The 2024 Africa Food Systems Forum Summit, held September 2-6 in Kigali, Rwanda, provided a worldwide platform for crucial discussions on the future of African soil health.
The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) participated in the side event “Innovations for African Soil Health,” which gathered key stakeholders from across the global food systems community. The session was an engaging and insightful discussion on the importance of data-driven and technological innovations in improving soil health across the continent.
The panels for this side event featured several experts, including Manoj Kaushal, a Scientist from the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Ann Maina East Africa Lead of carbon projects from Boomitra, Ousmane Koné, Program Manager working on the Visualizing Insights on Fertilizer for African Agriculture (VIFAA) program from Development Gateway, Augusto Gibernau, Business Consultant from NTT DATA, and AfricaFertilizer Program Lead Sebastian Nduva from IFDC.
This first panel, moderated by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Head of Innovation Gladys Morales, emphasized the critical need for collaboration among non-governmental organizations, the private sector, government institutions, and research organizations to ensure the successful and impactful integration of digital tools in soil health initiatives.
Key highlights of this event included the role of open soil data in advancing research, the importance of traditional soil analysis methods, and the need for interoperable systems that make data accessible and valuable for all stakeholders.
As IFDC moves forward, the discussions from this session underscore the urgent need for tailored and scalable solutions that address Africa’s unique soil health challenges.
Sebastian Nduva emphasized the need for a standardized definition of soil health, which would enable consistent monitoring and support successful soil health initiatives across Africa, in alignment with the commitments made in the Nairobi Declaration. Drawing on lessons learned over the past decade from AfricaFertilizer’s data collection and analysis, the soil health approach can leverage foundational data on fertilizer trade and various blend types. This information will inform tailored solutions for soil health amendment over the next decade.
The session also marked the launch of a report entitled “Scaling Technology for Soil Health: A Focus on Africa,” which consolidates the insights of experts working on soil health across several African countries. This report is expected to serve as a valuable resource for those working to improve soil health on the continent.
As IFDC moves forward, the discussions from this session underscore the urgent need for tailored and scalable solutions that address Africa’s unique soil health challenges. IFDC, through its AfricaFertilizer program, remains committed to playing a key role in these efforts, working closely with our partners to foster innovation and collaboration for a healthier, more sustainable future for African agriculture.
AfricaFertilizer is the premier source of fertilizer statistics and information in Africa. The initiative is hosted by IFDC and supported by several partners, including the International Fertilizer Association, Argus Media, USAID, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through Development Gateway.
