Research & Outreach Director, IAPRI and
ReNAPRI Technical Chair
Developing A Fertilizer and Soil Health Action
Plan for Africa
Antony Chapoto, PhD

#2022ReSAKSS #2022ATOR
Collaborators

Road Map
Progress Since
the 2006
Abuja
Declaration
Current Issues
for Fertilizer
an soil Health
in Africa
Mega Trends,
Challenges &
Opportunities
for SSA Agric
Four Key
points

The agriculture and food security narrative has
evolved significantly:
Fertilizer use in Africa has increased
o Fertilizer subsidies and increased commercial purchases
o Africa fertilizer consumption annual growth rate of over 8%
(against global consumption of below 2% per year)
The fertilizer market has evolved and professionalized
o dramatic increase in the utilization of African mineral resources for
fertilizer production
o Increased long-term investments in fertilizer production plants and
blending facilities
o Agro dealer networks have improved and expanding
Increased recognition of the role of soil health, minimizing the
negative impact on the environment
Positive steps towards resolving fertilizer market financing :
• Establishment of the Africa Fertilizer financing Mechanism in 2007
• African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) funded in
2012
Progress since the 2006 Abuja declaration

High costs inputs
(particularly fertilizer)
continue to constrain
Africa’s food systems
limiting productivity
growth.
• profitability remain low to
trigger rapid fertilizer use in
Africa
African soils continue to be
degraded due to
unsustainable soil
management practices,
causing nutrient mining and
increased soil degradation,
and reducing carbon stocks
and resilience to climate
change and shocks.
•Low fertilizer response rates
Africa heavily relies
on imported
fertilizers
• susceptible to external
shocks ( eg. Russia-Ukraine
conflict and Covid
Pandemic
Fertilizer market
financing still
constrained
• Farmer access to finance to
buy inputs (particularly
fertilizer) remains a challenge
Inadequate funding for
R & D & E
• limiting development of
National Agricultural Research
Systems
• Weak extension system
Worsening climate
shocks
Current issues for fertilizer and soil health in Africa

Mega trends, challenges & opportunities for SSA Agric
Rural & urban
population
growth
• SSA population is
projected to double
by 2050 to reach 2.1
billion people
• 58% of SSA’s
population will live in
urban areas by 2050
Economic
transformation
• Rise in the workforce
engaged in non-farm
sectors
• Rising per capita
incomes
• Investments by
households in youth
education and skills
training
• Rapid reduction in
poverty rates
Climate change
and variability
• Rise in mean
temperatures by 1.7
oC and 2.7 oC by the
year 2030 and 2050,
respectively, if
current GHG
emissions trajectory
maintained
• Decrease in rainfall
in most parts by the
year 2050
• Increased incidences
and gravity of
extreme weather
events - storms,
floods, drought
Global health crises,
regional conflicts, and
economic disruptions
• Covid-19 pandemic
• Regional violent
conflicts, e.g.
Northern Nigeria,
Ethiopia, DRC,
Somalia, South
Sudan
• Global economic
disruptions

7
Fertilizer
profitability and
fertilizer efficacy
are dependent on
local edaphic
factors and the
status of local soils.
Fertilizer Risk for Farmers

8
AFRICA’S AGRICULTURAL GROWTH STILL RELIES MAINLY ON
CROPLAND EXPANSION, NOT ENOUGH ON PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH
Source: Economic Research Service, https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/international-agricultural-productivity/. Acknowledgements to
Keith Fuglie of ERS/USDA.
0.54
2.20
2.44
1.14
0.14
0.18
0.18
1.07 0.54
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
1961-1984 1985-2004 2005-2018
Annual
%
growth
TFP growth
Input intensification
Land expansion
Output growth

Four Key Points
1. The challenge/opportunity
2. Africa has a choice to make
3. Africa can do it?
4. Message to the African Heads
of State

# 1 : The Challenge/Opportunity
Population
is rising
rapidly
Urban
incomes are
rising rapidly
Demand for
food in SSA
is/will be
skyrocketing

• Africa increasingly spending too much on
food imports – Approx. US$56 billion every
year
• Africa is relying more on land expansion to
increase production - not a viable option
• The triple C exacerbating the challenges
and curtailing the opportunities -(Climate,
Covid, Crises)

•Can not afford to
ignore the situation
“need bold decisions”
Embrace evidence
based solutions

# 2: Africa has a choice to make
Continue to increase its
dependency on the world
market for its food
Not politically
palatable and
economically tenable
Increasing frequency
of conflicts and crises
Expanding rapid its area
under cultivation
Africa mowing done
its forests at a rapid
pace converting it into
farm land
• Major cost to the environment,
• exacerbates climate change
[converting forest land into
farm land releases greenhouse
gases into air,
• exacerbates the rates of soil
erosion, damage of rivers and
loss of biodiversity
• Generally leads to the erosion
of Africa’s national capital stock
3. Increasing yields on
existing farm land
Increasing production &
Productivity

Continue to import fertilizers from
the global market
Not politically palatable and
economically tenable
Increasing frequency of
crises –Russia/Ukraine
conflict
Produce fertilizer in the Continent
Support production in countries
that have comparative
advantage
-increase regional cooperation
Trade within the continent
-coordination in infrastructure
development
Increasing the supply of
fertilizer and lowering the
cost to farmers

Recognition that inorganic fertilizers and improved
seed -- while necessary -- are not enough
Greater attention to:
• Soil health
• Sustainability principles
• Resilience
15
• On-farm trials in East and Southern
Africa commonly achieve 30kgs maize
or rice per kg nitrogen (N)
• Smallholders get much lower yield
response to fertilizers (commonly
ranging from 7 to 18 kgs per kg N)
Help farmers raise the
efficiency with which they use
fertilizers
# 3: Africa Can Do It?

Action #1: Strengthen national ag research
systems and extension programs
• Asian countries spend 4x more per farmer than Africa countries
Increase funding for African national ag R&D systems
• location-specific fertilizer use recommendations based on agro-
ecological / market conditions
• improved seeds
• Recommendations for use of organic inputs / soil management
Specific issues for ag R&D:
16

Evidence from emerging success stories
ETHIOPIA
Source: Keith Fuglie, ERS/USDA

Action #2: Provide incentives for improving
the profitability of fertilizer use in Africa
18
Improving the
agronomic efficiency of
nitrogen will have a
major increase in crop
productivity
• Help create a virtuous cycle
where increased profitability
leads to effective demand
and vice versa
Getting more organic
matter into soil is part
of the solution
• Supply constraints of
getting more OM into soils -
• <1 hectare farms do not
have the luxury of growing
cover crops need proper
incentives
Support medium-scale
farmers
• have the ability to grow
cover crops because
their farm size
• Possess greater
potential for sustainable
intensification.

Action #3: There is an indisputable and vital role for the
state to play in reducing the farm-gate cost of fertilizer and
other key inputs:
19
Encourage
competition and
private
investment in
input marketing-
fertilizer & seed
Streamlining of
regulations that
impose
unnecessary
costs on
businesses
Invest in physical
infrastructure:
irrigation,
port/rail/roads,
communications

Action #5: Encourage competition and investment in crop
marketing:
• Even the best-designed fertilizer promotion programmes will
be undermined if trade and domestic grain marketing policy
is not transparent and rules-based, leading to reasonably
predictable cereal prices
 Ratify and implement the African Continental Free Trade
Agreement
 Land laws that encourage transfer of land to productive users 
attracts private investment in agri-SMEs  improves market
access conditions for all farmers
20

AFSH Summit- Message to the Head of States
•Explain to your constituency why it is in the
national interest to invest in soil health
management practices, fertilizer use response
and farm profitability
•Do not be afraid to put money into enhancing soil
health management practices to enhance
fertilizer response rates and profitability. Millions
of smallholder farmers will support you
•Become the champions of sustainable agricultural
intensification. Sustainable votes are in
healthier soils

AFSH Summit- Message to the Head of States
• Elevate the importance of soil health and profitability of
fertilize use for <1 hectare farmers
• Mobilize private sector support the effort
• Put more resources into our NARS and Extension system
• Implore the CG Institutions to work on your priorities instead
of them driving their own agenda

#2022ReSAKSS #2022ATOR
It can be Done

THANK YOU