The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and ISRIC – World Soil Information are collaborating to strengthen Africa’s agricultural transformation by addressing a critical but often overlooked factor: soil health and information management. Both institutions are key partners under the African Union-European Union (AU-EU) Partnership for Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) and have been at the forefront of initiatives to drive agricultural innovation across the continent.
One such initiative is the Soils for Africa (S4A) Initiative, which has been pivotal in shaping Africa’s agricultural landscape. The S4A initiative has developed a continental, harmonised baseline of soil information crucial for decision support. It responds to the longstanding fragmentation of soil data in Africa, providing policymakers, fertiliser manufacturers, extension service providers, smallholder farmers, and the private sector with reliable, actionable soil data to inform better decisions for sustainable agricultural practices.
Building on this momentum, FARA and ISRIC are conducting a first-level Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop for selected African ICT and Knowledge Management (KM) experts. This important step aims to strengthen national and regional capacities to use and host the African Soils Information database developed under the Soils for Africa initiative, now being advanced through the Soils Initiative for Africa (SIA) championed by the African Union Commission (AUC). The AUC has designated FARA as the Technical Support Organisation for the African Soil Information System and the Soils Initiative for Africa.
The Accra Training: Building the First Cohort of Soil Information Ambassadors
The first cohort training is taking place in Accra, Ghana, from April 23 to 26, 2025. Participants selected are undergoing intensive capacity development on the technical and operational aspects of soil information systems, positioning them as the first ambassadors in scaling the African Soil Information System across the continent.
A strong call to action marked the opening ceremony on April 23. Delivering remarks on behalf of the Executive Director of FARA, Dr Aggrey Agumya, the Acting Director for Research and Innovation, Prof Oluwole Fatunbi, welcomed participants and highlighted the critical importance of the initiative:
- He noted that the gathering represented a pool of experts tasked with addressing the current fragmentation of soils data across Africa, a gap ISRIC is technically supporting to bridge.
- He underscored the strategic importance of soil information to key stakeholders – from fertilizer companies to extension workers and policymakers – emphasizing that managing Africa’s soils better is fundamental to agricultural transformation.
- Trainees were encouraged to take the opportunity seriously, likening them to the “first apostles” of the Soil Information System rollout.
- He also pointed to future plans to scale this effort under the African Union Soil Observatory (AUSO) Project, funded by the European Commission, expected to commence later in the year.
- Finally, he warmly welcomed all participants to Accra, with a special mention to the technical trainers from ISRIC.
In her remarks, Mary Steverink-Mosugu, Projects Coordinator from ISRIC, expressed appreciation to FARA for the strong collaboration and reiterated ISRIC’s commitment to supporting Africa’s drive for better soil management through technical excellence and shared expertise.
A Deep Dive into Soil Information Systems: Program Highlights
Facilitated by Luis Calisto and Eric Asamoah, both experts from the ISRIC – World Soil Information, the four-day training program was designed to provide a comprehensive and practical immersion into soil information systems and related technologies:
Main Workshop Facilitator Luis Calisto, ISRIC
- Day 1: Participants received an overview of the Soils for Africa project and the upcoming AUSO project. Key sessions covered soil data collection principles, FAIR data (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) practices, and methodologies for organising and serving soil data.
- Day 2: The training featured a guided tour of the Soil Information System (SIS), hands-on exploration of SIS interfaces, and a technical breakdown of SIS architecture and its integration components.
- Day 3: Participants delved deeper into advanced SIS architecture topics, including Git repositories, continuous integration/continuous delivery (CICD) pipelines, and assessment of FARA’s human and infrastructure capacity readiness for hosting and expanding the system.
- Day 4: The final day focused on evaluating training outcomes, assessing FARA’s policy and infrastructure landscape for soil information system deployment, and defining next steps for broader rollout and sustainability.
The workshop concluded with a call for continuous collaboration and knowledge sharing as Africa sets the foundation for a robust, accessible, open and user-driven soil information system critical for achieving sustainable food systems on the continent.
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