http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership his presentation was made during the second GSP Plenary Assembly that took place in Rome; FAO HQ from 22 to 24 July 2014. The presentation was made by SEYNI D. Fatouma and presents the African Soil Partnership. ©FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. REGIONAL SOIL PARTNERSHIP
African soil partnership
SEYNI D. Fatouma
July 2014GSP Plenary
Rome

2. PLAN
Introduction
GSP Africa /Soil Status
Soil Institutions in Africa
Soils Experts in Africa
African Soil Partnership
Actors
Abuja Declaration- Progress
Implication- Constraints and needs
The way fowards Regional Soil Partnership
GSP Pillars / Regional Activities

3. LAUNCH WORKSHOP OF GLOBAL SOIL PARTNERSHIP IN AFRICA
 To present soil status, needs and Priorities in the regions
 Need to strengthen soil institutions / capacity development and investment in sustainable soil management
practices.
 Full support of GSP
Accra Feb 2013, for West and Central Africa SP Nairobi, March 2013, for East and Southern Africa
SP
22 National Soil Institutions
Draft priority Actions
1. Updating and upgrading of soil information
2. Addressing soil degradation
3. Implementation of sustainable soil management
with focus on soil health/fertility
4. Capacity development in all the soil related
applications
21 National Soil Institutions and Regional Soil
Institutions and Initiatives
Priority actions
1. Developing, updating and disseminating
harmonized soil information
2. Developing and implementing training and
capacity development programs
3. Guiding and enabling the implementation of
sustainable soil management practices and
restoration of soil health

4. SOIL INSTITUTIONS IN AFRICA
 Very Few National Soil Institutes / Bureau National des sols Gap to be filled
 NARIs Soil Departments/Soil Labs.NRM
 Universities Soil Department
 Private sector Bureau d’Etudes/Drawing office
 SSS 18 National To be increased
 3 Regional

5. SOIL EXPERTS
 Challenge in Agricultural Education Gap to be filled
 More challenge in research
 and in Soil
Source: world Bank 2009

6. FOCUS ON SOILS- IT DOESN’T RANK HIGHLY IN THE LIST OF AFRICA'S NATURAL
RESOURCES
Ethiopia

7. CROSS-COUNTRY COMPARISONS OF KEY INDICATORS
2008-2011
Total number of
researchers, 2011
Growth in number of
researchers, 2008–2011
FTEs Male
%
Female
%
Burkina Faso 218.0 –12% 3.05 89 11
Mali 307.0 –4% 9.8 78 22
Senegal 112.2 –16% 2.85 81 19
Mauritania 62.9 –12
Ghana 607.0 22%
Tanzania 814.8 18% 4.7 74 26
Kenya 1,150.9 13%
Uganda 353.9 13%
Ethiopia 1,876.6 33% 5.8 91 9
Benin 155.7 28% 9.6 88 12
Togo 114.7 71%
ASTI (2011)

9. AFRICAN SOIL PARTNERSHIP

10. AFRICAN SOIL PARTNERSHIP
ACTORS
 Farmers/consumers
 Extension people
 Researchers
 National Institutions (NARIs, Universities)
 International Institutions
 Regional Institutions
 NGOs, Investors & Private sector (agro dealers)
 RECs
 Decisions/policy makers

11. Actors
Bodies that cooperate for strengthening agricultural development
To eradicate hunger / MDG1
Decision
makers
Technical
Bodies
Farmers
Successful
implementation
Stability/Continuity in Action

12. IN REALITY…TOOTHED GEARS ARE NOT INTERLINKED
Decision
makers
P1 Goal6
Technical
Bodies
Not enough
investment
Problem of
Implementatio
n
Duplication/ Forgotten
soil, Lack of
coordination in dvpt
value chain
Sirte 2004
Maputo 2003
Abuja 2006
Lusaka 2012
Regional agreement f
ECOWAP implemen
Extensive agriculture to increase production
Investors
Private
Sector
More Actions needed
Less Words

13. THE ABUJA DECLARATION - STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION
Identified gaps from actions since declaration
 From the 12 resolutions, none of them is fully implemented,
 Both RECs and Countries should develop and implement (M&E) framework to monitor and
evaluate progress in implementation of the Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer and get reliable feed
back
 Review questionnaire enabling countries to respond for more representative data
 Technically, Abuja Declaration does not go far enough in implementing resolutions to foster
African soil health for African Green Revolution

14. Main Constraints Group of Actors NEEDS/Opportunities to increase crop
production in Africa
Increases in production come from
expanding arable land
Farmers & extension people Access to fertilizers, seeds and other inputs
Smart & intensive agriculture
Access, Credit, market & Technologies
 Poor perceptions of agriculture as a
profession
 Soil issues underestimated
 Loss of many highly qualified
researchers
 Duplication of activities
 Lack of communication &
coordination bodies
 Inadequate or outmoded infrastructures
 Declining number of researchers
/recruitment restrictions= low FTEs
 Ageing staff /researchers
Technical Bodies
 Improve Soil Program in Tertiary education
 Improve agricultural careers Attractiveness (soil sciences)
 Adequate knowledge to reinforce the technical capabilities
 Recruitment of skilled and younger soil scientists
 Strengthening Soil Sciences Societies
 Increase overall levels of research funding
 Coordination/exchange mechanisms between Institutions
 Promote development and adoption of ISFM

15. Main Problems Group of Actors Opportunities to increase
production
 Difficulties in implementing
resolutions
 In practice, resource allocation
does not reflect the importance of
agriculture nor NR
 Instability (National Program,
guardianship/ Agriculture…)
 Policy makers detached from soil
scientists
Policy makers-Decision
Bodies
 Strong and commitment to achieve the
African Green Revolution by
implementing resolutions
 Stability for NAIP and continuity
 More investment in Agriculture
 Long term commitment: prioritization of
soil and soil sciences at the Top of
International priority
 Create stakeholder platforms to set
system wide priorities
 Develop guidance, strategies or policies
on sustainable use of fertilizer
Implication –Constraints and Needs

16. THE WAY TOWARDS REGIONAL SOIL PARTNERSHIP
Level Actors Policy Makers NARI Dvpt Partner/
private sector
Tertiary
Education
Promote regional partnerships for
capacity Development Program
according to the priorities in the
region- Universities
Regional Program to address soil Regional scholarship’s
funding
R & D Establish competitive research funds
for soil
Develop a regional agricultural
research and extension framework
Regional centers of excellence in
agricultural and natural resource
management training
Establish African Soil Profiles
Database
Soil Sciences Networking
Directory of Experts and
Institutions
Regional capacity Development
program on soil digital mapping
(including land management, soil
classification and soil fertility
maps)
Regional Soil
Information Systems.

17. THE WAY FOWARDS REGIONAL SOIL PARTNERSHIP CTD
Level Actors Policy Makers NARI Dvpt Partner/ private
sector
Institutional
Management
Strategic advocacy and cooperation at
regional level
Regional legal framework for the quality
control of fertilizers within the region.
Develop/support agro-dealer networks
Reference/regional
laboratories
Regional priority
projects
Regional networks of soil
science institutions
Financing Elimination of taxes and tariffs on fertilizer
and on fertilizer raw materials
Finance part of AFFM with Carbon offset
Credit
Legislation to improve and
provide credit guarantee to
commercial banks / finance
agro-dealers.
Commit funds to make the
AFFM operational

18. PROPOSED ACTIVITIES RELATED TO GSP PILLARS
GSP Pillars Proposed Activities (medium term)
1. Promote sustainable management of soil resources
for soil protection, conservation and sustainable
productivity
Implementation of Centers of Excellence in NRM training
2. Encourage Investment, Technical Cooperation,
Policy, Education, Awareness and Extension
Encourage Creation of National Soil Institutes
3. Promote targeted soil research and development
focusing on identified gaps, priorities and
synergies with related productive, environmental and
social development actions
Develop a regional agricultural research and extension
framework
4. Building an enduring and authoritative global system
to monitor and forecast the condition of the Earth’s soil
resources
Establishment of Soil Experts Directory in Africa
Soil Institution networking
Establish African Soil Profiles Database
5. Harmonization of methods, measurements and
indicators for the sustainable management and
protection of soil resources
Reference Laboratories in sub-regions

19. QUESTIONNAIRE FOR AFRICAN SOIL EXPERTS DIRECTORY
Name
Age Country Gender
Grade/Title
Discipline
Speciality
Institution (NARI, University, Other)
How many institutions are dealing with soil in the country
List of the institutions
Years of experience
Publications
Infrastructure Approriate Inappropriate

20. MERCI