Soil fertility in West Africa
What diagnosis should be made in this part of the African continent? This question is central to ensuring food and nutritional security for populations and sustainable agricultural development. A study led by FARM in cooperation with the French Development Agency (AFD) will focus on establishing an assessment through two case studies: Benin and Senegal.
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What are we talking about when we talk about soil fertility? It is the ability of the land to provide chemical and biological needs to plants to ensure their productivity and their nutritional qualityBut the fertility of a soil is also linked to conditions which are specific to each environment: the texture of the earth, its depth, exposure to heat and light, etc. There are many factors that come into play. Not to mention agricultural practices, which have a huge influence. Depending on whether we use chemical or organic fertilizers for example, the long-term consequences on land fertility will be different.
In many parts of West Africa, the soils are poor in organic matter. Consequence: the biological activity of microorganisms is very low. However, they are the ones who participate in the structuring of soils (water retention for example) and in the decomposition of organic matter which will allow the release of nutrients which the plants will feed on to grow. Optimal soil quality is therefore essential to guarantee crop productivity and nutritional quality..
In the countries subject to climate change and a growth in food demand, the Soil fertility therefore has a very significant impact on food and nutritional security. It is to decipher these issues that the FARM Foundation and the AFD have signed a partnership.
The analysis conducted by the Foundation will be divided into 3 phases.
To begin with, The teams will establish a diagnosis on the state and management of natural resources in relation to cultural practices on the ground. State of health of the soils, dynamics of their occupation, management of fertility and yields, place of mineral fertilization, etc. So many questions raised by this diagnostic phase.
In a second step, it will be necessary to analyze in depth the commercial flows linked to mineral and synthetic fertilizersHow do these products reach regional markets? How are they consumed? Which public and private actors are involved at all levels?
Finally, the work will focus on a better understanding of fertilization strategies at the level of agrarian systems, in order to question the paths towards a sustainable intensification of these systems.
For each of the questions raised by the study and at each of the phases, concrete cases will be studied in Benin and Senegal in relation to the contexts specific to these countries.
For the AFD, working on this issue of land fertility in West Africa represents a statement of support for agroecological policies and their intensification on the ground to meet the imperative of food sovereignty. This is an approach to which FARM is fully committed.
To learn more about this topic, read the FARM team's articles:
How to improve soil health in West Africa? – FARM Foundation (fondation-farm.org)
