2008 Progress Report: Soil Health Program for Farm Households in Africa

Grantee: The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

This grant encountered some early challenges, causing grantmaking to begin in 2009 instead of 2008 as initially planned.

Reacting in real time: This grant faced three challenges in its first year, two of which were largely out of AGRA’s control. First was a delay in the hiring of a program director, which has pushed back project timelines. (An experienced leader is now in place.) Second was post-election violence in Kenya, where AGRA is headquartered. Third was rising fuel costs, which have led to soaring fertilizer costs. AGRA is working to revise strategies and timetables accordingly.

Soil health requires more than just more fertilizer: Boosting the availability of fertilizer isn’t enough help small farmers succeed—particularly given the volatility in fertilizer prices. AGRA is emphasizing a number of other approaches, including helping small farmers use fertilizer and manage their land more effectively, encouraging suppliers to provide fertilizers in smaller packages so farmers can afford them, and exploring ways to procure more fertilizer regionally and locally to cut down on costs.

Impact through local partnerships: This grant operates in 12 countries and aims to reach millions of farmers. To make sure AGRA is taking local needs and contexts into account, it has developed a model of local grantmaking. Working with local and national partners, it is developing projects that will reach roughly 20,000 farmers each. This process is time consuming and will require strengthening local capacity—currently a major challenge—but will lead to more sustainability.

African policymakers are critical partners: AGRA has begun engaging local and national policymakers to plan soil health projects and priorities in their countries. Again, this process takes time and care. But it will help integrate AGRA’s planned investments within national priorities and also build the local ownership needed to sustain projects once AGRA’s funding ends.

Goal: To help 4.1 million small farm households increase their yields by 50 to 100 percent—and ultimately increase their incomes—by giving them the resources and training to manage their soil using the most advanced methods.

Selected Objectives:

Objective: Help farmers get access to affordable fertilizers that will help them increase their yields.

Target: 187,000 tons of fertilizer delivered to small farmers through wholesale and retail networks by December 2012.

Objective: Through training and demonstration projects, help farmers adopt Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) techniques on a large scale to increase their yields in an environmentally sustainable way.

Target: More than 4.1 million small farmers adopt ISFM practices on more than 6.3 million hectares of land by December 2012.

Objective: Work with governments and others to ensure policies enable small farmers to obtain affordable fertilizer and training and to adopt soil management practices.

Target: Governments implement national policies for access to inputs and soil extension straining in countries targeted by AGRA.