The fight against hunger: Norway backs African Soil Health Initiative

Norway has committed NOK 33 million to support the implementation of an ambitious ten-year action plan for improving soil fertility in African countries. The state of the African soil is at its poorest after decades of overexploitation causing of micronutrients- crucial for crops to thrive. In return, harvests are poor contributing to the hunger crisis ripping through the continent. Getting detailed information about the current situation, is a key delivery for the Norwegian support.

‘Zero hunger was the first Sustainable Development Goal ( ) to halt and must be the first to get momentum again. Improving soil health to maximize yields is an essential part,‘ said Minister of International Development, Anne Beathe Kristiansen Tvinnereim. ‘Tens of millions of people in Africa do not know when, and from where, they will get their next meal, causing serious ripple effects for the people directly affected but also the society as a whole, including the economy.‘

The Norwegian announcement was made during the African Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit in Nairobi. The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) will play a leading role in supporting the implementation of the African action plan at country level, turning words into actions. The Norwegian support will be used on capacity building for policymakers and farmers, as well as facilitating regional knowledge exchanges. Guidelines for instruments to enhance private sector investment in soil health is also part of the implementation support.

‘There is a need for policy and science to align, creating better foundations for decision-making. A baseline study will collect important information in support of improving soil health, including efficient use of good quality fertilizer to increase productivity. This will in turn improve food security and reduce import dependency,‘ said Tvinnereim. ‘For this action plan to be successful, it is paramount that regional bodies are involved and take charge. I’m glad that AUDA/NEPAD in cooperation with Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) is taking this on with Norway’s support,‘ said Tvinnereim.

Part of Norway’s support is a financial contribution to the creation of an open digital platform on soil health. The new partnership between the international CGIAR research institute CIFOR-ICRAF and the private company Varda, aims to establish an open-source digital platform for soil information, SoilHive. The platform aims to collect soil health data and make it available for policy makers, private sector, fertilizer producers, researchers, and farmers. The fact that the data will be open, allows for developing advisory services on different platforms.

‘African countries import food worth USD 75 billion every year. For countries to achieve food sovereignty, the soil needs to be repaired and improved, including more appropriate use of quality fertilizer. It starts with knowledge about the soil, and that is what this public-private partnership is all about,‘ said Tvinnereim. ‘The end goal is for African countries to be able to produce enough healthy and affordable food for their own population.‘