The role of agroecology and regenerative agriculture in farming and food systems in Africa

The Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit (AFSHS) was organised by the African Union and held from the 7th to the 9th of May 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya, and online. It brought together all relevant stakeholders to highlight the crucial role of fertiliser and soil health in stimulating sustainable pro-poor productivity growth in African agriculture. Building on thediscussions held during the summit, African Heads of State and Government endorsed theAfrican Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Action Plan and the Soils Initiative for Africa (SIA) thathad been developed by the Africa Union Commission and consolidated in the NairobiDeclaration. The declaration endorsed the Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan and the Soil Initiative for Africa Framework as key guiding documents to harness multi-stakeholderpartnerships and investments to drive policies, finance, research and development, markets,and capacity building for fertilizer and sustainable soil health management in Africa. The overall objective of the session is to bolster agricultural sustainability and enhance smallholder farmer livelihoods by improving access and affordability of certified quality organic and inorganic fertilisers across the continent.

A side event was convened by DeSIRA LIFT and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) –with the CAADP XP4 organisations to discuss the role of agroecology and regenerative agriculture in farming and food systems in Africa. Stakeholders with different backgrounds including experts from research and policy, farmers, micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) shared their views and experiences on the relationship between soil health, productivity and inclusive, sustainable farming and food systems in Africa. They discussed how research and innovation (R&I) can support soil health in Africa with a holistic approach and a better management of the nutrients cycle and actions needed to achieve productive, inclusive, and sustainable agri-food systems at scale. They further formulated recommendations for R&I involving a range of actors to support the AFSH Action Plan and the Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA).