The 10-year Action Plan will also provide a focus for new policies and investments to enable farmers to work toward re-building soil health and ultimately increase yield responses and fertilizer profit.

The Nairobi summit attracted more than 2 500 participants, including heads of State and agricultural scientists as well as experts from Africa.

During the three days of the summit, participants discussed the continent’s widespread decades-long decline in soil quality of farmland, a phenomenon that continues today and negatively impacts the agricultural production capacity and food security.

They also discussed soil degradation, sustainable soil health, accelerating inclusive agricultural transformation and ending hunger, malnutrition, and poverty for the growing population in Africa.

Shortly after the endorsement of the Nairobi Declaration Action Plan, Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General of Food and Agriculture Organization, issued this strong and timely appeal to participants.

“Embrace this action plan. This plan should be understood as part of a global effort for land, soil, and water resources management,” Semedo said.

Mousa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, expressed commitment of the continental body on soil health.

The African Union Commission is committed to addressing the issue of soil health in all African countries. This determination is what led us to develop the soil health action plan.

Harness our quality determination in addressing soil health and fertilizers to achieve sustainable food system on our continent.

In his remarks at the closing of the Summit, Kenyan President William Ruto explained why soil health and fertilizer are important in Africa countries.

Africa has 60 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land. That potential is immense. Unlocking that potential is central to our economic growth. It is therefore important to address fertilizer availability and production of fertilizer using locally available raw materials in our continent.

Ruto pointed out that it is dangerous for the African continent to continue to rely on the importation of fertilizers from abroad when the continent has what it takes to produce organic fertilizers.

Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema, brought to light this timely point on the affordability of fertilizer to farmers.

There is no point making more fertilizer if it is not affordable to our farmers because we would not achieve the intended objective to increase productivity as well as to secure for the most vulnerable food for their families.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, said his country has made, good progress in the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.

“To date, Zimbabwe has made great strides in implementing a soil health-based improvement in production of crops and livestock. Specific village information on soil health is now available through improved mobility and Information and communication technology gadgets,” Mnangagwa said.

Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera explained the physical, chemical and biological decline in soil quality in his country. “Malawi has not been spared from the crisis of degraded soil and we are seeing the consequences of the same through the diminishing harvest that we are obtaining year in and year out. My government has therefore taken special interest in addressing soil health issues”.

Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba, zeroed in on the number of people increasing in Africa at a fast pace. “In the African context, addressing food demand is a pressing issue given the continent’s rapidly growing population and challenges posed by natural disasters, soil degradation as well as limited access to modern agricultural inputs and technologies. A balanced approach to soil fertilizer management is essential,” Mbumba said.

Eswatini Prime Minister, Rusell Dlamini, spoke about farming system that produces food in a way that preserves the environment, describing it as an approach that takes into account the long-term impact of farming practices on the environment, society and economy.

“It is imperative to embrace sustainable agricultural practices that prioritize soil health, biodiversity and long-term sustainability to secure a happy and productive food system for future generations. We have recognized the significance of promoting sustainable agricultural practices”.

The Nairobi summit was held eight years after heads of State and governments of the AU endorsed the Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer for the African Green Revolution, a continental strategy to reverse the worrying trend of poor productivity of the African soils.

The Declaration revolved around key targets required for agricultural growth, food security and rural development in Africa with a focus on the role of fertilizers. 

It recommended the establishment of an African Fertilizer Financing Mechanism with the objective of improving agricultural productivity by providing financing required to boost fertilizer use in Africa to achieve the target of 50 kg of nutrients per hectare as mandated by the Abuja Declaration.

A major change since the Abuja Declaration is the increased recognition of the critical role of sustainable soil management. The decline in soil health has hindered the efficiency of fertilizer use and hampered agricultural productivity growth, food security and environmental sustainability across the African continent.

--ChannelAfrica\John Cassim--