Realizing soil health for food security in Africa

Authors: SNAPP, SIEGLINDE - International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT); CHAMBERLIN, JASON - International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT); MARENYA, PASWEL - International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT); WINOWIECKI, LEIGH - International Centre For Research In Agroforestry (ICRAF); AMEDE, TILAHUN - Agrapoint International; AYNEKULU, ERMIAS - International Centre For Research In Agroforestry (ICRAF); GAMEDA, SAM - International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT); Herrick, Jeffrey - Jeff; LAL, RATTAN - The Ohio State University; NAGRAJAN, LATHA - International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC); STEWART, ZACHARY - Us Agency For International Development (USAID); VAGEN, TOR - International Centre For Research In Agroforestry (ICRAF)

Submitted to: Nature Sustainability
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/6/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: There is growing recognition of the critical importance of increased investment in soil health on small and medium scale farms across Africa that can help to realize multiple sustainable development goals. This paper proposes three guiding principles for prioritizing and operationalizing a coherent soil health investment agenda. First, prioritize investments where returns are highest. Targeting soil health conservation efforts to high to medium quality soils will help to maintain productivity where it is most needed and where benefit-cost ratios are likely to be highest. Second, use simple, and ideally quantifiable, indicators for systematic assessments. This evidence base can provide timely feedback on how well policies are working. Key soil indicators we propose include soil organic matter, yield response to fertilizer, and yield stability. An infrastructure could conduct, at regular intervals, monitoring and consideration of positive and negative response. Third, invest in effective extension. Public, private and civil society actors should work together to leverage innovations in information and communication technologies and promote a learning agenda through demand-driven stakeholder engagement. In combination, this approach should accelerate investments that have the most scope for enabling adaptive extension systems, guided by evidence and an active learning agenda, to tackle the challenge of scaling locally adapted soil health solutions across the heterogeneous conditions and challenges of African farming systems.

Technical Abstract: There is growing recognition of the critical importance of increased investment in soil health on small and medium scale farms across Africa that can help to realize multiple sustainable development goals. This paper proposes three guiding principles for prioritizing and operationalizing a coherent soil health investment agenda. First, prioritize investments where returns are highest. Targeting soil health conservation efforts to high to medium quality soils will help to maintain productivity where it is most needed and where benefit-cost ratios are likely to be highest. Second, use simple, and ideally quantifiable, indicators for systematic assessments. This evidence base can provide timely feedback on how well policies are working. Key soil indicators we propose include soil organic matter, yield response to fertilizer, and yield stability. An infrastructure could conduct, at regular intervals, monitoring and consideration of positive and negative response. Third, invest in effective extension. Public, private and civil society actors should work together to leverage innovations in information and communication technologies and promote a learning agenda through demand-driven stakeholder engagement. In combination, this approach should accelerate investments that have the most scope for enabling adaptive extension systems, guided by evidence and an active learning agenda, to tackle the challenge of scaling locally adapted soil health solutions across the heterogeneous conditions and challenges of African farming systems.