Mozambique faces challenges with sustainable soil management due to various factors including different landscape types, degradation from agriculture and infrastructure development, and natural disasters. The main causes of soil degradation are natural disasters, deforestation, and inadequate agricultural practices. Research priorities include mapping degraded areas and understanding how agriculture will respond under intensification in different agro-ecological zones. Challenges to promoting sustainable soil management include weak research-extension linkages, lack of clear policies, and changing farmer behaviors.

1. REPÚBLICA DE MOÇAMBIQUE
African Soil Partnership Workshop:
“Sustainable Soil Resources Management”
status, priorities and challenges
Enga. Nobela, Laurinda
(DARN/Soil fertility Researcher)
20-22 May 2015

2. INTRODUCTION
• Mozambique is a huge country: approximate area of
799,380 km2, of which 13,000 km2 are inland waters,
with a coastline of 2,470 km along Indian ocean
• The country has different landscape types from flat
or almost flat to gently undulated or undulating and
finally a considerable area of steep slope
• Its location makes it prone to degradation not only
in agricultural lands but also in habitation areas,
infrastructure like roads and in the coastal area

3. GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
Located in South west coast of Africa
Coordinates: between the parallel 10˚ 27’ and
26˚ 52’ S and longitude 30˚ 12’ and 40˚51’ E
Borders: Tanzania in the north, Malawi and
Zambia in Northwest, Zimbabwe and South
Africa in the west, and the south with
Suaziland and South Africa
Population (2010 statistic): 22.416.881
Now might be ~ 25million habitants
Climate: Humid tropical,
Arid sub-humid , Semi-
arid and Arid regions
along the country

4. Soil types
Arenosols 29%
Lixisolos 23%
Leptosols 9%
Fluvisols 6%
Acrissolo 8%
Ferralsols 7%
Luvisols 5%
The others < 5%

5. Agriculture
• Farmers typology: 3levels based on the assets;
being smallholder farmers the majority (~80%)
• Farmers practice rain-fed agriculture
• Farmers face low crop production as a result of:
- Using soils with poor natural fertility
- Fertile soils being degraded
- Associated with limited use of external inputs
animal traction and mechanical implements
(hand hoe mostly used)

6. Main causes for soil degradation
• Natural disasters ‘floods, draught and cyclones’
• Encroachment of forest for several purposes
–Opening new agriculture land
–As a source of energy ‘fire wood and charcoal’
–As source of income ‘timber for building
material and wood for furniture and
exportation
• Use of inadequate agricultural practices
• Mining ‘there is an increasing mine industry’

7. Natural disasters

8. Natural disasters

9. Human activities

10. SSM -Main Objectives
• PQG ‘2015-2019’: Promote a sustainable use of soil
resources in general (is one of the government
priorities)
• MASA: PEDSA – sustainable and integral use of soil
resources (land, water, forest and fauna)
• IIAM: Research and promote sustainable
agricultural technologies toward an increase
production and soil productivity
• Disseminating ISFM practices (training extension
workers and farmers)

11. Technologies being promoted
• ISFM practices to increase crop production and
productivity, reduce erosion, improve soil fertility
• Discourage the massive slash and burn practice
• Soil acidity correction
• Use of contour planting in steep slope areas

12. Rotation / intercropping and organic
sources of nutrients

13. Research priorities
• Map degraded areas: define intervention strategies
with emphasis on sustainable practices
• Understand how aggradation agriculture will
respond to specific Agro –ecological zone under
intensification agriculture for sustainable production
• Refine the fertilizer recommendation manual (INIA)
into site specific recommendations
• Document and create a data base for the findings

14. Research priorities cont…
• There is a strong need for Soil and water
Conservation measures in order to prevent land
degradation and crop failure
• Build farmers capacity and ability to manage site
specific climate related risks
• Go for demand driven research (PAR approach)

15. Challenges in promoting SSM
• Weak linkages between research and extension
(Human resources has been the constraint)
• Institutional linkages (harmonizing agendas has
been difficult)
• Fostering Functionality of created Innovation
platforms
• SSM should be under government agenda with
clear policies

16. Challenges in promoting SSM/ISFM
• All intervenients should be involved in the planning
and role definition To ensure ownership of the
program ‘bring Sustainability’
• Difficult to foster individuals for positive social
values even with knowledge, skills changing
behavior take time
• Seek ways for market linkage and agro-processing in
areas far from the main road
• Bringing in place alternative source of income to
reduce pressure on land and forest resources

17. Existing initiatives
• SOFECSA continue with the LC’s
• SHC-AGRA
• CCAFS -CIAT
• OFRA

18. EMBRAPA cooperation
• Training farmers on indicators for soil quality

19. THANKS, Obrigado, Merci