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

2. Prof Victor O. Chude
Chair, African Soil Partnership (AfSP)

3. African Soil Under Pressure
African soils are under
pressure
55% of Africa’s soil
unsuitable for any
agriculture except nomadic
grazing
~ 16% high quality soil
~ 13% medium quality soil
70% of African people
depend on the little
available land for
agriculture

4. Soil quality in Africa is affected by:
• Soil degradation
• nutrient depletion
• erosion
• desertification
• acidification
• soil organic carbon decline
• salinization
• compaction
• pollution
• Soil and terrain constraints
• Climate change
Leads to low soil productivity, low food production, low food quality
Source: Jones et al. 2013. Soil Atlas of Africa
Main land degradation types in Africa

5. Nutrient depletion
• Nutrient depletion means more nutrients are
removed from the soil than are replaced
• SSA fertilizer use is currently 12 kg/ha versus 150
kg/ha in Asia
• Low farmers’ access to fertilizers (supply and
affordability)
• Farmers lack knowledge about optimal fertilizer
choice and application
• Poor farm management practices
such as leaving soil bare,
monocropping, sub-optimal use
of organic manure
Leads to low food production, and
hidden hunger

6. Soil erosion
• ~ 14 million km2 of African soils are
affected by wind and water erosion
• ~ 65% of the continent’s farm land
is affected by erosion induced
losses of topsoil and soil nutrients.
Particularly affected countries are:
• Burkina Faso,
• Burundi,
• Ethiopia,
• Madagascar,
• Lesotho,
• Morocco and Rwanda
• Many more
No soil, no food production

7. • Soil organic carbon stocks vary widely in African countries
• Carbon losses driven by inappropriate land use or
management practices
Loss of soil organic carbon
Cameroon

8. Rwanda
Nigeria
South Africa, Lesotho,
Kingdom of Eswati
Soil carbon loss reduces soil fertility, water holding capacity and more
Burundi

9. Soil pollution
• Mainly caused by human activities:
• Contaminants may include metals,
hydrocarbons and other toxic organic
pollutants, pathogens and substances
• Pollution poses a worrisome threat
to agricultural productivity, food
safety, human health.
• Top priority to prevent soil pollution

10. Main challenges associated with SSM in
Africa
• Inadequate capacity, knowledge and experience to plan and
implement SSM
• Insufficient policy support for SSM
• Soil information/data at national level is often inadequate / too
outdated to support decision making and monitoring.
• Lack of national or umbrella organizations leading the
promotion of and creating awareness of SSM.
• Weak linkages between researchers, farmers and extension
services to optimize information exchange.
• Insecure land tenure / land administration systems which
discourage farmers from investing in the soils they manage.

11. Some SSM priorities of SSM in Africa
• Increasing soil organic carbon
• Soil conservation and erosion control
• Rehabilitating degraded soils
• Using climate smart agroforestry/agriculture
• Improved soil fertility management
• Using irrigation for improved crop production

12. Some SSM priorities of SSM in Africa
• National soil information systems
• Equipping soil testing laboratories
• Building capacities to use and adopt SSM practices
development and awareness on SSM
• Creating legislation and policy guidelines for SSM
• Many more

13. Conclusion
• Even though there are numerous challenges to
sustainable soil management in Africa, I strongly
believe that the program “Afrisoils: Boosting soil
productivity for a food and nutrition secure Africa”
when fully functional would tackle these
challenges.
• There is therefore the need to properly support
the project with adequate funds and people with
high scientific and managerial skills