Fuel the Farmer. Feed the Soil. Foster the Future.

Healthy soils are the foundation of food security, climate resilience, and economic transformation. However, the global agricultural landscape faces mounting challenges: over 673 million people experience food insecurity, and more than one-third of the world’s soils are moderately to severely degraded.

Achieving lasting, sustainable agricultural impact requires scaling practical, science-based solutions adapted to real-world contexts.

IFDC is contributing to global food security and inclusive agricultural growth with an emphasis on fertilizer research, agroecological relevance, market opportunity, and alignment with national and regional priorities. Through a multi-sector collaborative approach, our experts are building the resilient foundation necessary for global food security.

Download Our 2026-2035 Strategy

Our Strategic Goals

To address agricultural challenges the world faces now and in the future, IFDC aims to drive fertilizer innovation, deliver farmer impact at scale, and transform agricultural systems that will revitalize soil health, improve livelihoods, and build resilient food systems worldwide.

Fertilizer Innovation

Result 1: Global and Regional Capacity to Generate Context-Specific Fertilizer Solutions Is Strengthened

Establish the Global Network of Fertilizer Innovation Centers (GNFIC) to build regional capacity.

Result 2: Climate-Smart Fertilizers for Smallholder Farmers Are Co-Developed and Scaled

Collaborate with partners to design innovations tailored to specific regions, soils, crops, and climates, improving nutrient use efficiency, productivity, and environmental sustainability.

Result 3: Smallholder Farmers Access and Adopt Next-Generation Fertilizers

Work with the GNFIC’s extension partners and within our global programs to make innovations affordable, accessible, and scalable for smallholder farmers, especially women and youth.

Farmer Impact at Scale

Result 1: Farmers Adopt Sustainable Soil and Nutrient Management Practices for Higher Yields and Income

Support farmers through evidence-based field approaches, including Smart Diagnostics for soil testing, the Participatory Integrated Planning (PIP) method for farmer-led design of resilient farming systems, and the Caravan approach for upscaling transformative technologies.

Result 2: Farmers Access and Apply Innovative Inputs, Technologies, and Trainings

Deploy smallholder-centric, evidence-based models to test, adapt, and refine innovations through field trials, demonstration plots, innovation incubators, and learning exchanges.

Result 3: Farmers Secure Improved Access to Agricultural Markets

Facilitate market linkages that connect smallholder farmers to value-added opportunities and remunerative agricultural markets. 

Farmer Impact at Scale

Result 1: Inclusive Agriculture Value Chains Enhance Food Security and Increase Profitability

Deploy the Competitive Agricultural Systems and Enterprises (CASE) approach to develop agribusiness clusters and strengthen value chains that reduce post-harvest losses, improve nutrition, and increase profitability.

Result 2: Policy Frameworks Are Advocated and Implemented to Enable Fertilizer Innovation and Use in Alignment with Regional Strategies

Support fertilizer policy reform, regulatory strengthening, and quality control to develop regional evidence-based policies, harmonize standards, and advocate for sustainable fertilizer incentives.

Result 3: Global Partnerships Mainstream Fertilizer Innovation, Soil Health, and Climate-Smart Agriculture into Policy, Education, and Investment Systems

Establish and lead global partnership platforms that ensure nutrient use efficiency and climate-smart agriculture are incorporated into national and international systems, educational curricula, and investment frameworks.