CGIAR System Organization - Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers
CGIAR System Organization - Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers
09/13/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/13/2024 15:52
Transforming Soil Health in West Africa: A New Fertilizer and Soil Health Hub Takes Root in West Africa
by Simeon Ehui, Director General, IITA and Regional Director, Africa, CGIAR and Bernard Vanlauwe, Deputy Director General, Research for Development, IITA and Lead, Excellence in Agronomy, CGIAR
West Africa and the Sahel are grappling with a severe soil health crisis that threatens food security. Two-thirds of the region's land is degraded, and fertilizer application rates remain far behind global averages. This has led to low crop yields and reduced agricultural productivity, particularly for smallholder farmers. Unsustainable farming practices and limited access to essential agricultural inputs have worsened this situation, putting regional food systems under severe strain.
The Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) 2024, held in Kigali, Rwanda, highlighted this urgency again, bringing together key stakeholders to confront the region's soil health challenges head-on. The discussions at AFSF underscored the need for swift, decisive action in tackling soil degradation, emphasizing the imperative for establishing a transformative initiative that would elevate the region's agricultural future.