Nairobi, Kenya
January 13, 2009
The Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa award
$18 million to International Center for Tropical Agriculture
Responding to sub-Saharan Africa's
soil health crisis, the
International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
announced today an ambitious new effort to produce the
first-ever, detailed digital soil map for all 42 countries of
the region. This project combines the latest soil science and
technology with remote satellite imagery and on-the-ground
efforts to analyze thousands of soil samples from remote areas
across the continent to help provide solutions for poor farmers,
who suffer from chronically low-yielding crops largely because
of degraded soils.
Efforts to improve African soils, which are among the most
depleted on earth, have been hampered by a lack of up-to-date,
comprehensive knowledge about current soil conditions. This
information is critical to identify the types and amounts of
mineral and organic nutrient sources needed to increase crop
yields. The need for action is hard to ignore; according to FAO,
one in three people - or 236 million (2007) – in Sub-Saharan
Africa are chronically hungry.
The African Soil Information Service, or AfSIS, will respond to
that need by making up-to-date assessments of soil properties.
Researchers will probe the landscape of sub-Saharan Africa,
using a variety of highly accurate digital soil mapping
techniques to create detailed soil maps, which will be available
on the Internet. Data provided by AfSIS at the regional,
national and local levels will help farmers and agricultural
experts identify the best options for sustainably improving crop
production through better soil management.
Work on AfSIS is supported through a four-year grant of US$18
million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the
Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). CIAT's
Nairobi-based Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility (TSBF)
Institute will lead the effort. The new digital soil map will
ultimately be developed as part of a global soil mapping
initiative, called GlobalSoilMap.net.
"Soil management in sub-Saharan Africa must be improved
dramatically if we are to reduce poverty, feed growing
populations and cope with the impact of climate change on
agriculture," said Dr. Nteranya Sanginga of CIAT, which is one
of 15 centers supported by the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). "Achieving this
requires accurate, up-to-date information on the state of
Africa's soils."
"This project will benefit farm families in Africa by showing
how they can reverse the trend of declining soil fertility, a
major reason for slow growth in the region's agricultural
productivity during recent decades," said Dr. Namanga Ngongi,
president of AGRA.
AfSIS will use innovative remote sensing technology via
satellite to create detailed images of large areas indicating
nutrients, moisture and organic matter in the soil. It will also
use infrared spectroscopy to analyze the chemical and physical
properties and organic matter of soil samples. Commonly used in
the medical industry, this latter technique is now being used in
agriculture, to perform quick assessments of the soil's capacity
to retain water and absorb nutrients.
All soil information will be collected and made available via
the Internet in a user-friendly manner. AfSIS experts will offer
training to agricultural extension agents and others on how to
interpret and translate information provided by the soil map for
practical application.
Agricultural policy makers will find the information helpful for
developing recommendations about the types, blends and amounts
of fertilizers and other soil supplements that are most
appropriate for improving harvests in particular regions. The
project will pinpoint areas where soils are at risk and provide
detailed information on interventions that have proved effective
for deterring soil degradation. The data will also provide
insights on the environmental and human factors (such as weather
patterns and population growth) associated with soil degradation
and with the improvement of soil health.
"Helping small farmers increase their yields and incomes is one
of the most important things that world can do to alleviate
hunger and poverty," said Dr. Rajiv Shah, director of
Agricultural Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
"Access to better information about their soil will empower
African farmers to use methods tailored to their conditions so
they can boost their productivity and build better lives."
Partners in the effort include the Earth Institute at Columbia
University, the World Soil Information (ISRIC) at Wageningen
University in The Netherlands and the Nairobi-based World
Agroforestry Center. AfricanSoils.net will initiate
collaboration with national agricultural research programs
across Africa, including the establishment of regional soil
health laboratories in Tanzania, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, and
Malawi.
About the International Center for Tropical Agriculture
(CIAT)
CIAT is a not-for-profit organization that conducts socially and
environmentally progressive research aimed at reducing hunger
and poverty and preserving natural resources in developing
countries. CIAT is one of the 15 centers funded mainly by the 58
countries, private foundations, and international organizations
that make up the Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research (CGIAR). For more information, please
visit: www.ciat.cgiar.org
About the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
AGRA is a dynamic partnership working across the African
continent to help millions of small-scale farmers and their
families lift themselves out of poverty and hunger. AGRA
programmes develop practical solutions to significantly boost
farm productivity and incomes for the poor while safeguarding
the environment. AGRA advocates for policies that support its
work across all key aspects of the African agricultural value
chain – from seeds, soil health and water to markets and
agricultural education.
AGRA's Board of Directors is chaired by Kofi A Annan, former
Secretary-General of the United Nations. Dr Namanga Ngongi,
former Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations World
Food Programme, is AGRA's president. With support from The
Rockefeller Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the
UK's Department for International Development and other donors,
AGRA works across sub-Saharan Africa and maintains offices in
Nairobi, Kenya, and Accra, Ghana. For more information, visit:
www.agra-alliance.org
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy,
productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on
improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift
themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United
States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with
the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need
to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation
is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and co-chair William H. Gates Sr.,
under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren
Buffett. For more information, please visit:
www.gatesfoundation.org
|
|
