Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA)

25
Apr

Laying the Foundations: Africa’s First Cohort of Soil Information Experts Trained in Accra

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

Read more

20
Feb

Strengthening Collaboration on Soil Carbon: A Global Dialogue for Africa’s Sustainable Future

By Benjamin Abugri, Richard Kombat and Shaquille Pennaneach February 20, 2025 – The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), in collaboration with the ORCaSa project and OCP Africa, successfully hosted a webinar on “Strengthening Collaboration on Soil Carbon: Roles and Opportunities for the Africa Chapter of the International Research Consortium (IRC-SC).” The event attracted about 200 participants from across

Read more

13
Jan

Engaging the Private Sector: Key to Realizing Africa’s Soil and Fertilizer Ambitions

Kampala, Uganda – January 10, 2025: During a high-profile side event organized by AUDA-NEPAD and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) at the extraordinary presidential summit for CAADP-3.0, experts underscored the critical role of the private sector in achieving the aspirations of the Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA) and the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan (AFSH-AP).

Read more

10
Dec

Validating the Framework for Establishing the Southern Africa Regional Hub to implement SIA and AFSH-AP.

By Prof. ‘Wole Fatunbi (Ag. DRI, FARA) Developing the Regional Hub to coordinate regional actions for the Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA) and the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan (AFSH-AP) is a key component of the structure to implement the AFSH Summit outcomes. The overall implementation structure (Figure 1) was approved for use over a series of exchanges

Read more

5
Dec

‘Elevate Africa’s voice regarding soil health’

Wolé Fatunbi, from the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), represents the Soil Carbon International Research Consortium (IRC) regional ambassador for the African continent. Soil health is a real challenge for food security in Africa and for tackling climate change. How does Africa’s soil compare to the global context? Africa’s soil is both unique and fragile, distinguished by its

Read more

1
Nov

AU Appoints FARA to Lead Soil Health and Fertilizer Initiative for Africa’s Transformation

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

Read more

25
Oct

Extraordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water, and Environment Opens Today

Addis Ababa, October 25, 2024 The Ministerial Segment of the Extraordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water, and Environment (ARDWE) opened today with powerful interventions from African Union leaders and partners, as they gathered to deliberate on the future of Africa’s agricultural transformation. With a strong focus on post-Malabo initiatives, including the Common African

Read more

22
Oct

Advancing Soil Health in Mediterranean African Countries: A Call for Action on Soil and Fertilizer Initiatives

By `Wole Fatunbi The Mediterranean region of Africa, including Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, and Mauritania, faces unique soil challenges. While their soils share similarities with the rest of Africa, they also experience added pressures from low moisture levels, limited vegetation, and biomass yield. These lands, initially arid, have now become hyper-arid. Key challenges include water scarcity, drought, soil salinization

Read more

12
Oct

Soil Savvy: Stakeholders Set Roadmap For Innovative Information Management System

By Raji Adebayo, Oct 10, 2024 An expert in the field of agriculture, Dr. Wole Fatunbi, has identified low household income, poor social capital, low educational level and Nigeria gross domestic product (GDP) as the factors responsible for food insecurity affecting Nigeria while also stating that the Federal government is not sincere with the allocation of the countries budget for agriculture.

Read more

8
May

Addressing declining Soil Fertility in Africa amid population surge

 written by DANIEL ESSIET  fThe challenges posed by declining soil fertility present substantial issues for many African countries, including Nigeria, especially in the light of the continent’s anticipated population growth. With an estimated 2.5 billion people expected to inhabit Africa by 2050, there will be a substantial increase in food consumption, placing further strain on the continent’s already burdened agricultural

Read more