Speed Read
- Changes in global fertilizer markets have necessitated a second Africa Fertilizer Summit.
- The African Union Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit is scheduled for May 7-9 in Nairobi, Kenya.1
- Douglas Kerr, IFDC VP of Business Development, will present the upcoming Summit at the Argus Fertilizer Africa Conference on February 10.
The first Africa Fertilizer Summit (AFS) was held in 2006. The Summit successfully ratified the Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer for an African Green Revolution, which set key targets to accelerate timely access to fertilizer for farmers.
Since 2006, however, there have been significant changes in the fertilizer ecosystem. The global fertilizer market has evolved and professionalized since the Summit, and worldwide fertilizer consumption is below 2% annually. The importance of soil health and judicious fertilizer use has been recognized. As conflict and climate change affect Africa’s access to fertilizer, the continent must turn to its own mineral resources for fertilizer production.
Despite these shifts, the impact on Africa’s agricultural productivity has been minimal. African soils continue to be degraded and depleted of organic matter and nutrients. Raw material extraction is well below potential, and there is still a need to close the yield gap in African agriculture.
To support the continent’s efforts to improve soil health, environmental sustainability, and food security, the African Union has decided to host a second Africa Fertilizer Summit. The Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit, to be held May 7-9 in Nairobi, Kenya 2, will bring together high-level stakeholders from around the world to develop a 10-year action plan for sustainable productivity growth in African agriculture.
IFDC’s Vice President of Business Development, Douglas Kerr, will provide an exclusive preview of the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit 2023 at the Argus Fertilizer Africa Conference – three days of discussions on fertilizer affordability, availability, and sustainability in Africa. The Argus Fertilizer Africa Conference will bring together participants from across the African fertilizer value chain from February 8-10 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The African Union Summit 2023 Session is slated for Friday, February 10th at 11:15 am EAT. During the presentation, Douglas Kerr will share the hopes and goals for the upcoming Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit, including key insights on the focus areas, planning, timeline, and development of the Africa Fertilizer & Soil Health Action Plan.
The Africa Fertilizer & Soil Health Action Plan seeks to build a more vibrant fertilizer market that recognizes the primary soil health constraints on the continent. The Action Plan is a solutions-based roadmap to 2033 that addresses the major constraints to Africa’s agricultural productivity growth.
IFDC strongly encourages our industry partners, especially those already attending the Argus Fertilizer Africa Conference, to consider joining the African Union Summit 2023 Session on February 10. The session will be a critical call for fertilizer industry engagement, including requests for success stories, scale-up approaches, fertilizer data, committee members, and sponsors.
Join development agencies, financial institutions, high-level policymakers, research organizations, farmer associations, heads of state, and private sector partners from around the world in committing to Africa’s soil health and sustainable productivity growth.
- This announcement relayed that the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit was originally scheduled for June 26-30, 2023. The summit has officially been rescheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, from May 7-9, 2024. Please refer to African Union’s page for further details regarding the new dates and any related information. ↩︎
- Refer to footnote 1. ↩︎
