The Africa Fertliser and Soil Health summit (AFSH) took place from 7-9 May 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya. The Africa Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP), in collaboration with the Prosoil and Cash for Coalition and Soil health (CA4SH) hosted a side event at the AFSH. The side event session entitled “Country plans for integrating the Africa Fertiliser and soil health action plan into national climate and food security policy frameworks” was focused on domesticating the AFSH action plan and Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA) framework into existing country policies, programmes and actions. The key themes of the session were: (1) implementing the AFSH action plan within countries existing policies and NDCs, and (2) creating a platform for farmers to be involved in the policy making process for improved and sustainable agricultural practices. The session emphasised the need for countries in Africa to work on existing country policy’s which deal with aspects of agricultural development or soil interventions.

The session started off with the keynote speaker Harifidy Ratsimba (University of Antananarivo, Madagascar). The presentation focused on how policy soil and land management is informed on a domestic level. There were three main points which were spoken about. This was (i)technical, (ii)social and (iii) structural/intersectoral processes. The presentation drew on experiences from Madagascar on how these three pillars are actioned in the country with the provision of examples of land management taking place in the communities of Madagascar.

Proceeding the keynote presentation, a panel of experts from across the continent explored the challenges and opportunities for developing country plans. The panel started off with questions of challenges of implementation. Liesl Wiese (science policy consultant for the Forum for agricultural research in Africa (FARA)), gave points on how countries can domesticate the AFSH action plan and SIA framework into NDC’s and LDN’s.

Wiese emphasised when it comes to implementation, the government of each country need to consider their existing action and policy in place. This can be done through looking at what is already existing in terms of policies, programmes, efficiency and identifying gaps, financing investment, implementing priorities in NDCs and land degradation. Furthermore, countries need to look at the status quo of sectoral policies. Countries should look at gaps, overlaps of policies and where policies contradict each other. This will assist on how to effectively integrate AFSH action plan into NDCs.

Wiese highlighted that in order to ensure cross sector collaboration for soil, food security and climate policy are aligned countries will need to take the following actions into consideration: Firstly, when working in the context of NDCs, land degradation neutrality and biodiversity, the key opportunities to align these to national processes is to structure them around soil information and data which is key to setting targets, monitoring, tracking and reporting. Wiese mentions further that policies affecting land and soil management i.e., cross sectoral and industries that affect soil degradation such as mining will need to be addressed by tackling gaps in policies.  Lastly, national focal points for different conventions need to work on their communication and coordination since most of these focal points do not sit in the same ministries and each ministries targets and data sets are not necessary linked together. Convene these different focal points, to examine the existing policies, identify soil regulations and understanding where there are loop holes in the different sectors, can support in more coordinated and ambitious action for soil health.

The next speaker, Dr. Ermias Betemariam (CA4SH), provided a case study countries implementing soil health into NDCs and how the SIA framework could provide a framework for countries to increase soil health ambitions. The key areas which limit NDC implementation is the lack of enabling policy, technical capacity (such as infrastructure), the lack of coordination, less representatives and lack of finance. A case study done in seven African countries (Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Zambia) revealed that integrating soil health and soil organic carbon into NDCs is a critical opportunity to achieve their climate change mitigation and adaptation objectives.

In terms of the ambition of the AFSH Action Plan and SIA framework could set and provide opportunities for countries to implement approaches for soil health. The four investment areas of the AFSH policy document will help to ensure an enabling policy.  Understanding which elements of the framework and investment areas work for countries, are vital in understanding how to domesticate the action plan at subnational levels.

Andriantomanga Mokhtar Salim (the Governor of Beony, Madagascar) shared insight on how local policies for healthier soils and food security can enable better practice for farmers. To domesticate a policy on a local scale there needs to be an understanding how to apply techniques to reach the farmer because policy making, is centralised by national government. Most Madagascar farmers are looking at how to survive and not looking at an economic income. A key strategy could be how to decentralise the action plan from a national level to reach farmers on a local scale.

In addition, Salim spoke about what drives sub-regional governments to take action on soil health and how governments achieve their national priorities. Salim highlighted that ensuring that the plans are implemented requires policies to flow down to the local level when the implications of the policy are actually practices.

Dr Kefelegn Getahun Cherinet, Director (Ethiopian Institute of Resilience to Climate Change, Jimma University, Ethiopia) then underlined why  how countries could implement aspects of the action plan through biofertiliser use. Cherinet explained the access to biofertiliser is influenced by many factors such as geopolitical differences and the supply of biofertiliser.  There is a large potential to make biochar out of cattle dung and other ruminants in Africa, and there is no need to outsource machinery and materials to produce this. It is simple and inexpensive therefore making it easier for farmers to cut on costs of importing inorganic fertiliser and cutting down on emissions due to better fertilisation practices.

However, Cherinet stated the challenges experienced by African countries is upscaling the use of biofertiliser,  farmers awareness, lack of knowledge and supply.

The final panelist, Justin Shirima (Tanganyika Farmers’ Association) discussed the role of farmers in policy and action plans for agricultural improvement and the relevance of the AFSH action plan to  farmers. Shirima stated there is a need to understand how much a small-scale farmer is are aware of data. Access to data and research for the farmers is not easily available.

Shirima explained further that there needs to be  farmers  involved in research and policy making  processes to support  uptake of best practice. The involvement of farmers is not inclusive when working on the policy making and research processes. Shirima connected his next to point to the first discussion on farmers role in policy and action on agricultural improvement by explaining there is less information on fertiliser for farmers. The lack of sharing data makes it difficult for farmers relevance and implementation of the AFSH plan. Lastly, Shirima closed off his discussion by stating the key question is to access the grass root needs information. On a country level there is a need to involve farmers from policy development through to implementation.

The session ended with identifying key action points as follows:

1. An assessment on the current policies, strategies and action plans within countries  and the gaps and needs  across these can support in defining national plans to integrate the SIA and AFSH action plan.
2. Involve farmers from at the start of policy making to make informed decisions on transformation
3. Increase farmers’ awareness on  policies and best practice to ensure they are able to adopt new practices to support soil health, food security and climate action.