Harare, Zimbabwe, October 31st, 2024
The African Union Commission, under the dynamic leadership of H.E. Ambassador Josefa Sacko, has appointed the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) as the official Secretariat for the Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA) and the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan (AFSH-AP). This landmark appointment, announced at the high-level 20th CAADP Partnership Platform (CAADP-PP) meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe, represents a significant advancement toward sustainable soil health and fertilizer solutions across Africa.
H.E Amb. Josefa Sacko, AUC-DARBE Commissioner
Ambassador Sacko’s visionary leadership and commitment to agricultural transformation through partnerships and strategic coordination are highlighted by this appointment. In her opening remarks, she called for a unified approach among African organizations, emphasizing that the success of the AFSH-AP and SIA depends on collaboration, not competition. She underscored the necessity of collective commitment to achieve the objectives of the 2024 Presidential Declaration on Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health, which sets forth an ambitious ten-year plan to address Africa’s soil and fertilizer challenges.
Ambassador Sacko’s endorsement of the SIA coordination framework—crafted by a dedicated technical working group—establishes a comprehensive structure for regional and national implementation. This framework assigns FARA as the Secretariat, supported by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) as the lead coordinating entity and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Sub-Regional Organizations (SROs) as regional facilitators through designated hubs. This coalition, organized around five thematic areas, will provide focused support at the continental, regional, and national levels to ensure effective implementation of AFSH-AP objectives.
In a powerful keynote, Prof. Richard Mkandawire emphasized the importance of “Coordination, Cooperation, Capacity, and African Leadership” in advancing AFSH-AP. Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Hon. Vangelis Haritatos, reaffirmed Zimbabwe’s commitment to agricultural productivity and soil health, announcing new government investments, including funds to revitalize the Africa Center for Fertilizer Development (ACFD) in Harare, a key step in bolstering Africa’s fertilizer production capacity.
Section of Panelists from the ‘How Not to Implement the AFSH-AP: Learning from Experience’ Panel discussion
A “fireside chat” session, titled “How Not to Implement the AFSH-AP: Learning from Experience,” shed light on critical insights for the successful execution of Africa’s soil health agenda. Panelists, including Deputy Minister Odd Arnesen, Mr. Noel Ujeneza, and Madam Bongiwe Njobe, stressed the urgency of action-oriented leadership, highlighting the need to reduce bureaucracy as other continents advance. They advocated for greater private sector involvement, an enhanced Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism (AFFM-II), and a blend of mineral and organic fertilizers to strengthen Africa’s agricultural resilience.
The appointment of FARA as the SIA Secretariat is a pivotal moment, inspiring stakeholders to unite under this visionary framework to achieve the ambitious goals of the Soil Initiative for Africa and AFSH-AP. Guided by Ambassador Sacko’s leadership, Africa is poised for a transformative journey toward sustainable agricultural development, unity, and a shared commitment to a food-secure future.
11 Comments
Congratulations Prof Wole!
All the best for FARA
Congratulations
Congratulations, FARA
Expectations are very high so far.
Congratulations Dr. Aggrey well deserved
Great achievement for African Union, FARA and other networking agencies. Hopeful that African countries, Nigeria at times like this will tap into these efforts to change the tune. AFDB remain committed to African growth and sustainable development. Let’s take advantage and change the tune of our music.
It has been my pleasure to access this message. This has been log waited for; a lot of innovations are available at the farm levels, but our bureaucrats are still limiting the distribution ad use of our biofertilizers. Hopefully this will open the way to adoption of the io fertilizers to support sustainable soil health.
Now we look forward to consistent implementation of these nobke ideals. I wish FARA and AUDA the best
Dear FARA members,
I am from Oromia Agricultural Research Institute Fitche Agricultural Research Center from Ethiopian country. I want to participate on this good opportunity, how can I get the sponsorship?
Congratulations to FARA to lead the soil health and fertiliser initiative for Africa