New report highlights pathways to improve soil health and fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa
A new report by FAO and Agrinatura, funded by the European Union shows that improving long-term soil health and optimizing fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa requires investments that enhance the long-term food security and profitability of food production for farmers.
The technical report –Soil health and fertilizer: Policy and investment prospects in sub-Saharan Africa – highlights the need for a more integrated approach to enhance agricultural productivity and food security, including longer-term economic incentives for soil management, rural infrastructure, fertilizer production and blending plants, institutions and market access.
Analysis of constraining factors
The analysis examines the factors constraining agricultural productivity across the region, including fertilizer use, soil fertility management, farming systems and broader structural factors hamstringing agricultural productivity.
The authors argue that rather than having to choose between either mineral fertilizers or bio-based approaches, sub-Saharan Africa needs policy and investment options that produce incentives for farmers to improve soil heath and optimize fertilizer use.
Tristan Le Cotty (CIRAD), who leads a key strand of SASi-SPi work, is one of the report’s authors, said
“I hope this report will help move away from the debate opposing fertilizers and agroecology and nurture the more critical trade-off between short-term and repeated subsidies – whether mineral fertilizer or organic fertilizers – versus the more powerful long-term investments. The investments that improve long-term productivity include rural roads to bring farmers closer to consumers and fertilizer providers, infrastructure for better water use in agriculture, and institutions that encourage investment.”
Aligns with international priorities
Produced with the support of the European Union, the report contributes to ongoing efforts to identify evidence-based policies and investment priorities that can accelerate the transformation of sustainable and resilient agrifood systems across sub-Saharan Africa. Its findings align with the priorities outlined in the 2024 African Union Nairobi Declaration, “Boosting Africa’s Agricultural Productivity with Healthy Soils,” as well as the 2025 Kampala CAADP Declaration on “Building Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa” and its 2026–2035 Action Plan.