Continental summit on fertilizers starts in Kenya

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The African Union’s Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit (AFSH24) that kicked off Tuesday in Nairobi, Kenya is set to generate solutions towards the looming soil health crisis in Africa.

The Summit has attracted over 4,000 participants including 8 heads of state and government, 25 ministers of agriculture, 32 ministers of foreign affairs, scientists, representatives of civil society and partners.

The summit is co-organized by the African Union and the Government of the Republic of Kenya, with support from various partners. It aims to foster crucial discussions on enhancing the value of land as a pivotal asset for farmers.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, H.E. Amb. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment at the African Union Commission (AUC), emphasized the need for collaborative action and innovative solutions.

 “Despite Africa’s soils being among the oldest globally, they have become the poorest in the world, losing over $4b worth of soil nutrients each year and severely risking Africa’s ability to feed itself. Urgent action is needed now and this year’s summit will define the next action for Africa,” she said.

Over the next three days, participants will engage in dialogue to steer Africa's agricultural transformation, while setting the agenda for its future food systems, a key item in the 50-year development plan, Agenda 2063.

Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), Mithika Linturi noted that critical decisions will be arrived at during the summit, to drive an immediate transformation in Africa's soil health for the attainment of food security and economic growth.

“Several AU member states are lagging in achieving the 50Kg/ha target of the Abuja Declaration. The AFSH Summit is the continent’s largest soil health forum and I believe it will set the pace to quickly reclaim Africa’s degraded soils,” Linturi said.

Notably, AFSH24 seeks to evaluate progress since the 2006 Abuja Declaration, which aimed to elevate fertilizer use for agricultural growth to a minimum of 50t/ha, a target that remains largely unmet, highlighting the urgency for innovative approaches to address the continent's deteriorating soil health and its related unsustainable expansion of croplands.

The Chair of the AU Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment from Uganda Minister Frank Tumwebaze, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries highlighted that where fertilizer uptake has increased, the yield gains in relation to input efficiency remain unpredictable, especially in rainfed agriculture.

Conversations at AFSH24 seek a holistic approach to agricultural sustainability, which prioritizes climate change mitigation, land restoration, and biodiversity conservation in agricultural practices.

This year's Summit is held under the theme “Listen to the Land” which seeks to evaluate the state of Africa’s soil health, while reviewing the progress made since previous commitments by African leaders to boost fertilizer use for agricultural growth in Africa.

The theme is a Call to Action for stakeholders to pay attention to the needs of the land in terms of soil nutrients, soil moisture, essential minerals, soil organisms, impact of climate change, and consider adopting regenerative practices, policies and approaches that will improve the long-term value of land as a critical asset for farmers.