffusion of improved technologies requires attention to both demand- and supply-side issues – creating awareness and enhancing knowledge on GAPs and innovative technologies (a precursor to demand growth) – and concurrently to stimulating entrepreneurial investment in agro-input and quality product supply to afford access. The implementation strategy focused on strengthening the linkages of farmers to markets for timely sales and better prices for their agricultural products, empowering the community, with special emphasis on gender and youth by providing training and advisory services, and disseminating climate-resilient, adaptable innovative technologies for enhancing the efficiency of natural resources, mechanization, and quality seed use and reducing post-harvest losses in rice, maize, pulse, and vegetable cropping systems. In 2020, a quick assessment was done on the impact of COVID-19 on farmers and agro-input dealers, four leaflets were produced on COVID-19-related issues, 10 vegetable training modules were prepared, and 160 farmers were trained (34% women).
Publications and Presentations
Publications
Agyin-Birikorang, S., I. Tindjina, A.R.A. Fuseini, H.W. Dauda, and R.A. Issahaku, U. Singh. 2020. “Application Timing of Urea Supergranules for Climate-Resilient Maize Cultivars Grown in Northern Ghana,” Journal of Plant Nutrition, 43:7, 949-964. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2019.1702207
Agyin-Birikorang, S., I. Tindjina, C. Boubakary, W. Dogbe, and U. Singh. 2020. “Resilient Rice Fertilization Strategy for Submergence-Prone Savanna Agro-Ecological Zones of Northern Ghana,” Journal of Plant Nutrition, 43:7, 965-986, https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2019.1702209
Agyin-Birikorang, S., I. Tindjina, R. Adu-Gyamfi, H.W. Dauda, A.R.A. Fuseini, and U. Singh. 2020. “Agronomic Effectiveness of Urea Deep Placement Technology for Upland Maize Production.” Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosyst, 116:179-193. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-019-10039-8
Aremu, T., C.Y. Freeman, A. Laamari, Y. Iddrisu, W.K. Atakora, and P.S. Bindraban. 2020. “Toward Establishing a Ghana Multi-Stakeholder Fertilizer Platform: Insights from Stakeholder and Network Analysis,” IFDC FERARI Policy Brief 1. https://ifdc.soutronglobal.net/Library/Catalogues/Controls/Download.aspx?id=606
Anderson, J.R., L. Nagarajan, A. Naseem, C. Pray, and T.A. Reardon. 2020. “New Corona Virus, Food Security and Identifying Policy Options.” Wieś i Rolnictwo, 4(189):77-88. https://doi.org/10.7366/wir042020/05
Baral, B., K. Pande, Y. Gaihre, K. Baral, S. Sah, and Y. Thapa. 2020. “Farmers’ Fertilizer Application Gap in Rice-Based Cropping System: A Case Study of Nepal,” SAARC Journal of Agriculture, 17(2):267-277. https://doi.org/10.3329/sja.v17i2.45311
Baral, B., K. Pande, Y. Gaihre, K. Baral, S. Sah, Y. Thapa, and U. Singh. 2020. “Increasing Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Rice Through Fertilizer Application Method Under Rainfed Drought Conditions in Nepal,” Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 118:103-114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-020-10086-6
Bationo, A., U. Singh, E. Dossa, J. Wendt, S. Agyin-Birikorang, F. Lompo, and P. Bindraban. 2020. “Improving Soil Fertility through Fertilizer Management in Sub-Saharan Africa,” IN Soil and Fertilizers: Managing the Environmental Footprint, Rattan Lal (Ed.), pp. 67‑102, CRC Press.
Bindraban, P.S., C.O. Dimkpa, and R. Pandey. 2020. “Exploring Phosphorus Fertilizers and Fertilization Strategies for Improved Human and Environmental Health,” Biology and Fertility of Soils, 56:299-317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-019-01430-2
Bindraban, P.S., C.O. Dimkpa, J.C. White, F.A. Franklin, A. Melse-Boonstra, N. Koele, R. Pandey, J. Rodenburg, K. Senthilkumar, P. Demokritou, and S. Schmidt. 2020. “Safeguarding Human and Planetary Health Demands a Fertilizer Sector Transformation,” Plants, People, Planet, 2:302-309. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10098
Bua, S., K. El Mejahed, D. MacCarthy, D.S. Adogoba, I.N. Kissiedu, W.K. Atakora, M. Fosu, and P.S. Bindraban. 2020. “Yield Responses of Maize to Fertilizers in Ghana,” IFDC FERARI Policy Brief No. 2. https://ifdc.soutronglobal.net/Library/Catalogues/Controls/Download.aspx?id=607
Das, S., M. Jahiruddin, M.R. Islam, A. Al Mahmud, A. Hossain, and A.M. Laing. 2020. “Zinc Biofortification in the Grains of Two Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Varieties Through Fertilization,” Acta Agrobotanica, 73(1):7312. https://doi.org/10.5586/aa.7312
Dhakal, K., B. Baral, K. Pokhrel, N. Pandit, S. Thapa, Y. Gaihre, and S.P. Vista. 2020. “Deep Placement of Briquetted Urea Increases Agronomic and Economic Efficiency of Maize in Sandy Load Soil,” AGRIVITA, Journal of Agricultural Science, 42(3):499-508. http://doi.org/10.17503/agrivita.v42i3.2766
Dimkpa, C.O., J. Fugice, U. Singh, and T.D. Lewis. 2020. “Development of Fertilizers for Enhanced Nitrogen Use Efficiency–Trends and Perspectives.” Science of the Total Environment, 731:139113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139113
Dimpka, C.O., J. Andrews, J. Fugice, U. Singh, P.S. Bindraban, W.H. Elmer, J.L. Gardea-Torresdey, and J.C. White. 2020. “Facile Coating of Urea with Low-Dose ZnO Nanoparticles Promotes Wheat Performance and Enhances Zn Uptake Under Drought Stress,” Frontiers in Plant Science, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.00168
Dimpka, C.O., J. Andrews, J. Sanabria, P.S. Bindraban, U. Singh, W.H. Elmer, J.L. Gardea-Torresdey, and J.C. White. 2020. “Interactive Effects of Drought, Organic Fertilizer, and Zinc Oxide Nanoscale and Bulk Particles on Wheat Performance and Grain Nutrient Accumulation,” Science of the Total Environment, 722:137808. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137808
Falconnier, G.N., M. Corbeels, K. Boote, F. Affholder, M. Adam, D.S. MacCarthy, A.C. Ruane, C. Nendel, A.M. Whitbread, G. Hoogenboom, U. Singh, W.N. Smith, A. Srivastava, S. Sinha, F. Tao, P.J. Thorburn, D. Timlin, B. Traore, T. Twine, and H. Webber. 2020. “Modelling Climate Change Impacts on Maize Yields Under Low Nitrogen Input Conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Global Change Biology, 26(10):5942-5964. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15261
Gaihre, Y., U. Singh, W. Bible, J. Fugice, and J. Sanabria. 2020. “Mitigating N2O and NO Emissions from Direct-Seeded Rice with Nitrification Inhibitor and Urea Deep Placement,” Rice Science, 27(5):434-444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsci.2020.03.005
Gao, Y., D. Wallach, B. Liu, M. Dingkuhn, K.J. Boote, U. Singh, S. Asseng, T. Kahveci, J. He, R. Zhang, R. Confalonieri, and G. Hoogenboom. 2020. “Comparison of Three Calibration Methods for Modeling Rice Phenology,” Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 280:107785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2019.107785
Iddrisu, Y., T.B. Aremu, W.K. Atakora, R. Wheeler, P. Annequin, F. Gyasi, C.Y. Freeman, and P.S. Bindraban. 2020. “Stakeholders in Ghana Discuss How a National Fertilizer Platform Could Address Fertilizer Sector Issue,” IFDC FERARI Policy Brief No. 3. https://ifdc.soutronglobal.net/Library/Catalogues/Controls/Download.aspx?id=608
Inamahoro, M., E. Vyizigiro, A. Bararyenya , E. Hakizimana, P. Niyonzima, D. Nyawakira, and G. Buhanza. 2020. Effect of Gibberellic Acid and Super Gro Foliar Fertilizer on Potato Tuber Sprouting in Diffused Light, Pit and Bulk Storage Conditions, PSSD project, ISABU and IFDC. https://ifdc.soutronglobal.net/Library/Catalogues/Controls/Download.aspx?id=602
Islam, S.M.M., Y. Gaihre, M.R. Islam, M. Akter, A. Al Mahmud, U. Singh, and B.O. Sander. 2020. “Effect of Water Management on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Farmers’ Rice Fields in Bangladesh,” Science of the Total Environment, 734:139382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139382
Malhotra, H., R. Pandey, S. Sharma, and P.S. Bindraban. 2020. “Foliar Fertilization: Possible Routes of Iron Transport from Leaf Surface to Cell Organelles,” Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, 66:3, 279-300, https://doi.org/10.1080/03650340.2019.1616288
Nagarajan, L., A. Naseem, and C.E. Pray. 2020. “Seed Policy Reforms in Zambia,” Agrilinks, March 9, 2020. https://www.agrilinks.org/post/seed-policy-reforms-zambia
Odionye, N., S. Dittoh, A. Laamari, W. Adzawla, K. Idongesit, E. Afimia, W.K. Atakora, M. Jemo, and P.S. Bindraban. 2020. “Cost Components in the Fertilizer Value Chain and Implications for Accessibility by Farmers in Ghana,” IFDC FERARI Policy Brief No. 4.
PAPAB. 2020. Protocole de production des semences de pomme de terre, PAPAB project. https://ifdc.soutronglobal.net/Library/Catalogues/Controls/Download.aspx?id=603
Parihar, C.M., A. Singh, S. Jat, A. Dey, H. Nayak, B. Mandal, Y. Saharawat, M. Jat, and O.P. Yadav. 2020. “Soil Quality and Carbon Sequestration Under Conservation Agriculture with Balanced Nutrition in Intensive Cereal-Based System,” Soil and Tillage Research, 202:104653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2020.104653
Parihar, C.M., A.K Singh, and Y.S. Saharawat. 2020. Introductory Agronomy. Agrotech Publishing Academy, Udaipur, India.
Parihar, C.M., A.K. Singh, and Y.S. Saharawat. 2020. Introduction of Major Field Crops (textbook series). Agrotech Publishing Academy, Udaipur, India.
Perondi, D., C. Fraisse, M.M. Dewdney, V.A. Cerbaro, J.H.D. Andreis, A.B. Gama, G.J. Silva Jr., L. Amorim, W. Pavan, and N. Peres. 2020. “Citrus Advisory System: A Web-Based Postbloom Fruit Drop Disease Alert System,” Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 178:105781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2020.105781
Pray, C.E., L. Nagarajan, A. Naseem, and J.R. Anderson. 2020. “Chapter 3: Investing in Innovation,” IN Harvesting Prosperity: Technology and Productivity Growth in Agriculture, pp. 95-146, K. Fuglie, M. Gautam, A. Goyal, and W. Maloney (Eds.), World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/32350/978146481393.pdf?sequence=6&isAllowed=y
Siddique, I.A., A. Al Mahmud, M. Hossain, M.R. Islam, Y. Gaihre, and U. Singh. 2020. “Movement and Retention of NH4-N in Wetland Rice Soils as Affected by Urea Application Methods,” Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 20(2):589-597. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-019-00148-2
Singh, U. 2020. “Micronutrients’ Roles in Improving Crop Yields and the Effectiveness of Nanoscale Formulations.” IFA Fertilizers & Agriculture Newsletter: Micronutrients in Focus. https://www.fertilizer.org/Public/Media/In_Brief/Public/Media/In_Brief/2020_09_16_Micronutrients_Improving_Crop_Yields.aspx
Vyizigiro, E., M. Inamahoro, P. Niyonzima, D. Havyarimana, W.D. Emera, and A.M. Nsabimana. 2020. Enquête de diagnostic sur l’engouement des agriculteurs de la région de basse altitude par rapport à la culture de pomme de terre, PSSD project, ISABU. https://ifdc.soutronglobal.net/Library/Catalogues/Controls/Download.aspx?id=601
Wang, X., S. Liu, X. Yin, N. Bellaloui, J.H. Winings, S. Agyin-Birikorang, U. Singh, J. Sanabria, and A. Mengistu. 2020. “Maize Grain Composition with Additions of NPK Briquette and Organically Enhanced N Fertilizer.” Agronomy, 10:6. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10060852
Wiest, R., J. Salvadori, J.M.C. Fernandes, D. Lau, W. Pavan, W. Zanini, J. Toebe, and A. Lazzaretti. 2020. “Population Growth of Rhopalosiphum Padi Under Different Thermal Regimes: An Agent‐Based Model Approach,” Agricultural and Forest Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1111/afe.12404
Zhang, S., Y. Yang, Z. Tong, B. Gao, N. Gao, T. Shen, Y. Wan, Z. Yu, L. Liu, X. Ma, Y. Guo, J. Fugice, and Y. Li. 2020. “Self-Assembly of Hydrophobic and Self-Healing Bio- Nanocomposite-Coated Controlled-Release Fertilizer.” ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
Presentations
Bindraban, P.S., R. Pandey, C. Dimkpa, and W.K. Atakora. 2020. “Adapting Agriculture to Degrading Soils and Changing Climate in Africa,” presented at the International Conference on Phosphates (ICP): Fundamentals, Processes, Technologies, October 13-17, 2020, Ben Guerir, Morocco.
Bindraban, P.S., et al. 2020. “Balanced Nutrition Improves Plant Health and Protection,” panel abstract submitted to 2020 Plant Health, Agriculture and Bioscience Conference, September 9-11, 2020, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Demiss, Mulugeta. 2020. “Developing Teff Model in DSSAT and Teff’s Response to Different Growth Factors Study,” IFDC Webinar, February 11, 2020, Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
Dimkpa, C., P. Bindraban, W. Elmer, and J. White. 2020. “Fertilizer-Nutrients for Sustaining Plant Health Under Drought Stress,” abstract submitted to 2020 Plant Health, Agriculture and Bioscience Conference, September 9-11, 2020, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Saharawat, Y.S. 2020. “Climate Smart Nutrient Management and Role of Youth in Doubling Farmers Income,” presented at a one-week training program on Secondary Agriculture for Doubling Farmers Income: Using Efficient Technologies conducted by National Agriculture High Education Program and Indian Council of Agricultural Research at SKUAST Kashmir, India on October 5, 2020.
Singh, U. 2020. “Role of Micronutrients in Improving Climatic Resilience and Future Research Areas for Improving Use Efficiency,” IFA Webinar on Improving Human Health with Micronutrient Fertilization, October 26, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBk2v0hdJnI.
Singh, U. 2020. “The Role of Nanotechnology in Enhancing Efficiency of Fertilizers,” presented at Materials Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) 2020, Scientific Program organized by MISA and NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida. November 12, 2020.
Singh, U. “Improving Yield and Nutrition through Fertilizer Formulation and Management,” presented during the session on Fertilizer Strategies in Improving Micronutrient Status of Food Crops at the Micronutrient Forum (MNF) Conference, November 9-13, 2020.
Stewart, Z.P. 2020. “Market Place: Introduction to the SOILS Consortium. Supporting Soil Health Interventions in Ethiopia: Opportunities for Accelerating Impact,” Gates, GIZ, EIAR, February 6-7, 2020, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Wendt, J. 2020. “Determining Lime Requirement,” presented at a workshop hosted by KeFERT on lime impact study dissemination workshop of Kenya Markets Trust (KMT), January 5, 2020, Nairobi, Kenya.
Financial Statement
The following is a summary of financial information for the year ended December 31, 2020. The full financial statements and the independent auditors’ reports are available from IFDC upon request. IFDC’s Audited Financial Statements are available online at this page.
Statement of Revenue & Expenses for the Year Ended December 31, 2020
| Revenues & Gains | 2020 (U.S. $’000) | 2019 (U.S. $’000) |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa | 898 | 1,693 |
| African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) | – | 9 |
| African Development Bank | 281 | 833 |
| Board of Directors Donations | 41 | – |
| Dutch Embassies | 18,102 | 18,531 |
| International Fertilizer Association | 167 | 151 |
| Islamic Development Bank | 674 | 766 |
| Embassy of Ireland (Irish Aid) | 402 | 434 |
| Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) | 690 | 1,599 |
| Netherlands Ministry for Development Cooperation (DGIS) | 13,304 | 8,341 |
| OCP Foundation | 2,044 | – |
| Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) | 571 | 199 |
| United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS-LIFT) | 941 | 1,351 |
| U.S. Agency for International Development | 8,620 | 9,310 |
| Walmart Foundation, Inc. | 290 | 132 |
| Others | 3,579 | 4,446 |
| Total Revenues & Gains | 50,604 | 47,795 |
| Expenses | 2020 (U.S. $’000) | 2019 (U.S. $’000) |
|---|---|---|
| Research and development | 3,416 | 3,602 |
| Field projects | 36,331 | 35,716 |
| Capacity building | 3,256 | 2,710 |
| Support activities | 5,491 | 5,460 |
| Total Expenses | 48,494 | 47,470 |
| Surplus/(loss) | 2,110 | 316 |
Balance Sheet for the Year Ended December 31, 2020
| 2020 (U.S. $’000) | 2019 (U.S. $’000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | 29,665 | 26,737 |
| Total liabilities | 30,038 | 29,232 |
| Unrestricted net assets | (373) | (2,495) |
| Total Liabilities and Net Assets | 29,665 | 26,737 |
Expenses by Function for the Year Ended December 31, 2020
| Function | 2020 (U.S. $’000) | 2019 (U.S. $’000) |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel | 20,596 | 20,605 |
| Travel | 1,744 | 3,750 |
| Operations | 4,559 | 4,349 |
| Workshops & training | 3,242 | 4,066 |
| Equipment & supplies | 2,422 | 2,422 |
| Subcontracts & grants | 15,931 | 12,287 |
| Total Expenses | 48,494 | 47,479 |
IFDC Board of Directors Contributes to Infrastructure Fund
An anonymous pledge of U.S. $25,000 was offered in 2020 to contribute to IFDC’s infrastructure needs at its headquarters. The donation was contingent upon at least a 2:1 match ratio by the IFDC Board of Directors and others. Thanks to the anonymous donor’s pledge and contributions from our board and others, IFDC’s infrastructure fund received nearly U.S. $100,000 in funding contributions in 2020 and 2021. These funds supported the replacement of roofs on all IFDC HQ buildings, which was completed in 2020 and 2021. Such and other donations will continue to further the capacity to deliver innovations at IFDC’s Muscle Shoals, AL headquarters.
Publication Credits
Contributors: Prem Bindraban, Masturah Chemisto, Anna Gongre, Julie Kohler, Matthew Miller, Latha Nagarajan, Mamadou Ouattara, Upendra Singh, Kasta Staggs, James Thigpen
Executive Editor: James Thigpen
Editor: Julie Kohler
Graphic Designer: Meg Ross
Online Layout: Anna Gongre and James Thigpen
Production Consultant: Donna Venable
Copyright © 2021 by IFDC. All Rights Reserved.
All photographs, unless otherwise noted, are from the IFDC photo archives.