12 May 2024

Botswana’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU), Mr Tebelelo Boang, has lauded the success of the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Summit held in Kenya.

The summit served as a collaborative platform for all stakeholders to underscore the vital importance of fertilizer and soil health in driving sustainable pro-poor productivity within African agriculture. 

A key outcome was the consensus reached on an African fertilizer and soil health action plan, alongside the establishment of the Soils Initiative for Africa.

In an interview, Mr Boang disclosed that the summit endorsed a comprehensive 10-year action plan, aimed at presenting actionable recommendations to African leaders and stakeholders for implementation over the specified period. 

This plan, he said was expected to concentrate efforts on formulating new policies and making strategic investments to empower farmers in the restoration of soil health, leading to enhanced yield responses and increased profitability from the use of fertilizers.

Mr Boang decribed the endorsed action plan and the soil initiative framework as fundamental guiding documents,  emphasising their critical role in fostering collaborative multi-stakeholder partnerships and directing investments towards policy development and capacity building in fertilizer and sustainable soil health management across Africa.

He acknowledged the persistent challenges in fulfilling commitments outlined in various declarations, however, he  commended  remarkable progress achieved since the Abuja declaration. He highlighted the marked increase in mineral fertilizer production by the private sector but expressed unease regarding the slow growth in fertilizer consumption across Africa. Despite a rise from eight kilograms per hectare to 18 kilograms per hectare in 2022, this figure falls well short of the targeted 50 kilograms per hectare set in the Abuja declaration of 2006.

Furthermore, Mr. Boang drew attention to the global fertilizer crisis, saying its disproportionate impact on Africa with a notable 25 per cent year-on-year decline in fertilizer usage during 2022. The summit also raised concerns about Africa’s vulnerability to climate change, posing a significant threat to the continent’s agricultural sustainability in the future.

He highlighted that the summit endorsed the need for regional cooperation on fertilizers and soil health and that opportunities for investment and inter- and intra-regional trade were significantly enhanced by the adoption of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). 

He revealed that all member states pledged to triple domestic production and distribution of certified quality organic and inorganic fertilizers by 2034, and to improve access and affordability for smallholder farmers. 

He said it could be accomplished through prioritising local production and blending mineral fertilizers by using locally available raw materials. 

Mr Boang further said the summit also pledged to operationalise the Africa fertilizer financing mechanism in order to improve production, procurement and the distribution of organic and inorganic fertilizers as well as soil health interventions. Ends