By Benadetta Chiwanda Mia in Harare, Zimbabwe:
African leaders and stakeholders have pledged to build strong coalitions and work in coordination to mobilise funding within the continent for execution of the African Fertiliser and Soil Health Action Plan (AFSH Action Plan).
This 10-year initiative aims to address soil degradation and boost agricultural productivity in Africa.
On Thursday, coalition implementers signed memoranda of understanding at the 20th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, Partnerships Platform (CAADP-PP), event in Harare, Zimbabwe.
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Professor Richard Mkandawire, a specialist adviser on the plan and Chairperson of the Malawi National Planning Commission, highlighted the severity of the soil health crisis, particularly in Malawi, where extensive soil erosion leads to significant nutrient loss.
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“Let us look at this challenge as an opportunity to build a coalition of actors because we are in a crisis. This is an African-defined agenda, and African institutions must lead the implementation,” Mkandawire stressed.
He also called for resource mobilization within Africa, emphasizing the importance of self-reliance over external aid.
Noel Ujeneza of the Africa Fertiliser Financing Mechanism at the African Development Bank announced a commitment of up to $1 billion to finance private sector initiatives bringing both organic and inorganic fertilisers to farmers.
Ujeneza emphasized the need to decrease reliance on costly import subsidies and promote local fertilizer manufacturing.
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“We want to come up with combined fertilizers in line with soil health because most African soils are acidic,” he noted.
Ambassador Josefa Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment at the African Union (AU), acknowledged financing as a major challenge but expressed confidence in Africa’s potential to self-fund the initiative.
“Building strong coalitions, coordination, and coherence is crucial for implementing the action plan,” Sacko said.
She urged local implementation of the Nairobi Declaration commitments to ensure alignment with national priorities, avoiding the misalignment seen with donor-driven projects.
AU figures indicate that 75 to 80 percent of Africas cultivated land is degraded, resulting in a loss of 30 to 60 kg of nutrients per hectare annually.
This degradation is caused by erosion, acidification, loss of organic matter and biodiversity loss. As a result, yield gaps in Africa range from 2 to 50 percent.
