The next fertilizer crisis is inevitable.
Whether it becomes a food crisis depends on what we invest in now.
Contact Us Today
Commitment to Soil Health
Adoption of the Nairobi Declaration at the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit in 2024 marked a significant milestone in Africa’s commitment to transforming agriculture through resilient fertilizer markets and sustainable soil management.
The declaration recognizes that healthy soils and reliable access to fertilizers are fundamental to achieving food security, increasing agricultural productivity, strengthening climate resilience, and delivering the aspirations of the African Unions’s Agenda 2063 – a strategic plan for transforming Africa into a global powerhouse.
As implementation begins, recent market developments in the fertilizer sector highlight both the urgency to reach the declaration’s objectives and the opportunities for accelerating progress.
Geopolitical Disruptions and Import Dependence
Global fertilizer markets have experienced considerable volatility over the past few years. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted production, international trade, shipping, and logistics, resulting in fertilizer shortages and unprecedented price increases.
Although global supply chains gradually stabilized, transportation costs remained elevated, and many African Union Member States continued to face challenges in ensuring timely and affordable access to fertilizers, particularly for smallholder farmers.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict further exposed Africa’s vulnerability to external shocks. As Russia is a major supplier of fertilizers, fertilizer raw materials, and the natural gas used in fertilizer production, disruptions caused by the conflict significantly increased global prices and constrained supplies.
Because most African countries rely heavily on imported fertilizers, these developments reduced farmers’ fertilizer use and threatened food production across the continent. The experiences contributed to the Nairobi Declaration’s emphasis on strengthening regional production and reducing import dependence.
Macroeconomic pressures have also affected fertilizer affordability. Currency depreciation, inflation, rising interest rates, and constrained public finances have increased the local cost of imported fertilizers while limiting governments’ capacity to sustain subsidy programs. These conditions underscore the importance of developing financially sustainable fertilizer policies that improve market efficiency while ensuring vulnerable farmers maintain access to essential agricultural inputs.
Climate Change and Market Resilience
Climate change is creating additional pressures on fertilizer markets. More frequent droughts, floods, and extreme weather events disrupt transport infrastructure, reduce agricultural production, and increase uncertainty in fertilizer demand.
These challenges reinforce the need for integrating climate-smart agriculture, sustainable land management, and soil restoration with enabling fertilizer policies to build resilient food systems, as outlined in the Nairobi Declaration.
At the same time, significant opportunities are emerging across the continent. Several African countries are investing in domestic fertilizer manufacturing, blending facilities, and regional distribution networks to strengthen supply security. Improved transport corridors, storage infrastructure, and logistics systems are enhancing fertilizer availability and reducing distribution costs.
These investments directly support the declaration’s objective of building resilient regional fertilizer value chains.
Regional Integration and Digitalization
Regional integration is also advancing implementation of the Nairobi Declaration. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers pathways to facilitate cross-border trade in fertilizers by harmonizing product standards, simplifying customs procedures, and reducing tariffs. Stronger regional markets can diversify supply sources, lower transaction costs, and improve resilience against future global disruptions.
Moreover, digital innovations are accelerating improvements in fertilizer delivery and market transparency.
Electronic voucher systems, mobile payment platforms, digital extension services, and precision agriculture technologies are improving farmers’ access to quality fertilizers while strengthening market information systems and supporting evidence-based policymaking. These innovations also improve the efficiency of and accountability in public investment.
Soil Health at the Center of Fertilizer Policy
Most importantly, the Nairobi Declaration places soil health at the center of fertilizer policy. African governments are increasingly promoting integrated soil fertility management (ISFM), an approach that combines mineral fertilizers with organic inputs, soil testing, improved agronomic practices, and landscape restoration.
This integrated approach enhances nutrient use efficiency, restores degraded soils, and strengthens resilience to climate change, thus improving long-term productivity.
Successful implementation of the Nairobi Declaration will require sustained political commitment, increased investment, strong public-private partnerships, regional cooperation, and coordinated support from development partners.
By addressing current fertilizer market challenges, Africa can build more resilient agricultural systems, improve farmer livelihoods, strengthen food security, and accelerate sustainable agricultural transformation across the continent through the restoration of soil health.
Disclaimer
This article is based on information compiled from publicly available sources and market intelligence. While every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of the information, the authors and publishers accept no liability for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors, omissions, or the use of this information.
