Global Soil Partnership Plenary Assembly – Sixth Session Afrisoils, Side event 11 – 13 June 2018 FAO HQ

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Overview of the Afrisoils Program
Liesl Wiese
GSP Secretariat

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Why the Afrisoils program?
• Africa is continuously called upon to sustainably increase its
agricultural production
• There is increased attention on sustainable intensification of
agriculture, also in Africa
• Example: H2020 call for proposals:
“Sustainable Intensification
in Africa”
• Soils constitute the foundation
for food production
• But Africa’s soils are degraded
and production is way below
optimum

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• Emphasis needed to implement farming systems that:
• Support soil restoration / rehabilitation
• Increase soil productivity
• Bring soil back into production
• Produce more nutritious food
• Enable farmers to become self employed, utilize
available soils for sustained food production
• Prevent/reduce migration
• AfSP developed a regional implementation plan to
guide implementation actions towards SSM
• But realised we need a dedicated tool to mobilize resources
Why the Afrisoils program?

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What is Afrisoils?
Increasing soil productivity in 47 African countries
by 30%;
Reducing soil degradation by 25%;
Over a 10-year period
A dedicated soil program under the GSP aimed at:

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Approach to develop Afrisoils
• Develop the program based on nationally identified
needs and priorities for SSM (facilitated by GSP)
• Requested focal points to compile information on
the
• Major soil threats
• SSM priorities to address these threats
• Current gaps in addressing the priorities
• Capacity development needs to support SSM
implementation
• Country driven process where national soil
institutions take the lead
• Need commitment from countries to also invest
during implementation

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What will Afrisoils achieve?
Based on the national priorities so far, potential
expected results (to be refined with countries)
are:
• Soil productivity in Africa increased by 30%
• Soil degradation reduced by 25%
• XXX hectares of degraded soils restored to
productivity
• XXX farmers self-employed
• Food insecurity reduced
• Alternative extension services established in
XXX countries
• National soil information systems established
in at least 10 countries
• Soil pollution reduced in at least 5 countries
• XXX hectares under integrated soil fertility management

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What will Afrisoils achieve?
Based on the national priorities so far, potential
expected results are:
• XXX hectares under nutrition sensitive agriculture
• XXX hectares under conservation agriculture
• XXX hectares under climate smart agroforestry
• At least 10 soil laboratory facilities enhanced
• Soil erosion control implemented on XXX hectares
• 200 trainers trained on various aspects related to SSM
• At least 100 MSc students enrolled at non-African
universities
• At least 50 PhD students enrolled at non-African
universities

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How will the results be achieved?
1. Develop and make available information on best
practices for SSM under different land use systems
• Compile a regional database of SSM best practices
• Identify and map successful SSM projects
Preliminary Outputs:

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How will the results be achieved?
2. Establish and implement an action-oriented program
on SSM in the African region
• Support development of national and/or regional project
proposals to implement SSM
• Implement SSM projects through existing FAO networks
• Establish national soil information systems in selected
countries / monitor SSM implementation
Preliminary Outputs:

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How will the results be achieved?
3. Enhance national and regional capacities on SSM
practices
• Develop courses on 5 topics (soil mapping and monitoring, soil
laboratory practices, soil fertility management, minimization and
remediation of soil pollution, SSM practices)
• Training of trainers, support national training sessions
Preliminary Outputs:

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How will the results be achieved?
4. Implement global scientific and technical cooperation
• Establish a global South-South Cooperation Network on soils
• Establish and implement international postgraduate
exchange program, award scholarships
Preliminary Outputs:

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How will the results be achieved?
5. Create national and regional level legal, policy, extension and
institutional environments as enabling environment for SSM
• Establish and implement Soil Doctors Program in Africa
• Review the 2006 Abuja Declaration on fertilizer use (HLMC)
• Create inventory of national and regional policies / legislation
addressing soil
• Support national policy workshops in countries to discuss filling gaps
Preliminary Outputs:

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Current examples
Implementing soil information systems in Lesotho, Togo, Sudan
Rehabilitation of degraded soils in Sao Tome and Principe
• Reduce cost of earthworks from USD 5,000 to 2,500-3,000 / ha
• 100 workers per day, 20 women and 80 men

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Process moving forward
• Today - discuss expected results,
outputs and activities with focal
points during AfSP meeting
• Ensure inclusion of all country
priorities in the program
• Next weeks, will have iterations with
countries to finalize the program
document
• Submit internally to FAO for further

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Funding
• Estimated budget of USD 50 million for 10 years
• Will host a donors meeting
to present the program and
invite donors, including
private sector, to invest
in Afrisoils
• Hope that by the end of this
year we will have some
confirmed resources for 2019