Ethiopia Fertilizer and Soil Health Stakeholders Meet Ahead of African Union Summit
Participants in the June 5, 2023 workshop.
The Feed the Future Policy LINK Champions for Food Security (C4FS) Activity, in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, convened a national multi-stakeholder consultative workshop on fertilizer and soil health on June 5, 2023. The objective of the consultation was to engage key agriculture sector stakeholders on prevailing policy issues related to fertilizer and soil health in Ethiopia and to reflect on how to operationalize the African Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) action plan at the country level.
The 2006 Abuja Fertilizer Declaration, a paper outlining the proposed Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA), and AFSH draft 10-year Action Plan (2023-2033) formed part of the discussion, raising awareness among key Ethiopian stakeholders about fertilizer and soil health in general and the priorities of the upcoming Africa Union AFSH summit slated for November 2023. In addition, workshop participants discussed two papers focused on Ethiopia’s national approaches to fertilizer and soil health, national investment priorities and interventions, as well as the role of the private sector in fertilizer marketing.
H.E Prof. Eyasu Elias, State Minister of Agriculture, officially opened and led the discussion.
In his opening address, H.E. Professor Eyasu Elias, State Minister of Agriculture, emphasized the significance of the summit's resolution to increase fertilizer use and properly address soil health issues in Ethiopia. He asserted that the establishment of a continental African Fertilizer Financing Mechanism (AFFM) will improve agricultural productivity in Africa.
Despite Ethiopia being endowed with diverse natural resources, the country faces widespread soil health-related challenges significantly affecting agricultural production systems and food security. These challenges include soil acidity, soil salinity, nutrient and organic matter depletion, and poor waterlogging management in vertisol areas of the highlands, which are characterized by heavy clay soils.
The workshop identified some of the gaps in the implementation of the Abuja declaration and served as a springboard for designing both short-term and long-term solutions to these challenges, with emphasis on fertilizers and Ethiopian soils. One of these gaps could be addressed through adhering to the AU’s recommendation of increasing fertilizer use to improve soil fertility and attain food security while eradicating poverty.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture took advantage of this in-country consultation to come up with position statements on fertilizer and soil health, which could be reflected in the upcoming AFSH summit of November 2023.
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