Restoring soil fertility in West Africa
To support field actors involved in agricultural projects and to inform public and private decision-makers in their investment and public policy choices, the FARM Foundation conducted, in partnership with the AFD, a study on soil fertility renewal in West Africa.
Our study analyzes the causes of the fertility crisis currently affecting West African agricultural systems, traces the dynamics that have weakened traditional soil regeneration mechanisms, and formulates recommendations to encourage sustainable agricultural practices.
Two areas of analysis, Benin and Senegal, serve as the basis for this exploration.
Our objectives
- Analyzing the challenges of soil fertility in West Africa based on current scientific debates and agricultural dynamics.
- Understanding the factors that influence soil fertility, by combining a historical, pedological and agronomic perspective.
- Highlighting the diversity of West African agrarian systems through case studies Senegal and to the Benign.
- Demonstrate the role of agricultural practices in the improvement or degradation of soil fertility, particularly through the recycling of mineral elements.
- Linking local issues to macroeconomic, social and political dimensions which structure soil and input management.
- Examine public policies supporting fertilizers as well as the organization of organic and mineral fertilizer supply chains, particularly in Senegal.
- To propose an interpretation of agricultural nutrient flows (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) to better illuminate the balances and imbalances of fertility.
Project deliverables
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A final report intended for AFD staff
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6 educational publications to discover on the FARM Foundation website
- 1 educational video on the fertility crisis in West Africa
- 1 educational video on the challenges of soil fertility renewal in the Senegal River valley
- 1 article on the challenges of soil fertility renewal in the cotton-growing area of Northern Benin
- 1 article on the dynamics of nitrogen fertilizer flows between West Africa and the rest of the world (1990 – 2022)
- 1 article on the dynamics of phosphate fertilizer flows between West Africa and the rest of the world (1990 – 2022)
- 1 article on the dynamics of potash fertilizer flows between West Africa and the rest of the world (1990 – 2022)
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A conference at SIA 2025 in partnership with AFD and CIRAD
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A policy brief in the AFD's public policy dialogue collection
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Two institutional presentations to AFD staff, in Paris and Dakar
- A presentation at a seminar of the sectoral platform Agriculture, Rural Development and Biodiversity, at the AFD headquarters, in Paris, on May 13, 2025.
- A presentation to the teams of the’AFD in Senegal, in Dakar, on June 30, 2025. .
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A Barometer on the Fertilizer Sector in Africa in 2026
- Starting in the fall of 2026 : after the dairy sector, the FARM Foundation, in partnership with French Farmers and International Development (AFDI) and the Pan-African Farmers' Organization (PAFO), will address the fertilizer sector in Africa to defend food sovereignty and better guide the continent's agricultural policies.
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A MOOC on soil fertility renewal practices in West Africa by 2027
- Sometime in 2027 : the FARM Foundation plans to produce a MOOC on practices for renewing the fertility of West African soils.
Valuation
in the public debate and the media space
An opinion piece in the newspaper L'Opinion:
An article from GEO
which incorporates the analyses of Matthew Brun, scientific director of the Foundation:
- Presentation for the event "Diagnosis: Geopolitical tensions, fertilizer markets and regional vulnerability" at Food Crisis Prevention Network (RPCA) of the OECD and Sahel Club, April 7, 2026 in Paris, France.
- Participation in the round table "The strategic importance of soil health and fertility in agri-food production and for food sovereignty in Africa" at the«Africa Business Impact Forum, on February 28, 2026 in Suresnes, France.
- Participation in the online webinar entitled "Soil Fertility in IFAD- and AFD-supported projects in West Africa" co-organized by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the French Development Agency (AFD), on July 11, 2025.
- Participation in the round table "Innovation and sustainability: rethinking agricultural and fertilization practices in the face of climate challenges" at the«Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), on October 16, 2025 in Paris, France.
A program titled "« Are fertilizers our friends? »", with 4 guests on set:
- Elvire Sossa Agbangba, lecturer-researcher at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin
- Philippe Collin, farmer in the Grand Est region of France
- Eric Giovale, entrepreneur and president of the organo-mineral fertilizers section at the Union of Fertilization Industries (UNIFA)
- Abdoul Tapsoba, Project Manager at the FARM Foundation
Field testimonies:
- Eustache Hounkpatin, farmer in Benin
- Edouardo Solares, founder of a start-up in Guatemala
Presented by Matthew Brun, scientific director of the FARM Foundation.
Produced in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD) and broadcast live on September 20, 2024 on YouTube.
The Foundation and its partners need all available support to carry out this project, join us!
More information:
- Thibaut SOYEZ, Project manager: thibaut.soyez@fondation-farm.org