Seizing emerging opportunities: organic and bio-organic fertilizers for advancing soil health in Africa

Seizing emerging opportunities: organic and bio-organic fertilizers for advancing soil health in Africa

As part of its role in the multi-partner DeSIRA LIFT programme, COLEAD works closely with African research institutions and companies to promote sustainable agriculture and food systems. In particular, soil health.

The potential of biofertilisers to improve soil health in Africa was a key theme at this year’s African Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit (AFSHS), organised by the African Union and held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 7 to 9 May. The Summit focused on the critical role of fertiliser and soil health in promoting sustainable, pro-poor productivity growth in African agriculture. During the event, African leaders endorsed the African Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Action Plan and the Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA), both developed by the African Union Commission and consolidated in the Nairobi Declaration. The main objective is to increase agricultural sustainability and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by improving access to and affordability of certified quality organic and inorganic fertilisers across the continent.

To achieve these goals, it is essential to foster multi-stakeholder partnerships and investments, particularly between research institutions and the public and private sectors. These collaborations are essential to advance policy, financing, research and development, market access and capacity building for biofertilisers and sustainable soil health management in Africa.

It is against this backdrop that the DeSIRA LIFT report ‘Emerging opportunities with organic and bio-organic fertilizers for soil health in Africa’ has been developed and published, bringing together key ideas and resources on the topic. You can read the report here.

DeSIRA-LIFT (June 2021 – May 2025)is the result of close collaboration between Agrinatura (European Alliance on Agricultural Knowledge for Development), the European Forum on Agricultural Research for Development (EFARD) and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA).