‘Prioritise soil health and improve fertiliser use in Africa’

On the back of the Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit held in Kenya recently, Hamond Motsi, a PhD student at the faculty of agrisciences at Stellenbosch University, criticises the lack of tangible progress and consistent action from African leaders. He also lists a few recommendations, which include prioritising action over new declarations.

It seems as if Kenya has become a harbinger of discussing and declaring critical issues concerning the continent, probably because of its location, which is at the almost centre of the continent. Last year, Kenya hosted the first of its kind, the Africa Climate Summit, where African leaders discussed the current and future position of Africa on how it will engage with the rest of the world regarding climate geopolitics, with an Afrocentric flavour.

This year, Kenya again hosted yet another topical and evergreen issue on the significance of improving fertiliser use in our agro-system to enhance food security under the banner, Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit.

The Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit comes at a time when the continent faces persistent challenges in achieving self-sufficiency in food production due to several factors, including inadequate fertiliser application. The application rate of fertiliser remains stagnant at 20 tonnes per hectare on average, which is markedly below both the global average of 100 tonnes per hectare and the average of other regions globally.

In addition to the inadequate use of fertilisers, agricultural soils on the continent are also negatively impacted by the loss of native nutrients due to poor farming techniques, especially among smallholder farmers.

Hamond Motsi is a scholar interested in sustainable agricultural management practices. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

These factors include the absence of conservation agriculture practices, such as crop rotation, multiple cropping, cover cropping, minimum soil tillage and lack of organic amendments such as biochar, manure and vermicompost. Even when small amounts of fertilisers are applied, their utilisation efficiency is hindered, and the fertiliser is lost through evaporation, leaching, and erosion.

The consequences of this situation have led to the importation of over $60 billion worth of food from outside the continent annually, with a projected increase to around $150 billion by 2050, if continental production does not improve.

The application of fertiliser was one of the key components introduced during the “Green Revolution” during the mid-20th century, which served as a model for robust agricultural development in other regions. Other regions made substantial progress during this period, and the adoption of technologies such as fertilizer application contributed to the resolution of food insecurity once and for all. Although there have been notable advancements in other global regions, food insecurity remains a persistent issue in Africa.

Same script, different cast

The Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit held this year was not the first event in Africa focused on fertiliser usage, but rather a pile among others. In fact, it was a re-harsh of the Abuja Declaration of 2006, in which all African Union member states agreed to recognise the necessity of a continental Green Revolution in Africa to achieve food security goals.

Interestingly, increasing fertiliser application was at the heart of the strategic plan to enable such a Green Revolution. Approximately three years before the Abuja Declaration, in 2003, the Maputo Declaration recommended the allocation of at least 10 percent of the national budget to agriculture and rural development policy and research implementation within five years.

In 2014, the Malabo Declaration was also adopted, which aimed to improve agriculture in general and not just fertiliser. Its specific targets were the allocation of 10% of a country’s budget to agriculture, eradicating hunger in Africa by 2025, and promoting intra-African trade in agricultural products.

The major take-home message of the Abuja Declaration, which is closer to the current Nairobi Declaration, was to raise the fertiliser application rate from 8 to 50 tonnes per hectare by 2015, to enhance crop production and bolster continental food security, while simultaneously reducing the dependence on external food imports.

The provision of fertilisers was supposed to be accompanied by making them accessible and affordable. Ensuring the availability of fertilisers was contingent upon manufacturing them primarily in Africa using the continent’s reserves and resources. Conversely, affordability was predicated on enhancing supply chains, strengthening infrastructure related to the transportation of fertilisers, and ultimately setting the prices of fertilisers at levels that were affordable for local farmers.

These have also been put into consideration, now with a new deadline on 2034, with an additional recommendation of reversing land degradation on 30% of degraded soils.

Challenges remain

Although it has been 18 years since the declaration was signed, and nine years beyond the 2015 deadline, fertiliser application remains a significant challenge. Both the availability and affordability of fertiliser continue to be a bottleneck for farmers, due to high prices. The primary reason for this is the limited manufacturing of fertilisers on the continent, with those available being sourced from outside.

By the time they reached the continent, prices are elevated significantly. The vulnerability of fertiliser supply chains to global geopolitical shocks, such as the Covid 19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine War, further exacerbates the situation. The consequence of these events was a destabilization of supply chains, which had a detrimental impact on the continent.

The records of the past demonstrate that initiatives aimed at enhancing fertiliser application have been instrumental in driving agricultural production on the continent. A typical example is Malawi’s Fertiliser Subsidy Programme, which was implemented between 2005/2006 with 95% government funding.

The programme resulted in a doubling of maize yields, thanks to subsidies on fertilisers that enabled farmers to access better quality fertilisers and improved maize varieties. However, the programme eventually collapsed due to mismanagement, corruption, and other political issues. Even after the Abuja Declaration, improvements in fertiliser application were observed in countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, and South Africa.

However, South Africa has been an exceptional case, consistently maintaining high levels of fertiliser application, leading to better yields. The country’s food security has remained stable, and South Africa has even been able to assist neighbouring countries like Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, and Mozambique, which often endure food security in several seasons.

Prioritising existing goals

Coming back to the recent Africa Fertiliser Summit, the speeches delivered by the attending leaders were characterised by eloquence and clarity. Each leader demonstrated a thorough understanding of the role fertiliser and soil health play in enhancing agricultural production and ensuring food security on the continent.

Despite this knowledge, it is concerning that the continent continues to grapple with food insecurity. Perhaps the summit should have served as a forum for introspection, examining the progress made by the respective countries in implementing the recommendations of the previous declarations and exploring ways to further strengthen investment in agriculture on the continent.

Africa continues to have a plethora of declarations and goals that are honoured under the bridge with no meaningful fulfilment of the goals set. The lack of action on the part of African leaders is not only seen by me but can also be evidenced by the comments of ordinary people on YouTube videos of the summit, people expressed frustration at the absence of progress and action.

African leaders must take steps to create an environment that places a sharp focus on the importance of agriculture to the continent’s development. Rather than waiting for yet another declaration in Kenya or another country, progress must be made on the goals that have already been discussed in previous declarations.

Summits should be used as an opportunity to assess progress, achievements, and the way forward. Africa has the potential to feed itself and should strive to reduce its dependence on imported food.

Hamond Motsi is a PhD student at the faculty of agrisciences, Stellenbosch University, interested in sustainable agriculture and agricultural development in Africa. He holds an MSc in agronomy (cum laude) from Stellenbosch University, BSc Hons in crop science, and BSc in crop and soil science (cum laude), both from the University of Fort Hare. You can contact him at onehammond2@gmail.com. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Food For Mzansi.

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