By Benjamin Abugri, Richard Kombat & Shaquille Pennaneach
Nairobi, Kenya — October 6, 2025
The African Union Soil Observatory (AUSO) Project was officially launched today at the Trademark Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, in a high-level event bringing together African and European partners, policymakers, scientists, and development stakeholders. Running from October 6 to 8, 2025, the launch and inception meeting mark the start of a five-year Horizon Europe Innovation Action designed to generate robust, harmonized soil data and strengthen soil health management across the continent.
Funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement No. 101218840) and coordinated by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), AUSO will establish a continental soil observatory comprising the African Soil Data Centre (ASDAC) and an interactive Soil Health Dashboard. The platform will support continuous soil health monitoring, evidence-based policymaking, and targeted land management interventions across Africa.
Although Hon. Mutahi Kagwe, EGH, Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture of the Government of Kenya, could not attend the launch, he was ably represented by Dr. Paul Kipronoh Ronoh, CBS, Principal Secretary at the State Department of Agriculture. Dr. Ronoh’s keynote address was delivered on his behalf by Mr. Mongo Chimwaga, EBS, Secretary of Administration at the Department of Environment, Climate and Forestry.
The speech highlighted the Government of Kenya’s strong commitment to the AUSO initiative and the pivotal role of soil data in advancing agricultural transformation.
Strong Call for Open and Interoperable Soil Data
Speakers from the African Union Commission, European Commission, EU Soil Mission Cluster, FARA, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), ISRIC, and other key partners underscored the strategic importance of the AUSO Project. Across the board, they challenged partners to work towards open data, interoperability, and usability of soil information to support evidence-based policies and sustainable land management.
“Healthy soils are at the foundation of food security, climate resilience, and sustainable livelihoods,” said Dr. Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director of FARA. “Through AUSO, we are building a collaborative, data-driven system that will empower African countries to design and implement effective soil health strategies.”
Dr. David Kamau, Director of Environment and Natural Resources at KALRO, emphasized the central role of Kenyan institutions in driving innovation and co-creation of soil data solutions that are relevant to African contexts.
A Collaborative Continental Effort
The official launch ceremony was jointly led by representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture (Kenya), FARA, ISRIC, and KALRO, joined by AFAAS, CORAF, FAO, and the European Commission. This collective action reflects the spirit of co-development and continental collaboration underpinning the AUSO initiative.
The AUSO consortium brings together 21 African and European partners, including national agricultural research systems, universities, international research centres, and advisory services. Implementation will take place across 12 target countries—Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Senegal, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Morocco—with additional engagement across the continent.
Through a co-development approach, AUSO will:
- Build on the Soils4Africa Soil Information System and lessons from the EU Soil Observatory;
- Develop scalable frameworks for soil health data collection;
- Support countries to formulate national soil health strategies; and
- Enhance soil literacy among stakeholders and the public.
Launch Programme and Strategic Objectives
The three-day inception meeting includes the official launch, Work Package presentations, technical planning sessions, and the first Project Advisory Committee meeting. The event aims to foster a shared understanding of project objectives, governance, and deliverables among consortium partners, while setting a clear roadmap for coordinated implementation.
About AUSO
The African Union Soil Observatory (AUSO) is a flagship initiative of the African Union, coordinated by FARA and supported by a consortium of African and European partners. The project will run from July 2025 to June 2030, with a total budget of €7.7 million, and aims to provide actionable soil data for sustainable land management and agricultural transformation across Africa.
For more information, visit https://auso.faraafrica.org or www.faraafrica.org.
Media Contacts
- Benjamin Abugri, Knowledge Management, Digitalisation & Learning Lead Specialist, FARA
[email protected] - Richard Kombat, Project Officer, AUSO Project – FARA
[email protected]
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