CGIAR is pleased to support our regional and national partners in their implementation of the action plan emerging from the May 2024 African Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Summit. As the seventh policy seminar in the CGIAR series on Strengthening Food Systems Resilience, this event will examine the outcomes of the AFSH Summit and consider how to achieve the goals of the 10-year AFSH Action Plan. Bringing together diverse set of speakers, it will provide a platform for expertise exchange, collaboration, and actionable progress in advancing soil health and agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa.

Featured speakers from the research, policy, nongovernmental, and private sectors will highlight agronomy solutions and policy frameworks that can bolster stakeholder resilience. These experts will draw on the work of two CGIAR research initiatives, Excellence in Agronomy and National Policies and Strategies, to explore the potential of agronomy at scale solutions and present strategies for developing effective policy frameworks in support of soil health, balanced plant nutrition, and increased agricultural productivity and livelihoods. 

Opening Remarks

• Charlotte Hebebrand, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, IFPRI
• Antony Chapoto, Executive Director, Secretariat, Africa Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes (ANAPRI)

Outcome of the AFSH and Next Steps

• Wole Fatunbi, Ag. Director of Research and Innovation, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
• Oumou Camara, Vice President of Programs, International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) (Presentation)
• Bernard Vanlauwe, Deputy Director General, Research for Development, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
• Felicitas Röhrig, Senior Policy Officer, Division “Agriculture, rural development”, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
• Habiba Mouttaki, Chief Commercial Officer, Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP) Africa (Presentation)

Supporting Agronomic Solutions at Scale and Enabling Policy Frameworks for Sustainable Fertilizer Management and Soil Health 

• Job Kihara, Agronomist, Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT; Excellence in Agronomy (EiA), CGIAR
• John Olwande, Research Fellow, Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development; National Policies and Strategies, CGIAR
• Claudia Ringler, Director, Natural Resources and Resilience (NRR), IFPRI
• Kibrom Abay, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI (Presentation)
• Madhur Gautam, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI (Presentation)

Discussion 

• Richard Mkandawire, Africa Director, Alliance for African Partnership, Michigan State University (MSU); National Planning Commissioner, Malawi
• Maria Wanzala, Vice President, Policy Services, African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) (Presentation)
• Nancy Laibuni, Advisor, Associate Member, Council of Economic Advisors- Executive Office of the President, Kenya

Moderator

• Charlotte Hebebrand, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, IFPRI