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Africa Fertilizer Summit ProceedingsJune 9-13, 2006Abuja, Nigeria

April 2007

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IFDC—An International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural DevelopmentP.O. Box 2040Muscle Shoals, AL 35662 (U.S.A.)

Telephone: +1 (256) 381-6600Telefax: +1 (256) 381-7408E-Mail: general@ifdc.orgWeb Site: www.ifdc.org

IFDC publications are listed in IFDC Publications, General Publication IFDC–G-1; the publications catalog is free ofcharge.

The following IFDC staff contributed to the Africa Fertilizer Summit proceedings:Prepared by: Marjatta Eilittä, Program Leader, Agribusiness Program, Africa Division, IFDC.Contributions were made by: Maria N. Wanzala, NEPAD AFS Secretariat; Oumou Camara, IFDC AFS Secretariat;Youssouf Camara, Economist; and Thomas R. Hargrove, Coordinator—Information and Communications Unit.Edited by: Lisa L. Thigpen, Editor and Thomas R. Hargrove, Coordinator—Information and Communications Unit.Cover Design: Meg Ross, Graphic and Web Designer—MISTOWA.Layout/Design: Lynda F. Young, Coordinator—Word Processing/Graphics and Donna W. Venable, Senior WordProcessor/Graphics Illustrator.

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PrefaceAfrica Fertilizer Summit

June 9-13, 2006

The Africa Fertilizer Summit grew out of a conviction that a Green Revolution for Africa islong overdue. It is our responsibility—African Heads of States and Ministers, governmentofficials, and development partners—to start it now. It will be accomplished only with thecommitment of us all.

Our people are suffering from food insecurity—a terrible state that is worsening in only oneregion of the world: sub-Saharan Africa. African soils are old. In recent decades they havealso grown tired as our rural populations have multiplied. Farmers are now forced to growcrops on the same fields year after year without letting the soil rest to regain fertility, andwithout replenishing the plant nutrients. The results are low yields and meager returns, andincreasing encroachment on forested lands.

At the national levels, we have failed to achieve our development objectives because agricul-ture has not become the engine of growth it should be, considering that two-thirds of ourpeople exist by growing crops or raising livestock. We must focus on agriculture if we are toimprove nutrition, education, income, and peace and stability on our continent.

The Green Revolution in Asia and Latin America, spearheaded by my friend Dr. NormanBorlaug four decades ago, was the inspiration for this Summit. A year in the making, theSummit was organized with the leadership of the African Union’s New Partnership forAfrica’s Development (NEPAD) and implemented by the International Fertilizer DevelopmentCenter (IFDC) and the National and Local Organizing Committees in Nigeria.

We knew that we could meet our objectives only by involving global as well as Africanleaders. Therefore, we invited key leaders from around the world to form the Eminent Per-sons’ Advisory Group. The President of the Rockefeller Foundation, Dr. Judith Rodin, hosteda meeting of the group in New York City in March 2006 to discuss and plan strategies for theSummit. The meeting sparked interest and media coverage worldwide. We realized that in2006 the world is finally ready for the uniquely African Green Revolution called for by UNSecretary General Kofi Annan. The meeting also catalyzed Summit participation by AfricanHeads of States and Ministers and other leaders from governments and the private sector.Many of the Eminent Persons participated in the Summit.

We also knew that only our people truly understand and can articulate our current problemsand can prioritize actions to overcome them. That’s why we asked governments and Re-gional Economic Communities to prepare strategies for increasing fertilizer use. Half of thecountries and almost all Regional Economic Communities answered our call and presentedstrategies at the Summit. We also ensured strong and enthusiastic representation of farmersand farmer organizations.

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Because the problems facing us are complex, we needed the advice of experienced scientistsand development experts. That is why we established a Technical Advisory Committee totake the lead in Summit preparations. Many of these experts also wrote background papersanalyzing current situations and showing us possible ways forward.

The Summit produced a roadmap for achieving the African Green Revolution: the AbujaDeclaration on Fertilizer for an African Green Revolution. The Abuja Declaration affirms thecommitment of governments to increase fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa from today’saverage of 8 kilograms to at least 50 kilograms per hectare by 2015. Without such a signifi-cant increase we cannot achieve the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Pro-gram (CAADP) goal of 6% annual growth in agricultural productivity, nor the MillenniumDevelopment Goals. The Abuja Declaration also shows that we agree on ways to increasefertilizer use: harmonizing policies and regulations, developing networks of input dealers,establishing national and transcontinental financing mechanisms, increasing national andregional fertilizer production and trade, and improving farmers’ access to all inputs.

Only 6 months after the Summit, we have seen many positive developments toward achieve-ment of the African Green Revolution. The establishment of the Africa Fertilizer DevelopmentFinancing Mechanism at the African Development Bank is one example. Another is plans fornew private fertilizer production and blending facilities in Africa. Also encouraging is a boldnew initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation:AGRA, or the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.

But we cannot become complacent and focus only on what has been done. Instead, I chal-lenge you to continue the work that we started at the Africa Fertilizer Summit. The AfricanGreen Revolution cannot be achieved in a few months—it will require years of hard work.

In 6 years we expect to look back and see the true role of the Summit as an instigator of theAfrican Green Revolution, one that will have enabled our continent not only to feed itself butalso to achieve all basic necessities for its people: education, safe drinking water, health care,and peace and stability. We can achieve this only if we focus our attention on agriculture.Now is the time to commit ourselves to these sustained efforts.

The Summit was a success. Thank you all for your dedication and tireless efforts.

His Excellency Olusegun ObasanjoGrand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR)President, Federal Republic of NigeriaFormer Chairman, The African UnionFormer Chairman, New Partnership for Africa’s Development

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Table of Contents

Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer for an African GreenRevolution ..................................................................................... viii

Part I: Initiating an African Green Revolution ................................... 1

Part II: Proceedings ....................................................................... 29

Technical Sessions: ................................................................... 31Session 1: Opening Session ................................................... 33Session 2: Perspectives on Fertilizer Sector Development ..... 51Session 3: Parallel Dialogue Sessions “Solutions toAfrica’s Fertilizer Crisis” ........................................................... 63Session 4: Country Strategies ................................................. 77Session 5: Regional Strategies ............................................... 83Session 6: The Way Forward .................................................. 93

Ministerial Sessions ................................................................. 101

Heads of State Sessions ......................................................... 117

Background Papers: An Overview ............................................... 139

Appendix I: Program .................................................................... 151

Appendix II: Summit Background Papers .................................... 165

Appendix III: Summit Committees ............................................... 181

AfricaFertilizerSummitAbuja, Nigeria

June 9-13, 2006

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Acronyms and Abbreviations

ABDP Agri-Business DevelopmentProgram

ACFD African Center for FertilizerDevelopment

AFA Arab Fertilizer AssociationAfDB African Development BankAGRA Alliance for a Green Revolution in

AfricaAISSA Agricultural Intensification in Sub-

Saharan AfricaAPCI Africa Productive Capacity

InitiativeAPRM African Peer Review MechanismAU African UnionAUC African Union CommissionCAADP Comprehensive Africa Agriculture

Development ProgramCASE Competitive Agricultural Systems

and EnterprisesCET common external tariffCGIAR Consultative Group on

International Agricultural ResearchCIMMYT International Maize and Wheat

Improvement CenterCOMESA Common Market for Eastern and

Southern AfricaDAIMINA Developing Agri-Input Markets in

NigeriaDFID Department for International

DevelopmentDGIS Directorate General for

Development CooperationECA Economic Commission for AfricaECAPAPA Eastern and Central Africa Program

for Agricultural Policy AnalysisECCAS Economic Community of Central

African StatesECOWAS Economic Community of West

African StatesFANR Food, Agriculture, and Natural

ResourcesFAO Food and Agriculture Organization

of the United NationsFARA Forum for Agricultural Research in

Africa

FCT Federal Capital TerritoryFGN Federal Government of NigeriaFSSA Fertilizer Society of South AfricaGDP gross domestic productICRISAT International Crops Research

Institute for the Semi-Arid TropicsIFA International Fertilizer Industry

AssociationIFAD International Fund for Agricultural

DevelopmentIFC International Finance CorporationIFDC International Fertilizer

Development Center (AnInternational Center for SoilFertility and AgriculturalDevelopment)

IFPRI International Food Policy ResearchInstitute

IGNRM Integrated Genetic and NaturalResource Management

ISFM Integrated Soil FertilityManagement

JICA Japan International CooperationAgency

KBR Kellogg Brown and RootMDG Millennium Development GoalMIR Marketing Inputs RegionallyNAFCON National Fertilizer Company of

NigeriaNARES National Agricultural Research and

Extension SystemsNEEDS National Economic Empowerment

Development StrategiesNEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s

DevelopmentNERICA New Rice for AfricaNGO non-governmental organizationNPK nitrogen – phosphorus – potassiumOAU Organization of African Unity (now

African Union)PASS Program on Africa’s Seed SystemsPRSA Regional Program for Food

SecurityPRSPs Poverty Reduction Strategy PapersRECs Regional Economic Communities

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RFFD Regional Fund for FertilizerDevelopment

ROPPA West African Network of Farmersand Producers Organizations

SAADA Strategic Alliance for AgriculturalDevelopment in Africa

SACCOs Savings and Credit CooperativesSADC Southern African Development

CommunitySFMS Sustainable Farming Management

SystemSIP Strategic Investment ProgramSLM sustainable land managementSMS short message service

SSA Sub-Saharan AfricaTSBF Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility

Institute of CIATUBA United Bank of AfricaUEMOA West African Economic and

Monetary UnionUNDP United Nations Development

ProgramUNECA United Nations Economic

Commission for AfricaUSAID United States Agency for

International DevelopmentWFP World Food ProgramWTO World Trade Organization

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Abuja Declaration on Fertilizerfor an African Green Revolution

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development has declared that the vision of economic develop-ment in Africa must be based on raising and sustaining higher rates of economic growth (7percent per year). To realize this vision, the African Heads of State and Government adopted the

Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme, which calls for a 6% annual growth inagricultural production, as a framework for the restoration of agricultural growth, food security andrural development in Africa.

Africa’s farmers face a variety of constraints including low productivity, limited access to new agricul-tural technologies and weak markets. Without adequate inputs, farmers often cannot meet the foodneeds of their own families, much less those of a rapidly growing population. To feed themselves andtheir countries, farmers will need to shift from low-yielding, extensive land practices to more intensive,higher-yielding practices, with increased use of improved seeds, fertilizers and irrigation.

A move toward reducing hunger on the continent must begin by addressing its severely depleted soils.Due to decades of soil nutrient mining, Africa’s soils have become the poorest in the world. It is esti-mated that the continent loses the equivalent of over $4 billion worth of soil nutrients per year, severelyeroding its ability to feed itself. Yet farmers have neither access to nor can they afford the fertilizersneeded to add life to their soils. And no region of the world has been able to expand agriculturalgrowth rates, and thus tackle hunger, without increasing fertilizer use.

In Africa, use of fertilizer averages only eight kilograms per hectare; this is only 10% of the worldaverage. In short, Africa is trapped in a fertilizer crisis. Addressing Africa’s fertilizer crisis thereforerequires urgent and bold actions. Africa is ready for the Green Revolution. Today, African leaders haveconvened to show their strong and unanimous commitment to achieving the African Green Revolutionby taking immediate actions to solve Africa’s fertilizer crisis.

The African Union Ministers of Agriculture convened in Abuja on 12 June 2006 for the Africa FertilizerSummit:

Recognizing that Africa needs a Green Revolution which is long overdue and yet constitutes the wayof getting African farmers out of the poverty trap by achieving food security and other relevant theMillennium Development Goals;

Recognizing that fertilizer is crucial for achieving an African Green Revolution in the face of rapidlyrising population and declining soil fertility;

Realizing that most farmers in Africa are poor, have virtually no access to fertilizer and that the poorestof them urgently need special attention;

Recognizing the urgent need for a strategic investment program to increase the availability and use offertilizer alongside with other inputs to usher in the Green Revolution on the African continent;

Declare fertilizer, from both inorganic and organic sources, a strategic commodity without borders; and

Africa Fertilizer SummitAfrican Union Special Summit of the Heads of State and Government

Abuja, Nigeria, 13 June 2006

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Resolve that the African Union Member States will accelerate the timely access of farmers to fertilizers:

1. Given the strategic importance of fertilizer in achieving the African Green Revolution to end hun-ger, the African Union Member States resolve to increase the level of use of fertilizer from thecurrent average of 8 kilograms per hectare to an average of at least 50 kilograms per hectare by2015.

2. By mid-2007, the African Union Member States and the Regional Economic Communities shouldtake appropriate measures to reduce the cost of fertilizer procurement at national and regionallevels especially through the harmonization of policies and regulations to ensure duty- and tax-freemovement across regions, and the development of capacity for quality control. As an immediatemeasure, we recommend the elimination of taxes and tariffs on fertilizer and on fertilizer rawmaterials.

3. By mid-2007, the African Governments must take concrete measures to improve farmers’ access tofertilizers, by developing and scaling up input dealers’ and community-based networks across ruralareas. The Private Sector and Development Partners are hereby requested to support such actions.

4. By 2007, the African Union Member States must take concrete measures to specially address thefertilizer needs of farmers, especially women, and to develop and strengthen the capacity of youth,farmers’ associations, civil society organizations, and the private sector.

5. With immediate effect, the African Union Member States must improve farmers’ access to fertilizer,by granting, with the support of Africa’s Development Partners, targeted subsidies in favor of thefertilizer sector, with special attention to poor farmers.

6. The African Union Member States should take immediate steps to accelerate investment in infra-structure, particularly transport, fiscal incentives, strengthening farmers’ organizations, and othermeasures to improve output market incentives.

7. The African Union Member States should establish national financing facilities for input suppliers toaccelerate access to credit at the local and national level, with specific attention to women.

8. The African Union Member States, hereby request the establishment of Regional Fertilizer Procure-ment and Distribution Facilities with the support of the African Development Bank, the EconomicCommission for Africa, the Regional Economic Communities and the Regional Development Banks,through strategic public-private partnerships by the end of 2007.

9. Given the extensive fertilizer raw material resources in Africa and the fact that they areunderutilized in many parts of the continent, the African Union Member States undertake to pro-mote national/regional fertilizer production and intra-regional fertilizer trade to capture a biggermarket and take advantage of economies of scale through appropriate measures such as tax incen-tives and infrastructure development. This should be supported by the African Development Bank,the Economic Commission for Africa, the Regional Development Banks, the Regional EconomicCommunities, other Development Partners, and the Private Sector.

10. The African Union Member States should take specific action to improve farmer access to qualityseeds, irrigation facilities, extension services, market information, and soil nutrient testing andmapping to facilitate effective and efficient use of inorganic and organic fertilizers, while payingattention to the environment.

11. The African Development Bank, with the support of the Economic Commission for Africa and theAfrican Union Commission, is called to establish, by 2007, an Africa Fertilizer Development Financ-ing Mechanism that will meet the financing requirements of the various actions agreed upon by theSummit. We, the African Union Member States, undertake to support the establishment of thisfacility and will pledge resources for its immediate operation.

12. The African Union Member States request the African Union Commission and the New Partnershipfor Africa’s Development to set up a mechanism to monitor and evaluate the implementation ofthis resolution. This should be done in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Africa andthe African Development Bank. The African Union Commission should give progress report to theAfrican Heads of State at every sixth-monthly African Union Summit, starting in January 2007.

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Declaration d’Abuja sur les Engraispour une Revolution Verte Africaine

Sommet spécial des chefs d’Etat et de gouvernementde l’Union Africaine

Abuja, NIGERIA, 13 juin 2006

Le Nouveau Partenariat pour le Développement de l'Afrique fonde la vision du développement économiquedu Continent sur l'augmentation durable des taux de croissance économique (7% par an). Pour réaliser cettevision, les Chefs d'Etat et de gouvernement africains ont adopté le Programme global de développement de

l'agriculture Africaine (CAADP) comme cadre pour relancer la croissance agricole, la sécurité alimentaire et ledéveloppement rural en Afrique. Ce programme fixe un objectif de croissance de la production agricole de 6%par an.

Les paysans africains sont confrontés à de multiples contraintes dont la faible productivité des sols, la difficultéd'accès aux nouvelles technologies agricoles, l'étroitesse et l'inefficacité des marchés. Sans des intrants enquantité suffisante et de la qualité requise, les paysans sont souvent incapables de satisfaire les besoinsalimentaires de leurs familles, encore moins ceux d'une population en rapide croissance. Pour nourrir leursfamilles et leurs pays, les paysans doivent passer des pratiques agricoles extensives à faible rendement à despratiques plus intensives à haut rendement, avec une plus forte utilisation des semences améliorées, des engraiset de l'irrigation.

Tout effort visant à réduire la faim sur le continent, doit d'abord passer par la restauration des sols très épuisés.En effet, les sols d'Afrique sont devenus les plus pauvres du monde du fait de l'épuisement des éléments nutritifsdepuis des décennies. Selon les estimations, le continent perd l'équivalent de plus de 4 milliards de dollars enéléments nutritifs chaque année : un phénomène qui mine la capacité du continent à se nourrir. Or, lesagriculteurs n'ont pas les moyens d'acquérir les engrais nécessaires pour redonner vie à leur sol. Et aucunerégion du monde n'a pu augmenter son taux de croissance agricole et réduire ainsi la faim sans une croissancesubstantielle de l'utilisation des engrais.

En Afrique, la consommation moyenne d'engrais est de 8 kilogrammes d'éléments nutritifs par hectare ; ce qui nereprésente que 10% de la moyenne mondiale. Par conséquent, la crise des engrais en Afrique nécessite desactions urgentes et audacieuses. L'Afrique est prête pour une Révolution Verte. Aujourd'hui, les dirigeantsafricains se sont réunis pour affirmer de façon unanime leur ferme engagement à réaliser la Révolution VerteAfricaine, en menant des actions susceptibles de résoudre la crise des engrais en Afrique.

Les Ministres de l'Agriculture de l'Union Africaine, réunis à Abuja le 12 Juin 2006 dans le cadre du Sommet del'Afrique sur les Engrais :

Reconnaissant qu'une Révolution verte, depuis si longtemps nécessaire en Afrique, constitue le moyen debriser la spirale de la pauvreté pour les agriculteurs africains, ceci par la réalisation de la sécurité alimentaireainsi que d'autres Objectifs de Développement du Millénaire ;

Reconnaissant que l'utilisation des engrais est primordiale pour réaliser une Révolution Verte Africaine face à lacroissance rapide de la population et au déclin de la fertilité des sols ;

Conscients que la majorité des agriculteurs en Afrique sont pauvres et n'ont quasiment pas accès aux engrais etque les plus pauvres d'entre eux nécessitent une attention particulière ;

Reconnaissant l'urgence d'un programme d'investissement stratégique en vue d'augmenter la disponibilité etl'utilisation des engrais ainsi que d'autres intrants pour impulser la Révolution Verte sur le continent africain ;

Déclarons l'engrais, tant de source inorganique qu'organique, produit stratégique sans frontières ; et

Décidons que les Etats membres de l'Union Africaine vont accélérer l'accès des agriculteurs aux engrais entemps utile :

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1. Compte tenu de l'importance de l'engrais dans la réalisation de la Révolution Verte Africaine pour éliminer lafaim, les Etats membres de l'Union Africaine s'engagent à augmenter le niveau d'utilisation d'engrais de lamoyenne annuelle actuelle de 8 kilogrammes d'éléments nutritifs par hectare à au moins 50 kilogrammes parhectare d'ici à 2015.

2. D'ici à mi-2007, les Etats membres de l'Union Africaine et les Communautés Economiques Régionales doiventprendre des mesures adéquates pour réduire le coût d'achat des engrais au niveau national et régional, enparticulier grâce à l'harmonisation des politiques et des réglementations afin d'assurer la circulation desengrais hors douane et hors taxe entre les régions et de favoriser le développement des capacités en matièrede contrôle de qualité. Comme mesure immédiate, recommandons l'élimination des tarifs et taxes sur lesengrais et les matières premières fertilisantes.

3. D'ici à mi-2007, les gouvernements africains doivent prendre des mesures concrètes en vue d'améliorerl'accès des agriculteurs aux engrais en développant et en multipliant les réseaux de distributeurs d'intrants etceux des communautés locales dans les régions rurales. L'appui du secteur privé et des partenaires audéveloppement est requis pour appuyer ces actions.

4. D'ici à 2007, les Etats membres de l'Union Africaine doivent prendre des mesures concrètes pour prendre encompte les besoins des agriculteurs, en particulier des agricultrices, et pour développer et renforcer lescapacités des jeunes, des associations paysannes, des organisations de la société civile et du secteur privé.

5. Avec effet immédiat, les Etats membres de l'Union Africaine doivent améliorer l'accès des agriculteurs auxengrais en accordant des subventions au secteur des engrais, avec le soutien des partenaires audéveloppement de l'Afrique, en mettant l'accent sur les agriculteurs pauvres.

6. Les Etats membres de l'Union Africaine doivent prendre des mesures immédiates pour accélérerl'investissement dans les infrastructures, de transport en particulier, les incitations fiscales, le renforcement desorganisations paysannes et d'autres mesures susceptibles d'améliorer les incitations sur les marchés agricoles.

7. Les Etats membres de l'Union Africaine doivent mettre en place des facilités de financement pour améliorerl'accès des distributeurs d'intrants au crédit au niveau local et national, avec un accent particulier sur lesfemmes entrepreneurs.

8. Les Etats membres de l'Union Africaine, appellent à l'établissement de centres régionaux d'achat et de distri-bution d'engrais, avec l'appui de la Banque Africaine de Développement, la Commission Economique pourl'Afrique, les Communautés Economiques Régionales et les Banques Régionales de Développement par lebiais de partenariats stratégiques entre le secteur public et le secteur privé avant la fin de l'année 2007.

9. Compte tenu de la sous-exploitation des abondantes ressources en matières premières fertilisantes dansdiverses régions d'Afrique, les Etats membres de l'Union Africaine doivent entreprendre de promouvoir laproduction locale/régionale d'engrais et le commerce intrarégional des engrais pour accaparer un marchéplus vaste et bénéficier des économies d'échelle grâce à des mesures appropriées telles que les incitationsfiscales et le développement des infrastructures. La Banque Africaine de Développement, la CommissionEconomique pour l’Afrique, les Communautés Economiques Régionales, les Banques Régionales deDéveloppement, le secteur privé et d'autres partenaires au développement sont appelés à soutenir ces initiatives.

10. Les Etats membres de l'Union Africaine doivent mener des actions spécifiques visant à améliorer l'accès desagriculteurs aux semences de qualité, aux infrastructures d'irrigation, aux services de vulgarisation, auxinformations sur le marché et aux analyses et cartes des sols pour faciliter l'utilisation effective et efficientedes engrais inorganiques et organiques tout en veillant aux aspects de protection de l'environnement.

11. La Banque Africaine de Développement, avec l'appui de la Commission Economique pour l'Afrique et laCommission de l'Union Africaine, est appelée à mettre en place, d'ici à 2007, un Mécanisme Africain deFinancement du Développement des Engrais qui réponde aux besoins en financement liés aux diversesactions retenues d'un commun accord dans le cadre du Sommet. Nous, les Etats membres de l'UnionAfricaine, nous engageons à soutenir la mise place de ce mécanisme et à assurer les ressources nécessairespour son fonctionnement immédiat.

12. Les Etats membres de l'Union Africaine exhortent la Commission de l'Union Africaine et le NouveauPartenariat pour le Développement de l'Afrique à établir un mécanisme de suivi et d'évaluation pour la miseen œuvre de cette résolution. Ceci devra se faire en collaboration avec la Commission Economique pourl'Afrique et la Banque Africaine de Développement. La Commission de l'Union Africaine devra rendrecompte aux Chefs d'Etat africains de l'état d'avancement de la mise en oeuvre des résolutions à chaqueSommet semestriel de l'Union Africaine et ce, à partir de janvier 2007.

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Anova parceria para o Desenvolvimento Africano, declarou que a visão do desenvolvimento econômicona África requer um aumento e sustentação de um índice de crescimento econômico elevado, deaproximadamente 7% ao ano. Para concretizar essa visão, os Chefes de Estados e do Governo Africano,

adotaram o Programa Compreensivo para o Desenvolvimento Agrícola da África (CAADP), que visa umcrescimento anual por volta de 6% na produção agrícola, como base na restauração do crescimento agrícola; asegurança alimentar e o desenvolvimento rural na África.

Os agricultores africanos enfrentam vários problemas, inclusive a baixa produtividade; o acesso limitado a novastecnologias agrícolas e a debilidade dos mercados. Na ausência de insumos adequados, os agricultoresdificilmente conseguem satisfazer as necessidades alimentares de suas próprias famílias, muito menos numapopulação em rápido crescimento. Para se alimentar assim como seus países, os agricultores deverão abandonaros métodos rudimentares de baixo rendimento, para adaptarem práticas mais intensivas que garantam maiorprodutividade através do aumento do uso de sementes melhoradas, fertilizantes e irrigação.

Qualquer iniciativa para a redução da fome no continente deveria ter como base a resolução do problema dedebilitação dos solos. Durante décadas a degradação de seus nutrientes ligada à atividade mineira, os solosafricanos tornaram-se os mais pobres do mundo. Estima-se que o continente perde o equivalente a 4 bilhões dedólares americanos em nutrientes do solo por ano, debilitando seriamente sua capacidade de se alimentar.Porém, os agricultores africanos não conseguem adquirir, muito menos custear os fertilizantes necessários pararevitalizar os solos. Nenhuma região do mundo tem sido capaz de expandir o índice de crescimento agrícola eatacar a fome, sem o aumento do uso de fertilizantes.

Na África, o índice médio do uso de fertilizantes é de apenas oito quilogramas por hectare. Resumindo a Áfricaé refém de uma crise de fertilizantes ; isso representa apenas 10% da média mundial. Combater essa crise defertilizantes na África, requer ações urgentes e audaciosas.

O ministro da Agricultura no seio da União Africana, reunidos em Abuja aos 12 de junho de 2006, para aCimeira Africana sobre Fertilizantes:

Reconhecem que a África precisa de uma Revolução Verde que está atrasada demais, e ainda constitui um meiodos agricultores africanos saírem da armadilha da pobreza através da realização da segurança alimentar e deoutros objetivos relevantes ao Desenvolvimento do Milênio ;

Reconhecem também que os fertilizantes são críticos para a realização de uma Revolução Verde Africana, emrelação ao rápido crescimento da população e a debilitação da fertilidade do solo ;

Cientes de que a maioria dos agricultores africanos são pobres, não conseguem adquirir fertilizantes e que osmais pobres precisam uma atenção especial e urgente;

Reconhecem a necessidade urgente de um programa de investimento estratégico para maior disponibilidade eo aumento do uso de fertilizantes inclusive outros insumos com o objetivo de implantar o Programa daRevolução Verde, no continente africano ;

Declararam que os fertilizantes orgânicos e inorgânicos, é um recurso estratégico sem fronteiras; e

Decidiram que os Estados Membros da União Africana devem acelerar o acesso dos agricultores aos fertilizantes:

ABUJA, NIGÉRIA, 13 DE JUNHO DE 2006AS DECLARAÇÕES DE ABUJA SOBRE A REVOLUÇÃO VERDE AFRICANA

A Cimeira Africana Sobre os Fertilizantes aCimeira Especial dos Chefes de Estado e

Governo da União Africana

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1. Dada a importância estratégica dos fertilizantes para a realização da Revolução Verde Africana para terminara fome, os estados membros da União Africana resolveram aumentar o nível do uso dos fertilizantes, damédia de 8 quilogramas por hectare, para no mínimo 50 quilogramas por hectare, até o ano de 2015.

2. Em meados do ano 2007, os países membros da União Africana e as Comunidades Econômicas Regionais,devem tomar providências necessárias para a redução do custo dos fertilizantes em níveis nacionais eregionais, principalmente através da harmonização das políticas e dos regulamentos para assegurar acirculação isenta de impostos e de taxas através de nossas regiões e o desenvolvimento da capacidade decontrole da qualidade. Como uma medida de urgência, recomendamos a eliminação de taxas e impostossobre os fertilizantes e sobre todos os materiais para a produção de fertilizantes.

3. Em meados do ano 2007, o Governo Africano deve tomar providências concretas para melhorar o acessodos agricultores aos fertilizantes, através do desenvolvimento e aumento de varejistas e das redescomunitárias em todas as zonas rurais. Pede-se ao Setor Privado e aos Parceiros de Desenvolvimento, paraapoiarem essas ações.

4. Para o ano de 2007, os Estados Membros da União Africana, devem tomar providências concretas para tratardas necessidades de fertilizantes dos agricultores, especialmente as mulheres, e para desenvolver e fortalecera capacidade da juventude, associações de agricultores, organizações da sociedade civil, e dos setoresprivados.

5. Com efeito imediato, os Estados Membros da União Africana devem melhorar o acesso dos agricultores aosfertilizantes, através da concessão, com o apoio dos Parceiros de Desenvolvimento da África, dassubvenções almejadas a favor do setor dos fertilizantes com atenção especial aos agricultores pobres.

6. Os Estados Membros da União Africana, devem tomar providências imediatas para acelerar os investimentosem relação à infra-estrutura, particularmente o transporte, incentivos fiscais, o fortalecimento dasorganizações de agricultores, e outras medidas para melhorar os incentivos de rendimentos dos mercados.

7. Os Estados Membros da União Africana, devem estabelecer as estruturas de financiamento Nacional,destinadas aos fornecedores de insumos em vista de permitirem o acesso ao crédito a nível Nacional,prestando uma atenção especial às mulheres.

8. Os Estados membros da União Africana, exigem o estabelecimento por meio das Instalações de Compras eDistribuições Regionais dos fertilizantes, com o apoio do Banco do Desenvolvimento Africano; da ComissãoEconômica Africana (CEA); das Comunidades Econômicas Regionais, e dos Bancos de DesenvolvimentoRegionais, através da parceria do setor público-privado para o ano de 2007.

9. Em vista dos recursos extensivos da matéria prima, a produção de fertilizantes e o fato desses recursosestarem subutilizados em muitas partes do continente, os estados membros africanos concordam empromover a produção regional/ nacional de fertilizantes e o mercado de fertilizantes intra-regional paraassegurar um mercado maior e aproveitar os benefícios da economia de escala, através de medidasadequadas, tais como: os incentivos de impostos e o desenvolvimento de infra-estrutura. Esse deve serapoiado pelo Banco de Desenvolvimento Africano; dos Bancos de Desenvolvimento Regionais; dasComunidades Econômicas Regionais; outros Parceiros de Desenvolvimento; e do Setor Privado.

10. Os Estados Membros da União Africana, devem tomar ação específica para melhorar o acesso de sementesde qualidade; estruturas de irrigação; dos serviços de extensão; informações do mercado e avaliação dosnutrientes do solo e o mapeamento para facilitar o uso efetivo dos fertilizantes orgânico e inorgânico, cienteo ambiente.

11. O Banco de Desenvolvimento Africano, com o apoio da Comissão Econômica Africana e da Comissão daUnião Africana é chamado a estabelecer, para o ano de 2007, Mecanismo de Financiamento Africano para oDesenvolvimento dos Fertilizantes, que satisfaçam os requisitos financeiros de várias ações concordadas naCimeira. Nós, Estados Membros da União Africana, concordam em apoiar o estabelecimento dessa instalaçãoe prometem fornecer os recursos para a sua operação imediata.

12. Os Estados Membros da União Africana, requer da Comissão da União Africana e a Nova Parceira para oDesenvolvimento Africano, o estabelecimento de um mecanismo de monitoria e avaliação da execuçãodessas resoluções. A Comissão da União Africana, deveria fornecer um relatório de acompanhamento anual,para os Chefes de Estados Africanos, durante a sua Cimeira bi-anual, a partir de Janeiro de 2007.

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Part IInitiating an African Green Revolution

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Initiating an African Green Revolution

I. The Need for a Green Revolution in Africa

More than 40 years ago, a remarkable process started in Asia and Latin America—a Green Revolution. Sizeable increasesin agricultural productivity were achieved through a fairly simple innovation: a combination of high-yielding varieties ofrice and wheat, inorganic fertilizer and other inputs, good management practices, appropriate institutions, and a condu-cive policy environment. Within a decade, significant adoption of improved varieties and fertilizer were achieved, withconsequent spectacular impacts on agricultural productivity, and thereby on food security and economic development.Average national yields in many of these countries have shown enormous growth and have almost tripled. These develop-ments enabled India and China to evade the famine that had been widely predicted for the closing part of the 20th centuryand also arguably made possible today’s rapid economic development in these two countries.

In contrast to Asia and Latin America, Africa never experienced a Green Revolution. In the past decade, increases inagricultural production in Africa have largely been attributed to area expansion because African farmers have traditionallypursued shifting cultivation in response to population growth and declining soil fertility. For instance, between 1961 and2001, more than 90% of the increase in cereal production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) was due to increases in area. Thishas meant encroachment into marginal lands and deforestation, as well as worsening soil fertility on already existingfarmland. This has led to a grave toll on its people. Low agricultural productivity has resulted not only in frequent,intermittent famines but also in widespread, chronic food insecurity, which in turn has undermined health, reduced abilityto work, lessened mental capacities, and worsened poverty. From the national to the continental level, low agriculturalproductivity has resulted in stagnating and worsening economies.

Few would say that the current situation in Africa is sustainable, and it definitely is not desirable. Poverty and foodinsecurity on the continent are rampant and, without drastic changes, will continue to worsen. Agriculture contributes30%-60% of Africa’s GDP, employs 60%-90% of the population, and contributes 25%-90% of the export earnings. With70% of the economically active population in agriculture, much of the origin of the continent’s plight can be found inagriculture—and in reverse, agriculture is the best basis for spurring development on the continent. The following willdescribe the status of agriculture in Africa, factors contributing to it, and its impacts.

“““““Let us generate a uniquely African Green Revolution—a revolutionthat will help the continent in its quest for dignity and peace.”

Kofi Annan, Former Secretary General, United Nations

“If high yielding dwarf wheat and rice varieties are thecatalysts that have ignited the green revolution, then chemical

fertilizer is the fuel that has powered its forward surge.”Norman Borlaug, 1970 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

“It gives me great pleasure to address you about an exciting major African-led initiative,which has great potential to be a prime mover in changing the current reality of Africa

from a continent plaugued by hunger and poverty to a continent that can feed itself. Iwant to urge you to join hands with us to make this dream a reality.”

President Olusegun Obasanjo, 14th of November,Meeting of the Executive Council of the

International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA), Seville, Spain

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Current Situation

Stagnating Staple Crop ProductivityThere are three common ways to examine production of agricultural crops. Production, the result of area in cultivationand its yield, expresses the total volume of the produce. This volume divided by the number of inhabitants, commonly ina country, results in per capita food production, which shows the domestic availability of production per capita. Finally,a concept that is of particular importance in efforts for agricultural development is crop productivity, which reflectsproduction per unit of fixed resources, usually land area expressed in hectare or acre. A large part of efforts in thedevelopment of agriculture have focused on increasing yield per area through improved management and inputs (includ-ing seed). Such yield increases allow for increase in total production, and therefore per capita production, without a needto expand agricultural production into new areas.

In Africa, all three measures for agricultural production exhibit worrisome trends. Cereal yields on the continent havestagnated in the past 45 years (Figure 1). Roots and tubers, important staples in sub-Saharan Africa accounting in manyplaces for 20% of caloric consumption, have experienced a slightly larger yield increase, but current yields per hectaregreatly lag behind those in the other regions. Although cereal production in Africa has experienced far greater growthrates since 1960, with total growth almost 150% between 1960 and 2005, due to the rapidly increasing population, percapita food production in sub-Saharan Africa has in fact declined in the past decades.

A comparison between factors contributing to total agricultural production in Asia (where the Green Revolution occurred)and in Africa (where it has not) shows striking differences. Whereas the great strides in agricultural production in SouthAsia were mainly caused by increased cereal yield per area of cultivated land, the modest gains in sub-Saharan Africa inthe same period were attributable mainly to area expansion to lands that were not previously cultivated. In South Asia, theagricultural area dedicated to cereal production increased only by 15% between 1961 and 2001 (from approximately 111

Source: World Bank.

Figure 1. Cereal Yields in Different Developing Regions From 1960 to 2005

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to 128 million hectares), but yields increased from approximately 1.2 to 2.5 tons per hectare or by 144%. Total SouthAsian cereal production almost tripled, from approximately 113 million tons to 318 million tons.

In the same period, sub-Saharan Africa increased its production of cereal crops (maize, rice, sorghum, millet, and others)by almost 146%, from 31 to 77 million tons. Increases in cereal crop yield, however, were modest, from 760 to 990 kg/ha, and therefore accounted for only 30% of that increase. Instead, the greater source of increased cereal production inthe region was area expansion because the area harvested increased by 89%, from 41 million hectares to 78 millionhectares. Figure 2 depicts this stark contrast in sources of growth between South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, with the1961 yield and area indexed to 100. This same trend of slower growth-from-yield is true also for many of Africa’s othercrops, such as roots and tubers (1970-2000 annual area expansion was 1.7% whereas average annual growth rate yieldwas 1.0%), vegetables (1.9% vs. 0.8%), oil crops (0.9% vs. 0.7%), and fruits (1.6% vs. 0%).

In other words, in the 40-year period from 1961 to 2001, African food production rose mainly because more land wasbrought under cultivation, but crop yields per hectare stagnated. Due to a larger population and the consequent risingpressure on land, in many areas of the continent continued area expansion of agricultural land is no longer an option.Instead, as in Asia, agriculture needs to intensify by increasing productivity, i.e., yield per hectare.

High Population Growth RateAfrica’s annual population growth, at 2.4%, is the highest of all continents. The United Nations predicts that the popula-tion of the continent will increase by 70%, equaling 490 million new inhabitants, between 1995 and 2020. Growth ratesbetween the countries vary from 2000 to 2005. For example, Angola and Mali showed a relatively high growth at 2.8%-3.0%, and Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Africa, a lower rate of 0.8%, indicating differing future population

Source: IFDC.

Figure 2. Growth of Cereal Yield and Area in Cereal Production in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa Between1961 and 2001 (1961=100 for yield and area)

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pressures. Lower population rates in several cases are tied to a high incidence of HIV/AIDS, and thereby to greatersuffering and lower prospects for agricultural development. Particularly high increases are currently experienced and alsopredicted in urban growth rates (e.g., urban vs. rural population growth rates, respectively, 2000-2005: Kenya, 4.4% vs. -0.4%, Nigeria, 4.4% vs. 1.0%, Mali, 5.2% vs. 2.0%, and Angola, 5.0% vs. 2.0%). These increases are exerting pressureson the urban infrastructure and also on the need for greater production by those remaining in rural regions that, in theabsence of effective measures to increase land productivity, will result in greater land degradation.

Low Use of FertilizerAfrica consumes the least amount of inorganic fertilizer, both in absolute terms and per hectare, of all regions. Across thecontinent, the average use rate is 20 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) per hectare (Figure 3). In contrast,the average worldwide rates are 93 kg of NPK per hectare and those in South Asia, 102 kg/ha. Average use rates in EastAsia are very high, at 202 kg of NPK per hectare, and a cause for concern due to potential negative environmentalimpacts.

Regional differences within Africa are great, ranging from North Africa and South Africa, which consume 61 and 69 kg/ha, respectively, to the sub-Saharan region where average consumption is just 8 kg/ha. Fertilizer use is particularly low inthe production of staple foods, important for the food security of the poorest. Higher rates of fertilizer use can be found inperi-urban vegetable production and in export crops such as cotton, cocoa, and horticultural crops.

Source: IFDC.

Figure 3. Average Per Hectare Fertilizer Use Rates as Kilograms of Nutrients (NPK) Per Hectare byFertilizer Markets in 2002/03

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Impacts of Stagnating Agricultural Productivity

Food InsecurityAlthough the agriculture sector in sub-Saharan Africa has experienced a long period of decline, its performance hasimproved in recent years. But production increases have been through bringing more land into production—not throughhigher yields. Sub-Saharan Africa’s slow rate of increase in agricultural productivity, coupled with its high populationgrowth rate, means that there is an acute food security crisis on the continent. The rapid population growth lowers percapita food availability even in those countries with positive agricultural productivity gains. Africa is the only continentwhere, year after year, the number of those affected by food insecurity is on the increase. The problem is multifaceted,comprising deficiencies of calories, protein, and/or micronutrients, with varied impacts on different segments of thepopulation. Its causes are also varied, typically involving insufficient production, lack of purchasing power, and/or lack ofavailability of foods. Regional differences are great. One third of the population in sub-Saharan Africa is undernourished,whereas this figure is only 6% in North Africa. Chronic undernourishment is the continent’s perennial silent killer, whileacute periodic famines require international intervention, capture more media attention, and affect up to 40 millionAfricans yearly.

Nutrient MiningThe stagnating agricultural productivity, low fertilizer use, and high population growth have led to another crisis on thecontinent, one that has received far less attention and one that is insidiously depleting the very basis of food production inAfrica—the continent’s soils. Traditionally, farmers in sub-Saharan Africa had cleared land from forest, grown a fewseasons of crops, and then left the land fallow for many years. This bush fallow system was sustainable and effective inthe pre-modern conditions of low population density. Due to the population growth in recent decades, however, thepattern has changed, the fallows have shortened, and in many locations, farmers are now growing one crop after anotheron the same tired plots of land.

As a consequence, soil nutrient depletion is quickly worsening and affecting a growing area of Africa’s farmland. Itseffects are particularly hard felt in a continent where inherently poor soil fertility prevails. As discussed by Bationo et al.in one of the Summit Background Papers, currently only 16% of Africa’s soils are estimated to be of high quality and13% of medium quality; this 29% supports 45% of Africa’s population. At application rates of less than 10 kg of nutrientsper hectare in sub-Saharan Africa and with most farmers having insufficient organic resources of good quality—such asanimal or green manures—the capacity of these soils to produce cannot be maintained. Diminishing nutrient content inthe soil results in declining crop yields, further degrading the soil and increasing soil erosion due to diminished cropcover.

The term “nutrient mining” refers to the situation where the nutrients extracted from the soil are not fully replenished. ASummit background paper by Henao and Baanante, which was released at the Africa Fertilizer Summit, documents thewidespread nature and severity of soil nutrient mining. During the 2002-04 cropping seasons, 85% of African farmlandhad annual nutrient mining rates exceeding 30 kg/ha of nutrients, and 40% of farmland had rates considered severe,exceeding 60 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) per hectare yearly (Figure 4). The situation since theprevious assessment in 1995-97 had worsened in most countries.

The report demonstrates the variability in the extent of nutrient mining, with the sub-humid savannas of West Africa andthe highlands and sub-humid areas of East Africa having the highest rates. In contrast, the North Africa region and SouthAfrica have lower rates, from 0 to 30 kg of NPK lost per hectare. The total amount of nutrients mined annually in sub-Saharan Africa is estimated at about 8 million tons of NPK.

Other studies have similarly documented high soil nutrient depletion and degradation rates. Altogether, the net value ofnutrients lost in Africa in terms of the cost of commercial fertilizer that would be needed to replace them is estimated at$4 billion per year. The authors conclude: “The evidence leaves no doubt that the very resources on which Africanfarmers and their families depend for their welfare and survival are being undermined by soil degradation caused bynutrient mining and associated factors such as deforestation, use of marginal lands, and poor agricultural practices.”Without drastic measures taken, soil nutrient mining will further decrease yields and thereby further increase foodinsecurity. It will continue to force farmers to move on to clear new, often more marginal lands, causing further deforesta-tion, loss of wildlife habitat, and soil degradation.

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Economic and Political ImpactsWith over 70% of Africa’s poor living in rural areas, the vast majority of whom rely on agriculture as their source oflivelihood, the farmers’ poverty trap translates into a national poverty trap. As Henao and Baanante point out, “continuednutrient mining of soils would mean a future of even increased poverty, food insecurity, environmental damage, and socialand political instability.” Some of the political and economic impacts of the decreasing agricultural productivity arebriefly summarized below:• Continued poverty—Of the world’s 50 Least Developed Nations, 34 are in Africa. Almost one-half of its population,

47%, live on less than $1 per day and the World Bank estimates that 70 million Africans joined the ranks of theabsolute poor during the 1990s. In recent years the general economic performance has been positive, but the Interna-tional Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) projects that Africa’s average per capita income will rise from $279 in1995 to $359 in 2020; a mere 28% rise. The next region in severity of poverty, South Asia, is expected to increase itsper capita income by 137%, to $830.

• High and increasing level of food imports—Since food production has not kept pace with the population growth rate,cereal imports have grown greatly in the continent, from 21.5 million tons in 1980, to 27.6 million tons in 1990, and43 million tons in 2003. Food imports are sapping countries of valuable hard currency and further worsening eco-nomic performance. In 2003 Africa’s cereal imports cost $7.5 billion; the largely agrarian countries of sub-SaharanAfrica alone (excluding South Africa) imported 19 million tons at $3.8 billion. For rice, a crop which is quicklygaining popularity on the continent but which the sub-Saharan African countries are struggling to produce sufficiently,average self-reliance ratios have fallen from 72% to 49% between the 1960s and today, indicating that currently, onehalf of the rice consumed in the region is imported. Without a decisive change in the next decade, food imports to

Source: Henao and Baanante, 2006.

Figure 4. Nutrient Mining in Agricultural Lands of Africa, 1995-97 vs. 2002-04

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Africa are expected to increase to 60 million tons at a cost of $14 billion, with 34 million tons of it going to sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa.

• Low levels of investment—As pointed out by President Obasanjo in the March 30, 2006 preparatory meeting for theAfrica Fertilizer Summit at the individual and national level, low incomes give little opportunity to invest. “This initself is one of the roots of poverty and underdevelopment in Africa: the lack of surplus to invest in production,research, innovation, recreation and savings. This further curtails Africa’s ability to effectively respond to healthcalamities such as HIV/AIDS and malaria or make the needed investments in education, infrastructure, and otherdevelopment priorities.”

• Political instability—Often associated with conditions of poor economic growth, political instability afflicts the regionand further exacerbates poverty. The number of sub-Saharan countries suffering from war or severe conflicts wentfrom 11 in 1989 to 22 in 2000. In countries with (or emerging from) armed conflict, undernourishment rates were over50% during 1999-2001.

These continental struggles are repeatedly mirrored in regional and national struggles and, finally, in the lives of indi-vidual African farmers who find themselves in a poverty trap—working hard for insufficient and uncertain yields. It isthose struggles—of the continent, the countries, and the farmers—that the African Green Revolution will assist byempowering African farmers with tools to increase their productivity and thereby lift themselves out of poverty, produce asurplus they can trade domestically and regionally, and eventually become a viable part of the global agriculturalcommunity.

II. The Elements of the African Green Revolution

Africa largely lacks the characteristics that fostered the initiation of the Asian Green Revolution. Much of the AsianGreen Revolution took place in fertile alluvial plains in conditions where there was a heavy reliance on two crops—riceand wheat—and where irrigation was accessible in 40% of the areas. Transport infrastructure in the region was far moredeveloped, with relatively good networks of roads and railroads that connected the rural regions to functioning markets.Agricultural research and extension systems were developed, and input supply and grain marketing systems functioned.

A 2004 InterAcademy Council study1 summarized the unique features of African agriculture, in both its biophysical andsocioeconomic environment. The biophysical factors include:

• Prevalence of weathered soils of poor inherent fertility.• Lack of a single dominant farming system on which food security largely depends.• Predominance of rainfed agriculture as opposed to irrigated agriculture.• Heterogeneity and diversity of farming systems and the importance of livestock.

Three factors of economic nature are also mentioned:• Lack of functioning competitive markets.• Under-investment in research and development and infrastructure.• Lack of economic and political enabling environments.

Finally, four social factors set Africa apart from Asia:• Key roles of women in agriculture and in ensuring household food security.• Large and growing impact of human diseases on agriculture.• Low and stagnant labor productivity and minimal mechanization.• Predominance of customary land tenure.

It is these conditions that the African Green Revolution needs to target. In the following, we briefly review each elementof the African Green Revolution and how these factors and characteristics need to be taken into account.

1“Realizing the Promise and Potential of African Agriculture: Science and Technology Strategies for Improving Agricultural Produc-tivity and Food Security in Africa,” was presented to the United Nations on June 25, 2004. Then Secretary General Kofi Annanrequested that the InterAcademy Council prepare the report.

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Summit Sponsor

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The Technical Elements

Element 1: High-Yielding VarietiesAsian experience: Dr. Norman Borlaug, “the Father of the Green Revolution” and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, hascalled the high-yielding and pest- and disease-resistant varieties “the catalysts that ignited the Green Revolution.”Indeed, it was the development of the new varieties, for wheat, through the collaborative programs between the Mexicangovernment and the Rockefeller Foundation, and for rice, through the Philippine government and the Rockefeller andFord Foundations, that was the first step in the realization of the Green Revolution of Asia.

African approach: Africa needs its high-yielding varieties, but it needs them for the multitude of crops that form thestaples of its growing population: maize, cassava, sorghum, rice, banana, yams, beans, and groundnuts, among others.Due to Africa’s more difficult environment, these varieties need to exhibit tolerance to the continent’s constraints:drought, diseases and pests, and poor soil fertility. Today, we are fortunate because many high-yielding, pest- and disease-resistant, and/or drought-resistant varieties of Africa’s key crops have already been developed. Promising crop innova-tions include the New Rice for Africa (NERICA), high-yielding cassava varieties, pest- and disease-resistant maizevarieties, and tissue-culture banana. These can be the building blocks of an African Green Revolution. We are alsofortunate to witness the renewed interest and commitment by donors to develop, multiply, and disseminate improved cropvarieties for Africa. This is evidenced by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundationcollaboration in the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), a program to improve Africa’s seed systems.These are good starts, that we can build on.

Element 2: Inorganic Fertilizer and Other InputsAsian experience: Dr. Borlaug has characterized fertilizer as “the fuel that has powered … the forward surge” of theGreen Revolution. As mentioned above, no modern country, industrial or developing, has improved its agriculturalproductivity and economic well-being significantly without increasing its inorganic fertilizer use. Worldwide, studiesindicate that one-third of the current global cereal production can be attributed to fertilizer and related factors of produc-tion. It is estimated that fertilizer accounted for a full 50% of yield growth in Asia during the Green Revolution.

African approach: Of all inputs, fertilizer is the key one in Africa, due to its current low use and the poor soil fertility inmuch of the continent. The increase in fertilizer use has to be fast and drastic. NEPAD has estimated that for Africa toachieve the first Millennium Development Goal, halving poverty by 2015, African agricultural productivity needs toincrease annually by 6%. According to the calculations of IFDC, this requires an increase in fertilizer use from thecurrent 20 to 47 kg of nutrients per hectare, an annual growth rate by 6%. In sub-Saharan Africa, increase should be fromthe current 8 kg to at least 50 kg/ha.

Element 3: Crop Management and Associated FactorsAsian experience: The Asian Green Revolution relied on good management of the cereal crops and, increasingly as thegreater productivity benefited farmers, on mechanization (handheld tools, small machinery, and larger equipment), as wellas irrigation. Irrigation allowed double and even triple cropping, either of the cereal or cereal-vegetable/legume combina-tions, further improving food security and giving marketable surpluses of crops to the farmers.

African approach: Africa’s yield gap—the difference between what can be achieved on farmers’ fields and what isactually achieved on average—is vast. The International Center for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT) estima-tions for potential yields in the various maize-growing environments (highland/transitional, midaltitude/subtropical, andtropical) are 4.5-7 ton/ha, whereas average farmer yields are only 0.7-2.6 ton/ha. These differences are caused by the lackof inputs, by drought, and by weeds. Great attention in Africa must be given to decreasing the yield gap through improvedcrop management. This will require effective backing by research and extension. Additionally, irrigation offers greatpotential for raising yields in Africa, by both increasing yields of a crop and allowing for double- and triple-cropping.Currently only 4% of Africa’s cultivated land is irrigated, whereas up to 20% has potential for irrigation.

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The Non-Technical Elements of the Green Revolution

Whereas improved crop varieties, fertilizers and other inputs, and good crop management are the essential ingredients ofthe Green Revolution, their use can only be fostered if the right policies are in place—and there is the political will toimplement these policies. These two elements are discussed below.

Element 4: Fostering PoliciesAsian experience: The Asian Green Revolution relied on policies that fostered support to effective agricultural researchand extension systems; policies that ensured that farmers were getting adequate and stable prices for their produce; andpolicies that often did subsidize the agriculture.

African approach: Policies in Africa need to ensure that Africa’s Green Revolution takes into account the complexnature of Africa’s special characteristics. This requires the implementation of a comprehensive and holistic policyapproach to address a broad array of infrastructural, biophysical, and socioeconomic constraints to rapid growth in cropproductivity. In essence, policies must be supportive of the efficient and timely supply of fertilizers and other moderninputs to farmers at the least possible cost. Special consideration should be given to inputs supply and technical assistanceto farmers in remote rural areas. In addition, policies must also focus on improving produce markets so that farmersreceive prices that make it profitable for them to invest in agriculture by purchasing improved inputs. This effort will beparticularly challenging in Africa, due to its undeveloped road and transport infrastructure and undeveloped markets. Thiseffort will require an ingenious combination of reliance on private sector initiative to develop sustainable markets and onpublic sector involvement to regulate them and to develop the necessary infrastructure to foster them.

In the fertilizer sector, the following three issues need to be addressed simultaneously:• Improve farmer access to fertilizer—Measures to improve the efficient supply of fertilizers to farmers in terms of

volume, diversity, as well as cost and quality. Particular efforts are needed to move fertilizer into remote rural areasusing efficient commercial channels to bring them to the poor farmers.

• Increase affordability of fertilizer by farmers—Measures to reduce the price farmers pay for fertilizer and othercomplementary inputs in order to make them accessible to the rural poor.

• Create incentives for fertilizer use—Farmers will have better incentives to use fertilizer if output markets functionwell, and farmers can find good and stable prices for their produce. Incentives for fertilizer use will also be improvedthrough fostering research and extension that improve their effectiveness. For instance, this can be achieved throughthe provision of location specific fertilizer recommendations and the adaptation and exploitation of new techniquessuch as micro-dosing, modified fertilizer products, and Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM). In many places,policies fostering the expansion of areas under irrigation will reduce the risks of fertilizer use associated with theunreliability of rainfall, increasing farmers’ incentives to use fertilizer.

In recent years, African governments have become increasingly committed to fostering fertilizer and other input usethrough the implementation of effective policies. In this regard, an increasing number of positive developments are takingplace such as: increasing agro-input dealers, improving credit access, fostering private sector production, and develop-ment of output markets. Moreover, it is important to note that African institutions, such as the African Union and itsCommission, its new program NEPAD, and regional economic organizations, have been reinvigorated and, as shownthrough their leadership in the Summit, intend to provide leadership to spur agricultural development on the continent.

Amid this relative consensus regarding the policies that Africa needs at the moment, the issue of fertilizer subsidiescontinues to be debated. At one extreme are those who advocate large-scale subsidies to all due to (a) the prevalence ofpoverty and (b) the undeniable impact of fertilizer use on productivity and thereby food security and income. At the otherextreme are those who are against subsidies of any kind, pointing to (a) their cost and lack of sustainability and (b) themarket distortions and misallocation of resources they cause and their leakages. Recently, a relative consensus seems tobe emerging on two issues: for the poorest, subsidies are appropriate, but when they are introduced, they should beimplemented in ways that do not distort the market. There should also be an exit strategy for subsidies.

Element 5: The Political WillIt is perhaps this last element of the African Green Revolution that will be the hardest to achieve but on which theinitiation of the African Green Revolution depends. During the Africa Fertilizer Summit, African leaders spoke and

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committed themselves to increasing fertilizer use through the development and implementation of policies that will createthe enabling environment for the Green Revolution. This was a good start.

Now, 6 months after the Africa Fertilizer Summit initiated numerous activities that can result in an African GreenRevolution, the question that still remains is two-fold:

Will those policies be created that will instigate, foster, and sustain the African Green Revolution? And, perhaps moreimportant, is there political will to implement those policies?

Repeatedly, we have seen that fertilizer, other inputs, and indeed, all agricultural commodities, are also used as politicalcommodities. Their fates, fortunes, and misfortunes therefore become instruments of political parties or groups. Thisdistracts attention and can counteract their true potential: to improve all citizens’ food security, lift people out of poverty,and develop a flourishing national economy for all. This is a great challenge that lies before us now.

The need for leadership and commitment was raised by His Excellency President Obasanjo before the Africa FertilizerSummit during an IFA Council Meeting in Seville, Spain, held November 14-18, 2005. His brief address is reprinted onpage 14. In addition, during the Summit, Dr. Borlaug, in his third and final Summit address during the session for theHeads of State, asked:

“Who were the people that made the changes? The leaders! It was the leaders who made the science and technol-ogy useful … Are there two or three, hopefully many more, who have the courage to take the recommendations onthe use of fertilizer forward?”

Without the correct policies and without the political will to implement them the African Green Revolution will nothappen. Therefore, however important the improved varieties, fertilizer, and other inputs are, they alone will not initiatethe African Green Revolution.

III. The Africa Fertilizer Summit

Goal and Content

To reverse decades of hunger and poverty on the African continent, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annanappealed to the world community in June 2005 to focus its attention and resources on initiating a Green Revolution inAfrica. The Africa Fertilizer Summit, held in Abuja, Nigeria, June 9-13, 2006, was a response to Kofi Annan’s call for auniquely African Green Revolution. Greater use of fertilizer is a must to have an African Green Revolution, to reachNEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) goal of 6% annual agricultural growth,and to reach the first Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty and hunger by 2015. Evidence suggests that noregion worldwide has been able to achieve food security without significantly increasing the use of fertilizer. Althoughfertilizer consumption in Africa has increased fourfold between 1961 and 1999, it remains the lowest in the world. Use ofmineral fertilizers in Africa amounts to less than 10 kg/ha whereas annual fertilizer application rate in Asia is in the orderof 200 kg/ha. To meet Africa’s fertilizer challenge, NEPAD called for concrete and creative action: the Africa FertilizerSummit.

The Summit offered the African community an opportunity to raise awareness worldwide of the plight of African small-holder farmers and to see the potential of fertilizers in improving their conditions. It brought together African Heads ofState, African ministers, and heads of international donor organizations, private-sector firms, farmers’ organizations, andsenior policymakers. This cooperative effort was to build a consensus around the key issues surrounding fertilizer use inAfrica and to agree on a strategy to improve incentives for access to and affordability of fertilizer. The ultimate goal ofthe Summit was to accelerate the access of millions of poor farmers to fertilizer and other complementary inputs, in orderto help them raise their farm production and achieve food security.

More specifically, the Summit’s objectives were to:• Affirm the critical importance of fertilizer in contributing to rapid and sustainable pro-poor agricultural productivity

growth in Africa.

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His Excellency President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria AddressesMeeting of the International Fertilizer industry Association

Regarding the Africa Fertilizer Summit

“Greetings from Nigeria—It gives me great pleasure to address you about an exciting major African-led initiative,which has great potential to be a prime mover in changing the current reality of Africa from a continent plaguedby hunger and poverty to a continent that can feed itself. I want to urge you to join hands with us to make thisdream a reality.

As has been starkly exemplified by the recent situation in the Niger Republic, food insecurity is a serious problemin Africa. Per capita food production in Africa has declined over the past 3 decades. The main reason for Africa’sfood shortages is soil nutrient depletion. Africa loses about $4 billion worth of plant nutrients from its soils eachyear due to continuous cultivation without nutrient replenishment. If Africa is to rapidly enhance its ability tofeed itself, we need what the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan has called for—a uniquely African GreenRevolution. This will require an increase in the use of fertilizer. Today, fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa isextremely low at about 8 kg/ha annually.

Therefore, African governments have decided to take action to catalyze a large-scale adoption of fertilizer. TheAfrica Fertilizer Summit is being called for and convened by the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’sDevelopment (NEPAD) initiative. We have asked IFDC, an institution that all of you know well, to coordinateand implement the Summit. The Africa Fertilizer Summit will assemble high-level stakeholders, including AfricanHeads of State, fertilizer producers, private agribusiness firms, farmers’ organizations, and development agenciesto highlight the crucial role of fertilizer in stimulating productivity growth in African agriculture and determinethe most promising strategies for rapidly increasing fertilizer use by African farmers. The goal of the Summit isto build a consensus around the key issues constraining increased fertilizer use in Africa and to agree on astrategy for developing an African fertilizer action plan and national fertilizer action plans. This will acceleratethe access by millions of poor farmers to inorganic fertilizers and other complementary inputs in order to helpthem raise their farm production and achieve food security.

The goal of the Summit and the successful implementation of the action plans cannot be achieved without thesupport of the private sector. The only way to increase the availability of and access to fertilizers in Africa isthrough well-functioning private sector-led input marketing systems.

International fertilizer companies should care about developing agricultural practices in sub-Saharan Africa tocomplement the efforts of African governments that are embarking on bold steps to transform the agriculturalsector and create new opportunities to expand the use of modern farm inputs. By investing in African fertilizermarkets now, these companies will be preparing the way for tomorrow’s growth market.

The fundamental mission of the international fertilizer industry is to help feed the world. This is the reason itcame into existence, and there is nowhere today that the industry’s help is more needed than in Africa. In thisway, we can make a Green Revolution happen. Together we can work to change African agriculture and offernew hope for millions of our people who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.

It will be my pleasure to personally chair the Africa Fertilizer Summit. This Summit is critical for African agriculturaldevelopment, and the support of the international fertilizer industry association and its members is vital toensure its success.

I look forward to warmly welcoming you as partners to the Africa Fertilizer Summit, which will be held in Abuja,Nigeria, from June 9 to June 13, 2006. You will be most welcome.”

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• Review the evidence on the use of fertilizer in African agriculture and identify the primary policy, institutional,finance, infrastructural, and market constraints that limit the access of fertilizers by poor farmers, including perspec-tives from farmers themselves.

• Assess innovative approaches that have been used to build rural input market infrastructure to supply agriculturalinputs to the rural poor.

• Agree on a strategy for developing an African fertilizer action plan to accelerate the access of millions of poor farmersto chemical fertilizers and other complementary inputs.

The Summit consisted of a Technical Session (June 9-10), Ministerial Session (June 12), and Heads of State Session(June 13). Altogether, more than 550 participants attended the Technical Session. In addition to presentations by globalexperts on issues related to food security, agricultural production, and fertilizer in Africa, the Technical Session alsoincluded panel discussions and working groups, organized thematically and by Africa’s Regional Economic Communities(RECs).

Leadership and Organization

The Summit was an African-led initiative, with leadership by the African Union, its New Partnership for Africa’s Devel-opment (NEPAD) program, and the Summit chair, H.E. President Olusegun Obasanjo. The Federal Government ofNigeria hosted the Summit.

Summit preparations were guided by an advisory panel of world leaders in African development (Text Box 1). A technicalcommittee consisting of government officials, technical experts, and representatives of donor institutions advised andoversaw the Summit preparations (Text Box 2). In addition, there was a local organizing committee made up of individu-als who sought to make the Summit successful (Text Box 3). Prior to the Summit, its organizers also interacted individu-ally and in larger meetings with numerous stakeholders to raise awareness on and support for the goals of the Summit.

NEPAD’s Vision for Africa’s Agriculture in 2015

Attain food security (in terms of both availability and affordability and ensuring access of thepoor to adequate food and nutrition).• Improve the productivity of agriculture to attain an average annual growth rate of 6%, with

particular attention to small-scale farmers, focusing especially on women.• Have dynamic agricultural markets among nations and regions.• Integrate farmers into the market economy with better access to markets to make Africa a

net exporter of agricultural products.• Achieve more equitable distribution of wealth.• Be a strategic player in agricultural science and technology development.• Practice environmentally sound production methods and have a culture of sustainable

management of the natural resource base (including biological resources for food andagriculture) to avoid their degradation.

Source: CAADP document.

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Text Box 1. The Eminent Persons Advisory Group

Chair: H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Ambassador Ibrahim Ali Hassan, Assistant Foreign Minister, Egypt

Mr. Lennart Båge, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

Rt. Hon. Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for International Development, United Kingdom

Dr. Norman Borlaug, President, Sasakawa Africa Association

Honorable Jimmy Carter, Former President of the United States, The Carter Center

Honorable Joaquim Chissano, Former President of Mozambique

Sir Gordon Conway, Chief Science Adviser, Department for International Development (DFID)

Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO)

Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa

Dr. Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank

Honorable Alpha Oumar Konaré, Chairperson of the African Union Commission

Dr. Graca Machel, Former First Lady, Republic of South Africa

Mr. Luc Maene, Director General, International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA)

Rt. Hon. Donald McKinnon, Secretary General, Commonwealth, UK

Mr. Peter McPherson, Co-Chair, Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa

Professor Firmino Mucavele, Chief Executive, New Partnership for Africa’s Development(NEPAD)

Mr. Andrew S. Natsios, Former Administrator, United States Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID)

Mrs. Sadako Ogata, President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Dr. Rudy Rabbinge, Dean, Graduate Schools, Wageningen University

Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, Chairperson, Circle Capital Ventures

Dr. Judith Rodin, President, The Rockefeller Foundation

Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Director, The Earth Institute, Columbia University and Director, UN MillenniumProject

Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, President, The Nippon Foundation

Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, Chairman, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation

Mr. Paul Wolfowitz, President, The World Bank

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Text Box 2. Technical AdvisoryCommittee of the Africa FertilizerSummit

Chair: Amit Roy (IFDC)Richard Mkandawire, Vice Chair (NEPAD)Akin Adesina (The Rockefeller Foundation)Tchambakou Ayassor (UEMOA)Ousmane Badiane (IFPRI)Joel Beassem (ECCAS/PRSA)Mohamed Beavogui (IFAD)Sule Alhaji Bello (Federal Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development,Nigeria)Derek Byerlee (World Bank)Arne Cartridge (Yara)Lance Crist (IFC)Josue Dione (UN Economic Commissionfor Africa)Daniel Eklu (CEDEAO/ECOWAS)Mohamed El-Fouly (National ResearchCenter, Egypt)Edward Heinemann (IFAD)Julie Howard (Partnership to Cut Hungerand Poverty in Africa)Monty Jones (FARA)William Kalema (Uganda InvestmentAuthority)Philip Kiriro (Eastern Africa FarmersFederation)Eben Makonese (Chemplex Corporation,Ltd.)Richard Masundire (SADC)Isaac Minde (ECAPAPA)Uzo Mokwunye (ICRISAT)Michael Morris (World Bank)Samuel Muchena (ACFD)Cris Muyunda (COMESA)Brave Rona Ndisale (AU)Njabulo Nduli (Department of Agriculture,South Africa)Jan Poulisse (FAO)Marco Quiñónes (SG 2000)Nteranye Sanginga (TSBF)Gert van der Linde (FSSA)

Text Box 3. Local Organizing Committee—Africa Fertilizer Summit

Chair: Pepple, A. I., Permanent Secretary ofAgriculture and Rural Development, FederalRepublic of Nigeria

Abdullahi, A. A.Abdullahi, Moukhtar IsaAbdulsalam, AlhajiAbubakar, S. U.Alaiyeghami, F. O.Alhaji, Ahmed Rabiu KwaAliyu, A.Alkaleri, Dr. UmaruAlkali, B. G.Angulu, H. A.Anyaduba, E. T.Asikpate, F. O.Auchan, A. A.Ayoola, Prof. G. B.Babangida, J. A.Bello, M. A.Bello, Sule AlhajiChibuago, OgbonnaChikweidu, H. E.Chude, Prof. V. O.Chukwudum, N. G.Dalhat, K.Ekwueme, E. E.

Emmanuel, Ojo O.Gamawa, Buba M.Hassan, U. A.Irokalibe, S. C.Jayeoba, O.Kole-James, PiusKwa, Alhaji Ahmed RabiuMahmod, Dr. Aisha U.Mandu, (Mrs.) N. H.Mbadiwe, J. C.Njar, R. A.Odandu, J. A.Ofoegbu, (Mrs.) N.Ogbonna, C.Oghenekaro, S. E.Ogutuga, Adebola O.Okeke, Uche AjuluOkigbo, M. E.Oladipo, S. O.Osemene, S. C.Osho, A. O.Sadiku, F. A.Zakari, S.G.B.

The entrance to the Abuja ConferenceCenter during the Summit.

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Summit Sponsor

Approximately 800 million of the world’s 1.1 billion extremely poor people livein rural areas of developing countries andrely on agriculture and related activitiesfor their survival.

To meet the Millennium DevelopmentGoal target of halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty andhunger by 2015, the world must address

the needs of poor rural people and increase investments in agricultural and rural development.

IFAD is a specialized agency of the UnitedNations dedicated to enabling poor ruralpeople to overcome poverty themselves.Today, there are 94 ongoing IFAD-supportedrural poverty eradication programmes andprojects throughout Africa.

Fighting poverty through agriculture

Enabling the rural poor to overcome poverty

Via del Serafico, 107 – 00142 Rome, ItalyTel.: +39 0654591 – Fax: +39 065043463E-mail: ifad@ifad.orgwww.ifad.org

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IFDC, an International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development, imple-mented the Summit while numerous donors, notably the Rockefeller Foundation, providedsupport for this initiative (see Text Box 4 for full list of sponsors). Two Secretariats, onebased at NEPAD in South Africa and another at IFDC in the United States, directed theday-to-day technical work, while the National and Local Organizing Committees (Appen-dix III) in Nigeria took the lead in making the local arrangements. A multi-instituteCommunication Strategy Group involving representatives of the Rockefeller Foundation,Burness Communications, NEPAD, IFDC, and the Local Organizing Committee, raisedworldwide awareness of the initiative, resulting in global media coverage for the Summit.

Summit Preparations

The Summit preparations involved political leaders, policymakers, and leading technicalexperts on African agricultural development from Africa and elsewhere. The preparations,spanning a period of 9 months, involved consultative meetings, writing of numerouspapers on fertilizer sector development in Africa, as well as development of fertilizerstrategies by countries and RECs. They are briefly described as follows.

Dr. Oumou CamaraIFDC AFS Secretariat

Dr. Maria WanzalaNEPAD AFS Secretariat

Text Box 4. The Summit Sponsors

Federal Republic of NigeriaThe Rockefeller FoundationAfrican Development BankAgriTerraArab Fertilizer Association (AFA)Commonwealth Secretariat (UK)Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGIS), NetherlandsDepartment for International Development (DFID), UKEconomic Commission for AfricaFidelity Bank (Nigeria)Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsThe William and Flora Hewlett FoundationInternational Fertilizer Industry AssociationInternational Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentNotore Chemical IndustriesOceanic Bank International PLCPartnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in AfricaSasakawa-Global 2000Shell Canada LimitedUnited Nations Economic Commission for AfricaUnited Bank for Africa PLCU.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)The World Bank

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Eminent Persons Group Meeting—March 2006, New YorkThe Eminent Persons Advisory Group meeting, held March 30, 2006, in New York City, was chaired by H.E. OlusegunObasanjo, the President of Nigeria, and hosted by Dr. Judith Rodin, the President of the Rockefeller Foundation. Fifteenmembers of the Eminent Persons Group participated in this meeting, which received remarkable attention worldwide.Within a week of the event, over 40 articles were published in global, regional, and local coverage; additionally, at least20 websites reported the event worldwide.

The meeting consisted of speeches and round-table discussions, where the Summit preparations were reviewed andnumerous strategic issues related to the Summit, including possible foci of work for the post-Summit period, wereconsidered. The Eminent Persons discussed the approach of the Summit, raising the following important points:• Importance of political will—Political will is paramount to achieving the Summit objectives. This includes will of the

donors, whose official development assistance to the continent has consistently failed to meet the required target of0.7% of gross domesticproduct.

• Need for a continued scien-tific research—To ensure thatthe Summit objectives aremet, research and technologydevelopment must bepursued. The Asian GreenRevolution cannot be directlyreplicated in Africa becauseconditions are very differentin the two continents.Numerous issues such asdrought tolerance should beaddressed.

• Importance of using marketforces in the approach—Vouchers, credit provision,and fertilizer distributionshould be implementedtogether with the privatesector; only under extraordi-nary circumstances shouldfertilizer be given for free.

• Importance of seeing fertiliz-ers in a wider framework—The bulk of the fertilizers produced in Africa are exported. One needs to consider the issue of low demand, withprivate sector involvement in the effort.

After a welcome address by President Rodin, H.E. President Obasanjo delivered the keynote speech, “Feeding Africa: ACall for Action to Meet Africa’s Fertilizer Challenge.” This was followed by a description of the role of the AfricanUnion and NEPAD in the Summit by H. E. Konaré and Prof. Mucavele, respectively. Text Box 5 presents highlights ofthe speeches and presentations. Many of the members of the Eminent Persons Group also attended the Summit.

The Summit’s Eminent Persons AdvisoryCommittee met at the Rockefeller Foundation

headquarters in New York City on March 30, 2006.

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Text Box 5. Highlights of the Speeches by Eminent Persons, March 30, 2006

From “Feeding Africa: A Call for Action to Meet Africa’s Fertilizer Challenge” by H.E.President Olusegun Obasanjo“It is equally befitting that this meeting is taking place at the Rockefeller Foundation, which isknown worldwide for its leadership in agriculture and for its role in helping to usher in the GreenRevolution in Asia.

“It is interesting that we’re meeting in New York, a marvelous symbol of American industry andprosperity. Much of the prosperity is built on the success of U.S. agriculture. The world calls thisplace ‘The Big Apple.’ I don’t know why—but it may have something to do with fertilizer …

“The simple but brilliant approach to improve crop yields—high-yielding varieties that respond tokey inputs, especially fertilizer—still has not found its home in our vast continent of 900 millionpeople. Crop productivity in Africa has mostly remained stagnant over the past 4 decades, whilecereal yields in Asia have risen three-fold, to 3.5 tons per hectare, in the same period. Ourmalnutrition has worsened, and stability is increasingly difficult to maintain.

“Africa’s low fertilizer use is also environmentally unsustainable. Not only does it lead toincreasingly depleted soils, it also contributes to deforestation. With poor productivity of existingfarmlands, more and more forests must be cut to feed our growing population.

“Our farmers will eagerly use fertilizer if they can find access at a price they can afford. Theyunderstand fertilizers will increase their yields and improve their lives. African leaders recognizethat with access, affordability, and incentives, farmers will use fertilizers, improved seeds, andagriculture will become the engine for pro-poor growth, just as it has been in Asia, Latin America—and just a few generations before, here in the United States and Europe.

“We therefore have a dream, a vision for our African future. But we also know we have the rightapproach; agriculture must be the engine for growth in Africa. Most of our people depend onagriculture for their living, and agriculture is the most direct way to improve their well-being.Agriculture must be productive and competitive.

“But to feed our people, we must first feed the soil.

“This will be an action-driven Summit with strong political commitment from African Heads ofState. The Summit will result in concrete actions to improve the fertilizer of our soils through moreefficient use of both organic and mineral fertilizers.

“This is the hour for Africa. Let’s take this bold step together and expand food security and incomeopportunities across Africa.”

From “Welcome Address” by Dr. Judith Rodin“We come together today with determination and the expectation that—through our combinedenergy and effort—we can and will make a difference in the lives of millions.

“As we have this important discussion today, I hope we can commit ourselves to unified action.Because these are not national problems—they are transnational. Tackling them requires bigthinking. It requires big ideas. And it requires a vision of how our collective commitment and ourcollaboration can make a difference.”

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From the summarized presentation “The African Union and the Africa Fertilizer Summit”by H.E. Alpha Oumar KonaréOn the eve of the Summit, President Konaré questioned the existence of political will and raised thefollowing issues:1. Fertilizer should be considered in a larger context of agricultural inputs and their availability,

production, imports, and access in time and space.2. Fertilizer should be affordable, but “I am not saying it should be free.”3. We must insist on the profitability of agriculture for farmers.

“The private sector should be encouraged to produce fertilizer and other agricultural inputs withinAfrica and to facilitate fertilizer imports. Africa should also develop infrastructure and harmonizemarkets.”

“Governments should understand that rural producers are partners …”

From the summarized presentation “The New Partnership for Africa’s Development(NEPAD) and the Africa Fertilizer Summit” by Prof. Firmino Mucavele“In the spirit and principles of NEPAD, the Africa Fertilizer Summit has two principles:1. The Summit is an action-oriented initiative to make fertilizer available and economically

accessible to farmers; and2. The Summit is an Africa-led initiative.”

From the summarized presentation “Building Input Supply Systems to Improve Accessfor Farmers” by Dr. Akin AdesinaThe paradox of markets in rural Africa is evident in its stores. Coca-Cola—a luxury item with littlerelevance to improving people’s lives—is widely available in Africa but fertilizer and seed—keyitems to help the rural poor escape the poverty trap—are lacking. In parts of Malawi, the averagedistance a farmer must travel to buy fertilizer is 40 km.

The challenge is that selling Coke and selling fertilizer are not the same thing. To sell fertilizers, oneneeds a far greater amount of knowledge on the products and their storage. But with training andnetworks, fertilizer use can be increased.

Finally … even with these efforts, subsidies will still be needed for the poorest. Such subsidiesshould be delivered through market-friendly avenues such as voucher systems.

From the summarized presentation “Achieving an African Green Revolution” byDr. Norman BorlaugIn Asia… adoption of modern varieties of wheat and rice increased from nil in 1965 to 20% of thearea in 1970. By 1990, the area in modern wheat varieties was 70% while that of rice was 65%. Inthe same time period, fertilizer use increased vastly, from 5 (1965) to 10 (1970) to 54 (1990) milliontons.

Africa’s infrastructure development needs particular attention …. Extremely high rates of adultilliteracy are another obstacle to Africa’s development.

Without well-performing agriculture, there will be no peace. As the first FAO Director General, theNobel Peace Prize Laureate John Boyd Orr once said, “You cannot build peace on emptystomachs.”

“All of these have to come together and we have to make them come together. President Obasanjo,let’s make it happen!”

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From the question-and-answer session with mediaWith this Summit, we recognize that the problem with fertilizer is linked with other issues, suchas water, production, and accessibility, especially for the poorest. We therefore plan to use anintegrated approach. Dr. Jacques Diouf (summarized answer)

You can grow flowers and improve food security. We need to improve productivity of agricultureand that in itself will improve food security. Dr. Donald Kaberuka (summarized answer)

Technical Committee MeetingsTechnical Committee meetings formed another important preparation for the Summit. Two meetings were held, one inJohannesburg (November 28-29, 2005) with attendance by 16 Technical Committee members, and a second, attended byTechnical Committee and Local Organizing Committee members in Abuja, Nigeria (February 8-10, 2006). The TechnicalCommittee members laidthe technical foundations forthe Summit by discussinggeneral foci of the Summit;outlining the main featuresof the Country and RegionalStrategy process; draftingthe Summit agenda; anddeciding the foci andauthors of the Summitbackground papers. ManyTechnical Committeemembers were activeparticipants in the Summititself.

Country and RegionalFertilizer StrategiesAn important aspect ofpreparations for the Summitwas the development ofCountry Fertilizer Strategiesby numerous Africancountries and the prepara-tion of Regional FertilizerStrategies by the RECs.These strategies outline thepresent status of thefertilizer sector in countriesand RECs and propose concrete actionable programs to induce rapid growth in the regional and national fertilizer sectors.

The strategy drafting process started 6 months prior to the Summit, in December 2005. The Summit Secretariats inNEPAD and IFDC coordinated the effort and provided technical backstopping in the process. Altogether, 17 Country andthree Regional Strategies were presented and discussed at the Summit. The development of the strategies is an ongoingprocess, and new strategies have been initiated after the Summit, resulting in 25 strategy documents completed at the timeof publication of these proceedings. The received strategies were synthesized in May, and an overview of the sharedchallenges and common priorities was prepared for the Summit session chairpersons to serve as a basis for discussion inthe break-out sessions. Currently, many actions identified as priorities in these strategies to improve the fertilizer sector at

Participants at the Second Technical Advisory Committee meeting.

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the national or regional levels are being developed into projects. Greater information of the progress achieved since theSummit is provided in the next sections.

Background PapersPrior to the Summit, eight new background papers had been commissioned from experts, many of them worldwideleaders in their fields, to examine Africa’s fertilizer sector, its performance, constraints, and possible solutions. Thesecommissioned papers, along with some other key papers on Africa’s fertilizer sector, were made available to the Summitparticipants and were posted on the Summit website. The 15 background papers and their authors are presented in TextBox 6.

Text Box 6. Summit Background Papers by Category

Understanding Africa’s Fertilizer SectorAchieving an African Green Revolution: A Vision for Sustainable Agricultural Growth in Africa byMarjatta EilittäOverview of the Fertilizer Situation in Africa by Oumou Camara and Ed HeinemannFactors Affecting Supply of Fertilizer in Sub-Saharan Africa by D. Ian Gregory and Balu L. Bumb*

Factors Affecting Demand for Fertilizer in Sub-Saharan Africa by Valerie A. Kelly*Fertilizer Raw Material Resources of Africa by Steven Van Kauwenbergh**

Linkages of Africa’s Fertilizer Sector to Soil, Environment, and Water ResourcesAfrican Soils: Their Productivity and Profitability of Fertilizer Use by Andre Bationo, AlfredHartemink, Obed Lungu, Mustapha Naimi, Peter Okoth, Eric Smaling, and LamourdiaThiombianoAgricultural Production and Soil Nutrient Mining in Africa: Implications for Resource Conservationand Policy Development by Julio Henao and Carlos BaananteFertilizer Use and the Environment in Africa: Friends or Foes? by Eric Smaling, Moctar Toure,Nico de Ridder, Nteranya Sanginga, and Henk BremanImproving Water and Fertilizer Use in Africa: Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Recommen-dations by Dennis Wichelns

Diverse Approaches to Promoting Fertilizer Use on the ContinentAlternative Approaches for Promoting Fertilizer Use in Africa by Eric W. Crawford, Thomas S.Jayne, and Valerie A. Kelly*Alternative Approaches for Promoting Fertilizer Use in Africa, With Particular Reference to theRole of Fertilizer Subsidies by Eric W. Crawford, Thomas S. Jayne, and Valerie A. Kelly*Increasing Fertilizer Use in Africa: What Have We Learned? by Colin Poulton, Jonathan Kydd,and Andrew Dorward*Input Subsidies and Agricultural Development: Issues and Options for Developing and Transi-tional Economies by Balu L. Bumb, S. Kofi Debrah, and Luc MaenePromoting Increased Fertilizer Use in Africa: Lessons Learned and Good Practice Guidelines byThe World BankThe Role of Input Vouchers in Pro-Poor Growth by Ian Gregory

* Published also as World Bank ARD publications.** A book published by IFDC.

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The Summit Outcomes

The salient outcome of the Summit, the Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer for an African Green Revolution, adopted bymore than 40 Heads of State and governments, demonstrates the commitment of Africa’s leaders to increase fertilizer useon the continent and lays out the roadmap for its achievement.

The Abuja Declaration

The Summit resulted in the Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer for an African Green Revolution, which can be found in thefour AU languages (English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic) on pages viii-xvii. In the Declaration, the African leaderscommitted to increasing fertilizer use on the continent from the current average of 8 kg/ha to at least 50 kg/ha by 2015(Article 1) through a set of agreed-upon actions. These actions can broadly be grouped into those targeting farmersdirectly, those addressing constraints at the national level, and those strengthening the fertilizer sector at the regional andcontinental levels.

Measures Directly Addressing the Needs of FarmersClearly, an important impetus for the Summit was the plight of Africa’s smallholder farmers. Consequently, the TechnicalSession participants focused on numerous actions that directly benefit smallholder producers and emphasized the specialneeds of those in disadvantaged groups. The Ministerial Session and the Summit of the Heads of State shared thisconcern, agreeing on several articles that directly address the needs of the farmers:• Improving farmers’ access to fertilizer by developing and scaling up input dealer networks and community-based

networks across rural areas (Article 3).• Addressing the fertilizer needs of farmers, especially women, and to develop and strengthen the capacity of youth,

farmers’ associations, civil society organizations, and the private sector through concrete measures (Article 4).• Targeting subsidies with special attention to poor farmers (Article 5).• Increasing farmer access to inputs and extension (Article 10).

Actions at the National LevelSeveral bottlenecks to fertilizer sector development are most effectively relieved at the national level through policies,investments, and establishment of facilities:• Reduction of procurement cost at national and regional levels to ensure duty- and tax-free movement across regions,

and the development of capacity for quality control. Immediate elimination of taxes and tariffs on fertilizer wasrecommended (Article 2).

• Investment in infrastructure, particularly transport; fiscal incentives; strengthening of farmers’ organizations; and othermeasures to improve output market incentives (Article 6).

• Establishment of national financing facilities for input suppliers to increase credit access (Article 7).

Actions at the Regional and Continental LevelsThe African leaders also emphasized the need to work at higher levels, both within the RECs and at the continental levelto ensure that effective policies and facilities are in place to foster fertilizer sector development:• Establishment of Regional Fertilizer Procurement and Distribution Facilities, with support of continental and regional

organizations (Article 8).• Promotion of national/regional fertilizer production and intra-regional fertilizer trade, again with support of the

continental and regional organizations, development partners, and the private sector (Article 9).• Establishment of a proposed Africa Fertilizer Development Financing Mechanism by the African Development Bank,

with support of the Economic Commission for Africa and the African Union Commission (Article 11).• Setting up of a monitoring and evaluation mechanism for the implementation of the resolution (Article 12).

A significant commitment made during the Summit was the declaration by President Obasanjo that Nigeria commits$10 million for the establishment of the Africa Fertilizer Development Financing Mechanism.

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Immediate Summit Follow-Up Activities

The past 6 months since the Summit have seen the continuation of numerous activities started during the Summit, at thecontinental, regional, and national levels, as well as the initiation of new activities. A progress report on theimplementation of the Abuja Declaration at the General Assembly of the African Union in January 2007 noted encourag-ing progress at this early phase of implementation.

At the continental level, preparations for the Africa Fertilizer Development Financing Mechanism are ongoing at theAfrican Development Bank and it is expected that this mechanism will be established by the middle of 2006. Notably, theAfrican Union Commission and NEPAD have also agreed to collaborate on the preparation of a draft business plan tofacilitate the implementation of the Abuja Declaration in collaboration with the Economic Commission of Africa and theAfrican Development Bank.

Importantly, NEPAD has created a coordinator post for its agricultural input markets development program to work withthe African Union Commission to facilitate the implementation of the strategies.

At the regional level, four RECs have submitted their Strategies to date. Other encouraging developments include theanticipated action plan by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Easternand Southern Africa (COMESA) for regional procurement and distribution. ECOWAS has already initiated steps toharmonize regional policies and regulations to ensure duty- and tax-free movement of fertilizers across regions.

At the country level, progress has also been rapid. Twenty-five countries have already developed their strategies, andmany are integrating them into agricultural development programs. Several countries are also converting the strategiesinto actionable programs. At the country level, particular focus has been on improving farmer access to fertilizer bydeveloping and scaling up input dealers’ networks through subsidies and by improving access to complementary inputsand services.

Moreover, it has been encouraging to see the recent growing interest of the private sector in fertilizer development inAfrica. Several private entrepreneurs have begun investigating the establishment of fertilizer production facilities usinglocal resources; encouraging developments have taken place in Nigeria, Mozambique, Malawi, and Togo.

Finally, donor attention on agricultural development in Africa has been excellent. A promising development following theSummit is the partnership of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation in establishing the“Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa” (AGRA) – a long-term commitment of the Foundations to achieving a GreenRevolution in Africa. AGRA has launched an initial investment of $150 million for promoting the development ofimproved crop varieties, seed systems, and rapid development of agrodealers (a major Summit recommendation) acrossrural Africa. AGRA is currently developing a major initiative on Soil Health for Africa which will help to translate severalof the Summit recommendations into implementation. This will be followed by a major initiative on development ofoutput markets for farmers. These are exciting developments.

Future Actions

Much remains to be done, however, and we need to increase our efforts. Throughout the Summit preparations and duringthe Summit, those involved emphasized that the Summit was about action, not about talk, and that it should result in theinitiation of the Green Revolution on the African continent. The Summit resulted in political commitment by Africa’sleaders. Now it is time to begin in earnest the work needed to start a Green Revolution on the continent.

In the years following the Summit, we call on all partners involved in agricultural development in Africa to undertakeeffective actions to implement the Summit resolutions and thereby initiate the African Green Revolution. In doing so,there are three principles that are particularly important to bear in mind:

1. Although fertilizer has an important role in the African Green Revolution, fertilizer alone is not enough. As in thecase of Asia, fertilizer will need to be combined with high-yielding varieties, with organic inputs, with good manage-ment, and, given that a large share of Africa has low and erratic rainfall, with irrigation.

27

2. African Green Revolution must be unique to Africa.

3. Initiating a Green Revolution on the African continent is a task where simple solutions are neither appropriate noreffective. The Asian and Latin American Green Revolutions were complex, involving efforts and actors at differentlevels, from extension to policies. Due to Africa’s more challenging environment, initiating Africa’s Green Revolutionwill be far more complex. Proposals for a green revolution in Africa should focus on multiple approaches in order toaddress the complexity of African agriculture and farmers socio-economic constraints. While fertilizers must play asignificant role they need to be combined with organic inputs in order to ensure efficient use and build up of soilorganic matter. Attention must also be put on developing infrastructure, markets and other supportive policies for theagricultural sector.

These proceedings record the background as well as discussions and recommendations of the Africa Fertilizer Summit.Part I began with a short description of the Summit, its background, objectives, actors, and immediate results. Then welooked beyond the Summit to discuss the building blocks of the African Green Revolution. Part II provides an account ofthe presentations and speeches presented by Session. Highlights of the background papers can be found toward the end ofPart II, and their brief summaries are in Appendix II. Due to their volume, the Country and Regional Fertilizer Strategies,prepared by numerous African countries and RECs as an important input to the Summit, are not presented here. Wepresent a brief overview of their content on pages 77-92.

As emphasized, the Summit was just the first step toward the initiation of the African Green Revolution. Excellentprogress has been achieved since the Summit, but much remains to be done by all. But judging from the compelling andoverwhelming political leadership, vision and support at the Africa Summit is clearly on its way to a Green Revolution.

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Summit Sponsor

29

Part IIProceedings

30

31

Session 1: Opening Session .......................................................................................................33

Session 2: Perspectives on Fertilizer Sector Development.....................................................51

Session 3: Solutions to Africa’s Fertilizer Crisis: Parallel Dialogue Sessions ......................63Reducing Fertilizer Procurement Cost at the National and Regional Levels ...................65Improving Access to Finance for Fertilizer Market Development .....................................66Improving Access Via Development of Input Dealer Networks .........................................68Developing Regional Financing Mechanism for Fertilizer Sector Development .............70Improving Access for Poor Farmers by Smart Public Policies .........................................71

Session 4: Country Strategies ....................................................................................................77

Session 5: Regional Strategies...................................................................................................83

Session 6: The Way Forward ......................................................................................................93

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Session 1: Opening Session

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Ahmadu Babagana, Director of Rural Economy and Agriculture,African Union Commission, Ethiopia

Chief (Mrs.) Chinyere Asika, Head, New Partnership for Africa’sDevelopment (NEPAD)/Nigeria

RapporteursDr. Mohamed El-Fouly, Professor, National Research Centre, Egypt

Dr. Monica Ifeyinwa, University Lecturer, University of Nigeria-Nsukka,Nigeria

Opening Addressby Honorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Develop-ment, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Welcome Remarksby Ms. Ama Pepple, Permanent Secretary of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Goodwill Messageby Honorable Rosebud Kurwijila, Commissioner for Rural Economyand Agriculture, African Union Commission, Ethiopia

Goodwill Messageby Dr. Gary Toenniessen, Director, Food Security, The RockefellerFoundation, U.S.A.

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and theAfrica Fertilizer Summitby Professor Firmino Mucavele, Chief Executive, NEPAD Secretariat,South Africa

Africa Fertilizer Crisis: Summit Background and Processby Dr. Amit Roy, President and Chief Executive Officer, InternationalFertilizer Development Center (IFDC), U.S.A.

Keynote Address “Achieving an African Green Revolution”by Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and President,Sasakawa Africa Association, Mexico

Vote of Thanksby Mr. Sule Bello, Director, Fertilizer Department, Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Remarks on the African Green Revolution: Panel of EminentScientistsby Dr. Pedro Sanchez, Director of Tropical Agriculture and MillenniumVillages Project, The Earth Institute at Columbia University, New York;World Food Prize Laureate

Remarks on the African Green Revolution: Panel of EminentScientistsby Dr. Gary Toenniessen, Director, Food Security, The RockefellerFoundation, U.S.A.

Remarks on the African Green Revolution: Panel of EminentScientistsby Dr. Florence Wambugu, Chief Executive Officer, A HarvestBiotechnology Foundation, Kenya

It Is Farmers That Will Nourish the Soilsby Mr. Ndiogou Fall, Chairman, The West African Network of Farmersand Producers Organizations (ROPPA), Senegal

Summary

After the Summit video, representa-tives of some of the key organiza-tions involved with the Summit—the Nigerian government, theAfrican Union Commission, and theRockefeller Foundation—gavewelcome remarks and goodwillmessages. Thereafter, focus turnedto the background on Africa’sfertilizer crisis, the ComprehensiveAfrica Agriculture DevelopmentProgram (CAADP), and the AfricaFertilizer Summit initiative—itspurpose, actors, and objectives. Inhis Keynote Address, Dr. NormanBorlaug compared and contrastedAfrica’s current situation with thatof Asia in the 1960s, and urged allthose present to help begin theAfrican Green Revolution now. Thepanel of eminent scientists gavetheir perspectives on importantingredients of and lessons forAfrica’s Green Revolution. The finalpresentation of the session was bya farmer representative whoreminded the participants of thecentral role of farmers in theAfrican Green Revolution: It willhave to be the farmers whonourish the soil.

The presentations by Hon. AdamuBello, Ms. Ama Pepple, Hon.Rosebud Kurwijila, Dr. GaryToenniessen, Prof. FirminoMucavele, and Mr. Ndiogou Fall areedited versions of their writtenspeeches. For the presentations ofDr. Amit Roy, Dr. Norman Borlaug,Dr. Pedro Sanchez, andDr. Florence Wambugu, summariesof their original presentations areincluded.

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Summit Sponsor

35

Opening AddressHonorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,Federal Republic of Nigeria

Let me join others onceagain, to welcome you

all to Abuja to attend theAfrica Fertilizer Summit.Your prompt response toHis Excellency, thePresident of the FederalRepublic of Nigeria, ChiefOlusegun Obasanjo’sinvitation clearly demon-strates your commitment toAfrican farmers and indeedthe African continent and anew Green Revolution forAfrica. Africa is laggingbehind other continents inall aspects of agriculturalproduction and, worse still,African soils are rapidlybeing depleted of thenutrients necessary tosustain productivity. It is nowonder that some parts ofthe continent are faced withfood-deficit situations,hunger, and malnutrition.

I am very encouraged,however, and hopeful thatthe expertise, experience,and caliber of eminent

persons gathered thismorning will provide us aplatform to criticallychoose the options toincrease agriculturalproductivity and improvethe quality of life forAfrican farmers.

The African agriculturalenvironment is character-ized by poor infrastructureincluding poor roads,communication, warehous-ing, capital, knowledge, andsecurity, etc. All thesefactors aggregate and makefarm inputs, especiallyfertilizer, unaffordable tomost of our farmers whoare poor, uneducated, andoften malnourished.

Despite these numerousobstacles, one finds anumber of success stories inAfrica that can be multi-plied and replicated inother countries. We,therefore, expect theexperts to work hard toshare knowledge andexperience and developoptions that can help thefarmer have access toproduction-enhancingtechnologies that areappropriate and affordable.I am confident that theAfrican political leadershipis ready and willing to lookat all the options developedby the Technical Session. Iassure you that my fellow

Ministers and I are lookingforward to the beginning ofan African GreenRevolution.

I thank you very much!

IFDC staff members in the Africa Hall.

African farmers must be able toproduce for markets to liftthemselves from poverty.

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Welcome RemarksMs. Ama Pepple, Permanent Secretary of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Let me warmlywelcome you to the

first ever Fertilizer Summitin Africa, initiated andhosted by Chief OlusegunObasanjo, President of theFederal Republic ofNigeria. I am particularlydelighted to see the largeturnout of world-renownedscientists and leaders ofindustry that have re-sponded to Mr. President’scall to come to Abuja toshare their vast knowledgeand expertise so thatAfrica’s degraded soils canbe reclaimed and theproductivity of our teemingresource-poor farmers canbe increased and enhanced.

Nigeria’s indefatigableMinister of Agriculture andRural Development,Mallam Adamu Bello, hasbrought a lot of passion andgood leadership to theposition and has taken avery active interest andcommitment toward asuccessful Summit. In

*Currently Notore ChemicalIndustries Limited.

addition, he contributed tothe successful arrangementof the Eminent PersonsAdvisory Group meetingheld in New York, U.S.A.,which was chaired byPresident Obasanjo. TheEminent Persons Group hasbeen supporting thePresident by devoting timeand resources in mobilizingworld leaders and develop-ment partners to support theFertilizer Summit and theAfrican Green Revolution.I would like to sincerelywelcome your Excellenciesto Abuja, and I know thatthe Summit will benefitfrom your contributions.

The New Partnership forAfrica’s Development(NEPAD) has, within itsshort life, launched theComprehensive AfricaAgriculture Development

Program (CAADP) toaddress issues of foodinsecurity and poverty inAfrica. Last year, NEPAD,in conjunction with otherstakeholders, organized ahighly successful Fish forAll Summit in Abuja.

The Africa FertilizerSummit has NEPAD, IFDC,and the RockefellerFoundation as majorstakeholders, and it is ourhope that the Summit willachieve its desired objec-tives. I, therefore, wouldlike to sincerely welcomeand acknowledge thetremendous support ofthese institutions, especiallytheir technical input.

Let me also welcome theorganized private sector,especially the fertilizerproducers and suppliers (in

I am particularlydelighted to seethe large turnout

of world-renowned

scientists andleaders of industry

that haveresponded to

Mr. President’s callto come to Abuja.

particular O’Secul Fertil-izer Company*), as well asrepresentatives of ourbanking sector (UBA,Fidelity, and Oceanic) whohave taken a very keeninterest in the Summit andprovided resources for itssuccess.

Last but not least, wewelcome all farmers’organizations that foundtime in their busy schedulesto attend and make theirvoices heard.

It is our collective hope anddesire that this Summit willprovide us the opportunityto critically examine ouragricultural endowment anddevelop workable plans thatwill reinvigorate ourAfrican agricultural sector.

Permanent Secretary Ms. Ama Pepple interactingwith Chief (Mrs.) Chinyere E. Asika, Senior

Special Assistant to the President (NEPAD) andhead of NEPAD Nigeria on the gala night.

37

Goodwill MessageHonorable Rosebud Kurwijila, Commissioner for Rural Economy andAgriculture, African Union Commission, Ethiopia

L et me take thisopportunity to

underscore that Africa is acontinent with bothoverwhelming challengesand opportunities, which ifproperly harnessed wouldmake Africa’s hunger andpoverty history. We arefaced with the highincidence of poverty, highlevels of undernourishment,and persistent food insecu-rity. The main underlyingfactor is the poor perfor-mance of the agriculturalsector.

Poor soil fertility has beenthe most limiting factor tothe realization of an“African Green Revolu-tion.” Our use of organicand mineral fertilizer isextremely low, with sub-Saharan average fertilizeruse at 8 kilograms perhectare compared with anaverage of 120 kilogramsper hectare in Asia. Theinherent fragility of Africansoils, the continent’sclimatic variability, and theuneven distribution and

availability of waterresources complicates thelow agricultural productiv-ity even more.

Africa needs to address lowfarm productivity throughintegrated approachescombining increased use oforganic matter, mineralfertilizer, high-yieldingcultivars/seeds, andirrigation. This Summit istackling the issue offertilizer and the replenish-ing of Africa’s soils in aholistic manner by alsofocusing on critical issuesneeded to address thefertilizer challenges. Thesechallenges include nationaland regional policies,markets, infrastructure, andfinancing. As experts, thegreatest challenge is relatedto our responsibility andprimary obligation toeffectively respond toAfrica’s urgent needs.

The African Heads of Stateand Government havealready set the stage bycommitting to achieve a 6%annual agricultural growththrough the ComprehensiveAfrica Agriculture Devel-opment Program (CAADP)of the New Partnership forAfrica’s Development(NEPAD). They have alsoadopted the Sirte Declara-tion on Agriculture andWater in Africa, which

complements the CAADPframework by stressing theimportance of the enablingconditions for Africanagricultural development.Such factors outlined in theCAADP-Sirte frameworkinclude the importance andavailability of capacity,technology, enabling policy,and institutional frame-works, both technical andfinancial.

The African Union Com-mission and NEPAD areready to serve as a catalystof change. This can be doneby seeking to drum up andupscale action and providepolitical leadership toensure coherence ofpolicies and unified actions.We must advocate andequip Africa to deal withthe critical challenges oflow agricultural productiv-ity, growth, and develop-ment. The aim is to makeAfrica prosperous and freefrom hunger and politicalinstability.

A fertilizer initiative of thisscale is not new in Africa.In 1980, the policy decisionto establish a center forresearch and developmenton fertilizer and soilfertility was approved at theFirst Economic Summit ofthe Organization of AfricanUnity (OAU) held inLagos, Nigeria, within the

framework of the LagosPlan of Action. The Center,currently in Zimbabwe,aims to achieve technologytransfer for improvedfertilizer production. It alsodemonstrates the role thatfertilizer must play forimproved agriculture andprovides technical supportto the fertilizer sectorthrough an informationbase. The achievements ofthe Center so far arecommensurate with thelevel of resources available.

The new initiative aims foran integrated approach byrecognizing that theproblems with fertilizer arelinked to other factors, suchas water, infrastructure,markets, and accessibility,especially for the poor. In

Africa needs toaddress low farm

productivitythrough integrated

approachescombining

increased use oforganic matter,

mineral fertilizer,high-yielding

cultivars/seeds,and irrigation.

38

Summit participants interacting in the Summit Hall.

our discussions for the wayforward, we should takecritical lessons learnedfrom this previous initiativeand examine the potentialrole that the African Centerfor Fertilizer Developmentcan play in the follow-up tothis Summit.

The global context haschanged and so should ourapproach. The AfricaFertilizer Initiative hascome at a time whenAfrican countries areseeking and rethinking newforms of functionalassociation. Advancing thefertilizer sector in Africa isquite overdue. Thus, wemust formulate newstrategies and methodswhich will generateeffective coherent agree-ment and attain the neces-

sary actions at the nationaland regional levels. I amgreatly encouraged to notethat several countries andRegional EconomicCommunities (RECs) havedeveloped strategies toaddress this problem. Allare indications of thegrowing commitment toincreasing agriculturalproductivity and reducinghunger.

The next 2 days will be anopportune time for expertsto share their immenseexperience throughdiscussions and eventuallydefine and recommendconcrete, implementableactions to the Ministers.

We are looking forward to aframework of imple-mentable actions at the

Goodwill MessageDr. Gary Toenniessen, Director, Food Security, The Rockefeller Foundation, U.S.A.

The Foundation,along with the Nige-

rian government, is one ofthe main supporters of the

Summit. In fact, theFoundation has beensupporting soil fertilityresearch in Africa for over adecade. Recently wecommissioned an externalreview of that research,which led us to concludethat African farmersdesperately need greateraccess to fertilizer. Inte-grated Soil FertilityManagement (ISFM) worksbut requires fertilizer toprovide farmers withsufficiently increasedproduction to warrant theextra labor.

national, regional, andcontinental levels with theroles of farmers, the privateand public sectors, civilsociety, and developmentpartners well defined andarticulated. From thismeeting we expect a

framework of action thatwill assist African govern-ments in ensuring thatpolicies are led from withinAfrica and by the continen-tal, regional, and nationalinstitutions of Africa in thespirit of NEPAD.

We asked my colleague,Dr. Akin Adesina, to takethe lead to resolve Africa’sfertilizer crisis. As he talkedto African scientists andleaders, he learned that theytoo saw that the lack offertilizer did not just causelow yields but also soildegradation. We need toaddress Africa’s fertilizercrisis at the highest levels—President Obasanjo said,“Sign me up.” The time wasright. With his backing andthat of President Konaré ofthe African Union andProfessor Mucavele of the

New Partnership forAfrica’s Development(NEPAD), plans for thisSummit began.

Many have worked hard tomake it happen. I wouldlike to give special thanksto the staff of IFDC—AnInternational Center forSoil Fertility and Agricul-tural Development,NEPAD, the local organiz-ing committee, the NigerianMinistry of Agriculture andRural Development, andDr. Adesina.

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The real impact willcome from

implementing therecommendations

all of us willgenerate over the

next 5 days.

Dr. Gary Toenniessen of The Rockefeller Foundation.

This Summit is just thebeginning. The real impactwill come from implement-ing the recommendationsall of us will generate overthe next 5 days. TheRockefeller Foundationlooks forward to workingwith all of you to make thatimpact a reality.

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the AfricaFertilizer SummitProfessor Firmino Mucavele, Chief Executive, NEPAD Secretariat, South Africa

Many of your institu-tions, associations,

and organizations arealready well-acquaintedwith NEPAD’s prioritiesand principles; however,many are new to thepartnership. As we workcollectively to bring aboutsustained economic growthand development in Africa,we must have a commonunderstanding of our

history, goals, priorities,and principles.

NEPAD, an integratedprogram of the AfricanUnion (AU), emerged asAfrican leaders’ response tothe worsening debt crisisand marginalization of thecontinent. Africa hasexperienced deterioratingterms-of-trade, sharpincreases in internationalinterest rates, stagnation,and a decline in nettransfers of externalresources. The programdepends on Africans’determination to freethemselves and the conti-nent from underdevelop-ment and exclusion in aglobalizing world. NEPADis the socioeconomicprogram and mandatedinitiative of the AU as well

as a mechanism for thereconstruction of Africa.NEPAD believes thatAfricans must take chargeof their destiny anddetermine a developmentplan. The plan shouldtackle Africa’s corechallenges, such as con-flicts, weak states, poverty,corruption, illiteracy, anddisease. NEPAD’s coreprinciples and uniquefeatures set it apart fromother development strate-gies. Also, African Headsof State themselves haveoutlined a clear set ofcommitments.

NEPAD’s core principlesinclude:• African ownership and

leadership.• Self-reliance and reduced

dependency on aid,

which would anchorAfrica’s development ofits resources.

• Partnership amongAfrican people.

• Accountable leadershipand responsible gover-nance, including democ-racy and human rightsprotection.

• Development andpromotion of genderequality.

• Partnership betweenAfrica and the developedworld.

NEPAD’s priorities include:• Peace, security, and post-

conflict reconstruction.• Standards and guidelines

for the African PeerReview Mechanism(APRM).

• Health.• Education.• Agriculture.

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• Infrastructuredevelopment.

• Science and technology.• Environmental action.• Tourism.

Strategically, the RegionalEconomic Communities arebuilding blocks for Africa’ssustainable developmentand integration. TheNEPAD Secretariat worksextensively with the AUCommission and RegionalEconomic Communities toelaborate priorities,mobilize resources, andcoordinate the implementa-tion of plans.

In conceptualizing NEPAD,African leaders embarkedon the long-term andcomplex process oftransforming the continent.Several challenges andsignificant progress haveboth occurred in the past5 years. Preconditions forsustainable development—including security, gover-nance, and conflict resolu-tions—have advancedconsiderably since 2001.

Gains also include theconsolidation of democracyand improved macroeco-nomic management acrossAfrica. Successful electionsoccur in Africa every year.Recently, peaceful changesof leadership took place inLiberia, Mozambique, andNamibia, among others.The African Peer ReviewMechanism has receivedinternational acclaim, andthe number of participatingcountries continues toincrease. Progress is beingmade in market access toaddress issues of trade,investment, and productiondiversification. The AfricaProductive CapacityInitiative (APCI) waslaunched to ensure thatAfrican economies raise themanufacturing valueaddition to 17% GDP. Thiswould help Africancountries achieve thetargeted annual economicgrowth rate of 7% GDP.Thus, African productswould be more competitivein international markets. Inaddition, infrastructure,science and technology,regional economic integra-tion, and agriculture havebecome NEPAD’s toppriorities. In other words,through NEPAD, Africanleaders have fundamentallychanged the developmentparadigm. NEPAD isencouraged by the privatesector initiatives in severalAfrican countries. Forexample, public-privatepartnerships, contractfarming, and other modelsare now being used toaddress policy issues.

NEPAD has progressedfrom a concept to policydevelopment and imple-mentation, particularly inthe agriculture sector.African Heads of State andGovernment endorsedNEPAD’s ComprehensiveAfrica Agriculture Devel-opment Program (CAADP)in 2003 as the continent’sframework for promotingfood security and fosteringsustainable agriculturaldevelopment.

CAADP focuses on fourprinciples, which include:• Extending the area under

sustainable land manage-ment and a reliable watercontrol system.

• Improving rural infra-structure and trade-related capacities formarket access.

• Increasing food supplyand reducing hunger.

• Conducting agriculturalresearch and technologydissemination andadoption.

CAADP is establishedinternationally and conti-nentally, both at theregional and country levels.African governments havemade firm commitments toincrease national budgetallocations to agriculture to10% per year over 5 years.The NEPAD Secretariatand the AU Commissionare working together tomonitor these commit-ments. CAADP is advanc-ing at all levels. At thenational level, governmentsare establishing frameworksand structures for countries

to accelerate CAADPimplementation. Theseinclude aligning existingefforts, improving sectorpolicies, and increasinginvestment. At the commu-nity level, the NEPADSchool Feeding Program isalive and growing. Schoolfeeding is based on localproduction and is ongoingin Nigeria and Ghana. Theprogram successfullycreates markets for localfarmers while providingbasic nutrition to growingchildren. At the regionallevel, development partnersare supporting the activitiesand priorities of RegionalEconomic Communities.The African DevelopmentBank (AfDB) facilitatesinvestments in both theSouthern African Develop-ment Community (SADC)and the Economic Commu-nity of West African States(ECOWAS) for irrigationand public infrastructure forwater control. The Foodand Agriculture Organiza-tion (FAO), the Interna-tional Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment (IFAD), theWorld Bank, the UnitedStates Agency for Interna-tional Development(USAID), and the WorldFood Program (WFP)provide significant supportfor CAADP.

One of CAADP’s primarygoals is to increase agricul-tural productivity to a 6%average annual growth rate.Modern farm inputs,including organic andmineral fertilizers, areessential solutions to

You are here asesteemed

technical expertsto develop

solutions toimprove rural

fertilizer marketsand lower

transaction costsof accessingfertilizers in

Africa.

41

Africa’s productivitychallenges. Questionsremain:• How will we carry out

the Africa FertilizerSummit’s initiative toincrease fertilizer accessto farmers?

• How do we ensure thatfertilizer is madeavailable in an environ-mentally responsiblemanner?

• How do we develop thefertilizer sector so thatsmall farmers and womenplay a role across theentire value chain?

• How do we ensure thequality of fertilizers,whether imported orproduced locally?

• How do we createeconomies of scale?

• How do we arrangefinances for thoseseeking credit facilities?

• How do we achieve auniquely African GreenRevolution that draws onthe expertise of interna-tional and Africanscientists?

• How do we introducefertilizers to communitieswho have never usedthem?

We are not here to rehashthe problem or to engage inendless ideological debate.You are here as esteemedtechnical experts to developsolutions to improve ruralfertilizer markets and lowertransaction costs ofaccessing fertilizers inAfrica. We hope you willgenerate concrete, action-oriented, and balancedstrategies that are consistentwith NEPAD principles.

Your recommendations willform the basis for the entireSummit.

Your contributions willenable our Ministers andHeads of State and Govern-ment to accelerate fertilizerand input access to ruralfarmers to achieve foodsecurity, and to meetCAADP goals.

The outcomes and opportu-nities created by thisSummit must reach thosewho were unable to join usin Abuja. We must notforget to spread themessage to rural farmers,schools, universities, radiostations, etc. Our responsi-bility is to keep all Africansinformed.

Africa Fertilizer Crisis: SummitBackground and ProcessDr. Amit Roy, President and CEO, IFDC,U.S.A.

Background

Sub-Saharan Africa isexperiencing an

agricultural crisis. In the40-year period from 1961to 2001, average cerealyields in South Asia almosttripled whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, they roseby only one-fourth, to anaverage of 1.0 tons perhectare.

What is striking is howdifferently the productionhas increased in the tworegions. In Asia, 80% of thegreatly increased cerealproduction was due toimproved crop yields andonly 20% to increasing thearea under cultivation. InAfrica, most of the produc-tion increase has come fromincreased area undercultivation. This hasresulted in worseningdeforestation, encroach-ment on fragile lands, andcontinuous land use, all ofwhich have increasednutrient mining of African

soils. One decade ago,more than 60 kg of nutri-ents per hectare wereremoved from the soilannually in 40% of Africancountries; now this highrate of removal is occurringin more than 75% of thecountries. But somecountries, such as Nigeria,have reversed this trendthrough leadership andcommitment.

This low fertilizer usecontributes to soil nutrientmining and low agriculturalproductivity. Fertilizer userates in Africa (20 kg/ha),and particularly the rates insub-Saharan Africa (8 kg/

In Africa, most ofthe production

increase has comefrom increased

area undercultivation. This has

resulted inworsening

deforestation,encroachment onfragile lands, andcontinuous landuse, all of whichhave increased

nutrient mining ofAfrican soils.Hon. Minister Adamu Bello and Professor

Firmino Mucavele interacting during theOpening of the Technical Session.

42

This Summit will beaction-oriented.

ha), are far lower than theworld average (93 kg), andthe average for Asia(146 kg), especially EastAsia (202 kg). Bothextremes of fertilizer usecause environmentalproblems, although ofdifferent kinds, so interme-diate rates should normallybe the goal.

The high price of fertilizersis often mentioned as aconstraint to fertilizer usein Africa. Fertilizers areindeed expensive on thecontinent, because inlandfreight charges, operationalcosts, and other costs areusually higher in Africathan elsewhere. These costsmight be decreased throughvarious interventions,

The Summit’s guidingprinciple is thatwhile inorganicfertilizers are

essential to achievean African Green

Revolution, efforts toonly increase theiravailability are not

enough.

including increased marketcompetition, which wasseen recently in Malawi.Utilization of indigenousfertilizer resources has alsobeen of interest, both fornitrogen and phosphorus.Africa has 70% of theworld’s phosphate re-sources and significantnatural resources for

nitrogen and potashproduction.

Summit PreparationsThe Summit’s guidingprinciple is that whileinorganic fertilizers areessential to achieve anAfrican Green Revolution,efforts to only increase theiravailability are not enough.Instead, a holistic approachis needed, includingimprovement of farmeraccess to fertilizer,affordability of fertilizer,and incentives for fertilizeruse through better outputmarkets. This approachneeds to involve efforts tosupply farm inputs, toincrease production, and toimprove marketing andprocessing of farm outputs.

The Summit will consist of4 days of activities, with aTechnical Session (June 9–10) followed by a Ministe-rial Meeting (June 12), thenthe Meeting of the Heads ofState (June 13). No formalactivities are planned forJune 11.

The Summit is bringingtogether numerous actors. Itis chaired by H.E. PresidentObasanjo and convened bythe African Union (AU) andNew Partnership forAfrica’s Development(NEPAD). H.E. PresidentObasanjo is also the chairof the Eminent Persons’Group, consisting of world-renowned scientists,policymakers, and develop-ment specialists. TheEminent Persons’ Grouphas set the overall vision

for the Summit, has advisedon the structure andconduct of the Summit, andguides the follow-upactions. The Group metonce before the Summit, inMarch 2006, in New YorkCity. The 29-memberTechnical Committee,consisting of representa-tives of national andinternational organizations,with a majority based inAfrica, has been extremelyactive and has given itsinput on the Summitagenda, participants,exhibits, and key papers intwo meetings: inJohannesburg, SouthAfrica, in November 2005and Abuja, Nigeria, inFebruary 2006.

Summit preparations havebeen led by two Secretari-ats, one at IFDC headquar-ters in Alabama, U.S.A.,another at the NEPADSecretariat inJohannesburg, SouthAfrica. In Nigeria, theNational and LocalOrganizing Committeeshave been closely involvedwith the Summit prepara-tions in Abuja. A Communi-cations Strategy Group,consisting of representa-tives from NEPAD, theRockefeller Foundation,IFDC, the InternationalFertilizer Industry Associa-tion (IFA), the Local

Organizing Committee, andthe Burness Communica-tions, has communicatedabout the Summit and itsimportance to local,national, and world media.

Summit preparations havebeen complex. NumerousAfrican countries and fourRegional EconomicCommunities have preparedCountry and RegionalFertilizer Strategies and theSummit Secretariats havecoordinated the preparationof diverse Summit papers.These include the “VisionPaper,” which outlines thebackground, key actors, andobjectives of the Summit,as well as several otherpapers focusing on impor-tant aspects of the fertilizersector in Africa. TheStrategies and backgroundpapers have been fed intothe Summit TechnicalSession, which combineskeynote addresses, panels,and concurrent panelsessions.

Finally, this Summit will beaction-oriented. The keyoutput of the TechnicalSession will be the defini-tion of the way forward—the future actions thatshould be taken in thefertilizer sector in Africa.These actions will bepresented at the MinisterialMeeting on June 12.

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Keynote Address “Achieving an African Green Revolution”Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize LaureatePresident, Sasakawa Africa Association

Fertilizer use should bea cohesive part of any

agricultural productionstrategy. This was demon-strated in Asia and else-where during the GreenRevolution—modernvarieties and fertilizer werethe key production factors.Adoption of modernvarieties of wheat and riceincreased from nil in 1965to 20% of the farmed areaby 1970. By 1990, 70% ofthe wheat area and 65% ofthe rice area were plantedin modern varieties. In thesame time period, fertilizeruse increased greatly—from 5 million tons in 1965to 10 million in 1970 to54 million tons in 1990.Total fertilizer use in Asiawas 77 million tons in2005. Consequently, cerealproduction almost tripledfrom 1965 to 2005.

In Asia, the intensificationof agricultural productionon already cultivated landhas left vast areasunexploited. From 1950 to

....and 1.1 billion hectares of landwere spared from agriculturalproduction due to increased

productivity. Thus, high-yieldingagriculture and forestry helpprotect wildlife and natural

resources.

2000 cereal productiontripled, from 650 milliontons to 1,900 million tons.More than 660 millionhectares were in agricul-tural production in 2000,and 1.1 billion hectares ofland were spared fromagricultural production dueto increased productivity.Thus, high-yieldingagriculture and forestryhelp protect wildlife andnatural resources.

The Green Revolution inAfrica should be differentfrom that in Asia. Onecannot simply replicate theefforts of Asia in Africa.When the Asian GreenRevolution was initiated,there was an extensiveirrigation infrastructure,with 40 million hectares inirrigation. The transportinfrastructure was generallygood, and public inputsupply and grain marketingboards were active. In Asia,there were also manyproduction subsidies, aswell as a large unmetcommercial marketdemand. In contrast,Africa’s agriculture ismainly rainfed and thetransport infrastructure ispoor. Africa’s input supplyand grain marketingsystems are market-driven,production subsidies arefew, and there is littleunmet commercial marketdemand.

Africa’sinfrastructuredevelopmentneeds particu-lar attention.For example,the roadinfrastructure isextremelylimited. Roadsdo not neces-sarily have tobe paved; all-weather roadswork fine. Roads haveother benefits and can helpinitiate development inmany ways. Extremely highrates of adult illiteracy areanother obstacle to Africa’sdevelopment; 40% of alladults are illiterate and 45million children of primaryschool age are not inschool.

One effort to increaseagricultural productivity inAfrica has been theSasakawa-Global 2000project, which, withfunding from the NipponFoundation in Japan, hasworked in 15 Africancountries. Its purpose is tobuild a commercialsmallholder farming sector.The efforts first focused onhigh potential farmers and

involved increasingproductivity of staple foodcrops, reducing commercialcosts, diversifying farmenterprises, and addingmore value to primaryproduction. Yields indemonstration plots havebeen double and even triplethose of national averages.

To improve agriculturalproductivity, Africa needsto increase its fertilizer usefrom the current lowaverage of 8 kilograms perhectare. Other countrieshave done it; for example,China more than qua-drupled its fertilizer usestarting in the 1970s.Promoting fertilizer usedoes not mean that othertechnologies should not beused. Integrated Soil

Africa’s infrastructure developmentneeds particular attention.

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Finally, Africashould develop itswater resources.

Africa has thepotential to

irrigate 20% of itsarable land, butonly 4% is now

irrigated.

Dr. Norman Borlaug during the proceedings of the Technical Session.

Fertility Managementpractices should bedemonstrated and dissemi-nated to smallholderfarmers, and supplementedby the development ofsmallholder input deliverysystems. Social investmentsin land and watershedrehabilitation should bemade through food-for-work programs.

Conservation tillage isanother promising tool withbeneficial effects on soilorganic matter, erosion,moisture conservation, andlabor and fuel use. We alsoneed to improve efficiencyof fertilizer—not only infertilizer use but also in itssupply. In addition, we needto build smallholder inputretailer systems withbusiness development

assistance, multipleproducts and services,commercial credit lines,technical advisory services,and service providers.Finally, Africa shoulddevelop its water resources.Africa has the potential toirrigate 20% of its arableland, but only 4% is nowirrigated. Small-scaleirrigation systems, gener-ally the most cost-effective,should be promoted.

Finally, I share withPresident OlusegunObasanjo the vision ofAfrican agriculture:

“As long as farmingremains only marginallyrewarding, young men andwomen will drift away fromthe rural areas to increasethe battalions of the urban

poor. The idea, therefore,that African agricultureshould be based only on ahalf hectare holding is, tosay the least, unappetizing.I want to see the evolutionof young, emergent,commercial farmers whowill be holding, not a halfhectare of land, but 5 to 10to 20 hectares of land, andfor whom the city will haveno big attraction.”

Achieving this is impera-tive; to quote John BoydOrr, the first DirectorGeneral of the Food andAgriculture Organization orFAO, “You cannot buildpeace on empty stomachs.”

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Remarks on the African Green Revolution: Panel of Eminent ScientistsDr. Pedro Sanchez, Director of Tropical Agriculture and Millenium Villages Project,The Earth Institute at Columbia University, New York, U.S.A.; World Food PrizeLaureate

The Secretary Generalof the United Nations,

Mr. Kofi Annan, has calledfor a 21st century, “uniquelyAfrican” Green Revolution.This Revolution must havenumerous components tosucceed, from agriculture,nutrition, and markets toenvironment, policies, andpolitics.

To effectively increase theagricultural productivity offood-insecure farmers, wemust simultaneously investin soil health, small-scalewater management,improved seeds, andeffective extension.Inorganic fertilizer will bean important component ofthe effort to increaseagricultural productivity.There is nothing wrongwith inorganic fertilizerwhen it is properly used;the plant does not carewhere the nitrate andphosphate ions come from.Inorganic fertilizer,

There is nothing wrongwith inorganic fertilizer

when it is properly used;the plant does not carewhere the nitrate and

phosphate ions come from.

particularly phosphorus, isneeded to correct soildeficiencies.

The main problem withinorganic fertilizers is theirhigh cost, which is causedmostly by high transportcosts. Farmers will there-fore need marketable cropsto purchase fertilizer. Analternative is to accessnutrients in ways that lowertransport costs, such asthrough the use of indig-enous, high-reactivityphosphate rock andexploitation of biomasstransfers, such as with theMexican sunflower.

“Fertilizer trees” have zerotransportation costs. Today,400,000 farm families ineastern and southern Africause agroforestry. The wayforward will involve the useof inorganic fertilizers incombination with suchorganic fertilizers as covercrops and fertilizer trees.

The Millennium VillagesProject of the UnitedNations is a way to em-power African villages toreach the MillenniumDevelopment Goals, orMDGs. The project ischaracterized by:• Political legitimacy. The

project has been sup-ported at the highest level

in the UnitedNations.

• Compellingobjectives toreach the MDGs.

• Science-basedsolutions.

• Integratedapproaches todevelopment,covering allimportant sectors, such ashealth and agriculture.

• Setting quantitativetargets; for example,achievement of theMDGs by 2015.

• Focus on hotspots, wheremore than 20% of thechildren under 5 sufferfrom malnutrition. Africahas 230 such hotspots,with 100,000 villages ofabout 5,000 inhabitantseach. In these hotspots,88% of the children areunderweight, and povertyand disease rates arehigh.

The cost of reaching allMDGs has been estimatedto average $110 per person,with targeted coverage byhouseholds at $10 and bygovernments at $30. Donorsupport is expected for theremaining $70, distributedas 15% for agriculture andnutrition, 30% for health,20% for infrastructure, 20%for education, and 15% forwater, sanitation, environ-ment, and other items.

The Millennium Villagesare located in diverse agro-ecological zones. Thecommunities lead thescience-based developmentefforts in the villages, withvillage committees beingtrained in empowerment,management, governance,and technical aspects ofdevelopment. Agriculturalproductivity has greatlyincreased in the MillenniumVillages, and storagefacilities have beenconstructed to store theproduce. Agriculturalefforts in the MillenniumVillages projects are nothandouts—villages co-paythe project costs.

Medical clinics have alsobeen built, and home-grownfeeding programs havebeen implemented, whichsuit local tastes andincrease demand foragricultural produce. Otherinterventions includeenergy-efficient stoves, safe

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But true povertyelimination may

finally result as anability to trade:

“…and they will buyfishing

equipment.”

drinking water, and wirelessInternet services. Theseinterventions allow farmersto transform themselvesfrom subsistence producersto small-scale entrepre-neurs. In Malawi, wherefertilizer is subsidized by75%, we can see signs of aGreen Revolution starting.

Improving agriculturalproductivity will be farcheaper than food aid forthe country’s poor. Farmerassistance with seed, water,and improvement of soilfertility involves anexpenditure of $40 perfamily. Food aid costswould be tenfold, or $400per family.

Traditional food aid createsdependency because itrequires continuousassistance: “Give people afish and they will eat for aday.” Empowerment comesfrom teaching people themeans to obtain theirlivelihoods: “Show peoplehow to fish and they willeat for a lifetime.” But truepoverty elimination mayfinally result as an ability totrade: “…and they will buyfishing equipment.”

Remarks on the African Green Revolution: Panel ofEminent ScientistsDr. Gary Toenniessen, Director, Food Security, The RockefellerFoundation, U.S.A.

Africa needs anagro-ecologicallybased breeding

system producingnumerous varieties

of each crop.

The African GreenRevolution must differ

from the one in Asia. Thebreeding approach must bedifferent and, due to thecurrent poor performanceof markets on the continent,greater emphasis should beon market development.Increasingly, inputs inAfrica must be delivered bymarkets and surplus outputsconsumed by markets. Ifyou combine higher andmore stable yields with fairand efficient markets, theresults are greater farmincomes and better house-hold food security. This is avery simple concept—butnot so simple to implement.Nevertheless, progress isbeing made.

The approach in cropgenetic improvement inAfrica needs to be differentfrom Asia. As Dr. Borlaugindicated, the work in Asiafocused on rice and wheat

varieties that were broadlyadaptable to irrigated areas.In Africa, we will have todevelop improved varietiesof 10 or more importantcrops. Since Africa doesnot have the vast areas ofirrigation like Asia does,those varieties must be fine-tuned to local conditions.This implies that Africaneeds an agro-ecologicallybased breeding systemproducing numerousvarieties of each crop. Thedevelopment of thevarieties in Africa mustfocus on limiting lossesrather than on increasingyield potential, as was donein Asia. In Africa, we needto move farmer yields fromone to two or three tons perhectare. Almost any currentvariety has the potential toyield two to three tons perhectare. The problem inAfrica is the high croplosses during the growingseason, causing varietiesnot to achieve theirpotential. Therefore,breeding needs to focus onreducing losses. Finally, inAfrica the varietal develop-ment program should belinked to seed delivery,which often means amarket-based system.

The judicious use ofinorganic and organicinputs done within anintegrated soil fertility

management (ISFM)program is the key toenhance soil productivity.This needs to includefertilizer. Only whenfertilizer is part of thepackage do farmers get asufficient return to warranttheir investment in betterseeds and additional labor.

Next, we need to let thefarmers integrate thesetechnologies—the organicinputs, the mineral fertiliz-ers, and the new varieties.Farmers are better atfarming than scientists are!We should therefore givethe farmers access to thesetechnologies and teachthem how to use them. Inreturn, they will show ushow to integrate them intoan effective farming systemunder local conditions.

We also need, as suggestedbefore, markets to deliverthe seeds and fertilizers. Weneed wholesale markets,but we also need retailmarkets. Experience

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indicates that rural stockistswho traditionally sellcigarettes, soaps, and sodacan be trained as agro-dealers to do a good jobdelivering new technologyto farmers while makingprofits selling seeds andfertilizers.

Finally, once the farmersuse these technologies andincrease production, theyneed access to profitablemarkets to make money and

get a return on theirinvestment. That is whatfarming is all about—making money and feedingthe family. Storage mecha-nisms, such as cereal banks,should be available so thata quality product sells whenthe prices are high, not atharvest when prices arelowest. For perishables,such as cassava andbananas, we need foodprocessing technologies toconvert them into products

with longer shelf life andhigher profits.

Uganda’s PresidentMuseveni thanked theRockefeller Foundation forhelping scientists achievesignificantly increasedbanana production in hiscountry. Nevertheless, heasked, “What are we goingto do with all these ba-nanas? We’ve got bananasrotting in the streetsbecause of the increased

production!” This is due toa lack of processingindustry for the surplusproduction. That is wherewe are currently placing agreat deal of emphasis—onthe development of outputmarkets to absorb a surplusand generate income forfarmers.

Remarks on the African Green Revolution: Panel of Eminent ScientistsDr. Florence Wambugu, Chief Executive Officer, A Harvest BiotechnologyFoundation, Kenya

Africa Harvest is anonprofit international

foundation with a globalmission and an Africanfocus. We fight hunger byusing science and technol-ogy, including biotechnol-ogy. We know that we alsoneed fertilizer and water toachieve our vision. That iswhy we are here.

The African Green Revolu-tion is long overdue andwill be achieved through allthe components discussedin the previous presenta-tions. Important othercomponents include goodgovernance, policies,regulatory framework,biosafety, increased fundingfor agricultural develop-ment, research, extension,infrastructure, and humancapacity development. Nocountry has developedwithout scientific andtechnological innovation,and Africa is not different.Therefore, agriculturalinputs—such as water andfertilizer—are part ofsustainability and the wayforward for Africa.

Africa will not achieve theGreen Revolution by usingonly two crops. Instead,

Africa must achieve “minirevolutions” with cropssuch as banana, cassava,sweet potato, NERICA rice,maize, and beans. All minirevolutions together willcause the “mega revolu-tion” that we are lookingfor. We must exploit thediverse agro-ecologicalareas in Africa by improv-ing productivity in thealready-farmed rainfedareas and by using irriga-tion in the drier areas.

To achieve this, we have toincrease the number ofbreeders in the continent.There are now very fewAfrican breeders. We alsoneed to increase breedingefforts. But breeding alonewill not give us what we arelooking for. We should alsouse other technologies suchas biotechnology to control

pests. Therefore, what isneeded is a diversity ofcrops and technologies, toimprove crop productivity.

Networking is an importantpriority in the effort toachieve the African GreenRevolution. Not manyAfrican countries have thecapacity to improve cropproductivity when workingin isolation. Therefore,networking through north-south partnerships andpublic and private sectors isvery important.

All mini revolutionstogether will cause

the “megarevolution” that we

are looking for.

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The importance of nurtur-ing a strong Africanleadership cannot beoveremphasized. Dr.Norman Borlaug said,“How can we find theleaders?” To tackle theseissues, to move the wayforward, and to bringpeople along, we needscientific leaders, not justpolitical leaders. Scaling upand scaling out successesfrom other projects—suchas NERICA rice, cassava,and the tissue culturebanana—will also beimportant. We also need tolook at the research wehave done already to seehow we can commercializeits outcomes. This willopen up considerableresources. At the same time,we need to continue topursue strategic research togenerate intellectualproperty so that we will nothave to continue to pay for

intellectual property in theareas of crop improvement.

The fertilizer-driven GreenRevolution is the only waywe can increase productiv-ity. Fertilizer will becatalytic, but at the sametime, we must face suchchallenges as increasedcosts for farmers, fertilizerquality, costs and availabil-ity, credit, distributionnetworks, and farmerknowledge levels. Fertilizermust be viewed as atechnology based oninformation, and it musttherefore be provided withextension services sofarmers will know when,how, and what kind offertilizer to apply.

What can we do? We cancontinue to talk, but ouractions are more important.In fact, the Green Revolu-tion has already started.

Now we need to scale upand increase our efforts. Inthat context, we will focuson a project we have beenworking on with theRockefeller Foundation inKenya for the past 10 years.The length of time withsustainable funding wasnecessary to advance sothat results could be scaledout. The project focuses onbanana, a major Africancrop and one that should bea big business leader. But,due to a poor technologicalbase, soil fertility problems,and other constraints, onlytwo African countries,Cameroon and Côted’Ivoire, are involved in theinternational bananabusiness. Traditionally,African farmers use suckersfor propagation, but theyhave disease problems, andtheir productivity is low. Incontrast, tissue culturebananas, together with good

agronomic practices,information outreach, andimproved soil fertility canresult in tripling or quadru-pling banana yields and inincreased quality, allowingcountries to enter the exportmarkets.

This project has beensuccessful because it isbuilt on partnerships withnumerous organizations andis led by the RockefellerFoundation. The project hasreceived recognition, but,more important, it aims atincreasing food security,economic empowerment,and entrepreneurship.Today, many young peopledo not want to be farmers,but they do get excitedabout becoming entrepre-neurs and therefore join theproject.

It is important that the newtechnology has a demon-strated greater value. Withtissue culture, the produc-tivity costs are a bit higher,but the economic rewardsare significantly higher.With small farmers, it isalso important to use astrategy involving thewhole value chain with afocus on three issues: goodagronomic practices, accessto markets, and informationoutreach. One needs towork with micro-credit,extension, and institutionsin post harvest issues andmarketing, and to link withprivate sector and distribu-tion networks. Finally,markets cannot be overem-phasized; for example,farmers will accept creditonly if markets are there.Behind the scenes at the Summit.

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It Is Farmers That Will Nourish the SoilsMr. Ndiogou Fall, Chairman, The West African Network of Farmers and ProducersOrganizations (ROPPA), Senegal

Today, African farmerorganizations are

gathered to participate inthe Africa FertilizerSummit. We voice oursupport for this conference,but express some criticalissues that should also beconsidered.

This Summit bringstogether key stakeholders inagriculture, African Headsof State, African Ministers,presidents and heads ofinternational donororganizations, privatesector firms, seniorpolicymakers, and farmers.This Summit will discussthe food challenges ofAfrica and its soil andfertilizer crises. Thepurpose of the Summit is toincrease the awareness ofthe role that fertilizer canplay in stimulating sustain-able pro-poor productivitygrowth in African agricul-ture and to discuss ap-proaches for rapidlyincreasing efficient

fertilizer use by smallholderfarmers. It will map outregional and nationalstrategies within theframework of agriculturalsector development plansand financing mechanisms.This Summit’s slogan is:“Nourish the soil, feed thecontinent.”

We acknowledge theimportance of this Summitand the involvement of keystakeholders. We know thatthere is a need for increaseduse of inputs for Africanagriculture to achievenational economic develop-ment and to reduce poverty.We support measures toimprove supply-sideconstraints, including theneed for more regionalintegration and trade, andthe harmonization of rulesand regulations to reducethe cost of agriculturalinputs.

While fertilizers are animportant input, we feelthat the Summit is giving

The reason behindapparent

“unawareness” isthat farmers do

not have theincentive to invest

in their soils.

more attention to address-ing supply-side constraintsand less to demand-sideconstraints affecting small-and medium-scale farmers.Some of the demand-sideissues that are not ad-equately addressed are:• The development of well-

functioning agriculturaloutput markets.

• Access to agriculturalservices (research,extension, soil sampling,credit facilities, etc.).

• Adequate infrastructuraldevelopment to facilitatethe movement of inputs,outputs, and informationfor small- and medium-scale farmers.

• High cost of inputs.

Although we acknowledgethat this is a fertilizersummit, we do feel that thefocus of the Summit shouldbe more on soil fertilitymanagement, combiningboth organic and inorganicfertilizers to achieveagricultural intensificationto assure the livelihoods ofthe farmers of today andfuture generations and toprotect the environment.

Farmers are perceived asbeneficiaries and targetgroups and not as actorsthat are increasinglyorganized. It is not a lack ofknowledge of farmers in thefirst place that is anobstacle for development in

agriculture. The reasonbehind apparent “unaware-ness” is that farmers do nothave the incentive to investin their soils.

Finally, we think that anappeal for an African GreenRevolution is not right; aseries of “rainbow evolu-tions” are needed, adaptedto the circumstances andthe conditions of variousregions of Africa and thefarmers of Africa.

What farmers would like:• More and better focused

research for agriculture isneeded. Research shouldbe linked to the opera-tional needs of thefarmers and the farmerorganizations.

• Small- and medium-scalefarmers would like tobecome involved inpolicy formulation fromconceptualization toimplementation.

• Small- and medium-scalefarming should bepromoted to harness andstrengthen the entrepre-neurial spirit of small-and medium-scalefarmers.

• Fertilizer use should beseen within the context ofintegrated soil fertilitymanagement; the use offertilizer is a part but notthe only part.

• Appropriate packagingand distribution.

50

• Reduce undisclosedinterests.

• Development of Africancapacity to producefertilizers.

• Farmers should havespecial credits and/orsystems of financingfertilizer use.

• Farmers and farmerorganizations should playtheir roles as partners inagricultural development,among others throughcapacity building andorganizational support.

• Appropriate and acces-sible agro-services(research, extension,credit, etc.) should bedeveloped.

What farmers would like tocontribute:• Organization of the

commercialization andtransformation ofagricultural products, tothe benefit of consumersand governments.

• Participation in interac-tive processes of policydevelopment in agricul-tural production.

• Articulation of demandfor inputs such asfertilizers, which willcreate economies of scaleand, as a consequence,create the conditions forthe private sector to dobusiness in rural areas.

• Participation in adaptiveresearch and farmer-to-farmer extension pro-grams to improve therelationship betweenresearch, production, andmarketing within theagricultural sector.

• Setting-up of saving andcredit cooperatives tofacilitate access of poorfarmers to agriculturalinputs.

We hope that our contribu-tion to this Summit willpave the way for moreattention and investment inthe agricultural sector ofAfrican countries. Becauseonly in that way will we beable to fight hunger,malnutrition, and poverty.

Richard Kachikwu of IFDC/Nigeriaprepares conference bags.

Most farmers in sub-Saharan Africa work hard for little gain.

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Summary

This session focused onappropriate policies and successfulinterventions for fertilizer sectordevelopment. Although theperformance of Africa’s agriculturalsector in general is poor, therehave been numerous successfulexperiences on which future effortscan be modeled, both at the policylevel and at the community andfarm levels; many of these werepresented during the session.Impacts of fertilizer use on theenvironment receive considerablepublic attention and thereforedeserved a focused presentation inthe context of the Summit. Finally,although presented in Session 3during the Summit, twopresentations relevant to thissession’s themes—one onMillennium Development Goals,another on Sustainable LandManagement—are included in thefollowing pages.

The presentations of all speakershave been summarized in thefollowing.

Session 2: Perspectives onFertilizer Sector Development

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Gary Toenniessen, Director, Food Security, The RockefellerFoundation, U.S.A.

Dr. Mpoko Bokanga, Executive Director, Africa Agricultural TechnologyFoundation, Kenya

RapporteursDr. Nteranye Sanginga, Director, Tropical Soil Biology and FertilityInstitute (TSBF) of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture(CIAT), Kenya

Dr. M. M. Jibrin, Associate Professor, Ado Bayero University, Nigeria

Policies for Stimulating Rapid Growth in Fertilizer Use in Africaby Dr. Karen Brooks, Sector Manager, The World Bank, U.S.A.

Fertilizers and the Environment: Friends or Foes?by Dr. Eric Smaling, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture, InternationalInstitute of Geo-Information Science and Earth-Observation, TheNetherlands

Successful Interventions for Fertilizer Sector DevelopmentBuilding Input Supply Systems to Improve Access for Farmersby Dr. Akin Adesina, Associate Director, Food Security, TheRockefeller Foundation, Kenya

Successful Interventions for Fertilizer Sector DevelopmentDeveloping Fertilizer Interventions for Semi-Arid Areasby Dr. William D. Dar, Director General, International Crops ResearchInstitute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), India

Successful Interventions for Fertilizer Sector DevelopmentIntegrated Soil Fertility Management/Competitive AgriculturalSystems and Enterprisesby Dr. Victor Clottey, Agricultural Intensification in Sub-Saharan Africa(AISSA), Ghana

Successful Interventions for Fertilizer Sector DevelopmentBuilding Africa’s Institutional Capacity for Fertilizer SectorDevelopmentby Dr. Samuel C. Muchena, Managing Director, African Center forFertilizer Development (ACFD), Zimbabwe

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Summit Sponsor

Farmers nourish the soils and feed the continent

Farmers contributions to the SummitThe regional farmers’ federations of East, West, Southern and Central Africa (EAFF, ROPPA, SACAU and PROPAC) and Nigeria met several times to prepare themselves well. Twelve farmers’ leaders from all over the continent actively participated in the Summit. Farmers delivered one of the key note addresses. The Presidents of EAFF and ROPPA participated in the Ministerial Meetings. A so-called ‘Green Book’, presenting African farmers’ perspectives on the Summit theme was elaborated. This book, which contained 19 cases from 10 countries, was largely distributed (1000 copies in English and in French). A booklet containing East-African farmers’ perspectives on fertilizer use was also elaborated and widely distributed during the seminar. Farmers’ representatives participated in all break out sessions during the Summit and presented their views according to the Farmers’ Declaration that was elaborated beforehand. Farmers had an Information Booth in the entrance hall that received a lot of visitors. Farmers organised a panel discussion that was attended by 60 participants and a press conference that was attended by 15 journalists.

Outcome Farmers’ viewpoints and activities have received a lot of attention during the Africa Fertilizer Summit. The combined effect of the different farmers’ contributions gave a powerful message. Several farmers’ proposals have been taken into account in the final declaration of the Summit. Before the Summit, farmers were not really considered as crucial participants. It is expected that the participation of farmers organisations during the Summit has encouraged governments, business partners, donors and development organisations to work more intensively with rural peoples organizations.

Follow-up Summit resolutions are just a start. Joint action of different stakeholders, at regional, national and local level, is now the major challenge in order to translate commitments into action. For practical results at farm and household level, the capacity of farmers’ organisations to mobilize the skills and motivation of producers should be harnessed. Joint advocacy, for instance of input dealers and farmers’ organisations, can be envisaged, in order to create a more conducive environment for agricultural intensification. Farmer cooperatives can play an important role in the identification of fertilizer needs, training and distribution. Indeed,

farmers are actors and not mere target groups or beneficiaries. For many, current farm practices are part of the problem of soil depletion in Africa. Maybe they are. However, farmers are above all part of the solution, because, after all, it is farmers that nourish the soils and feed the continent.

More information about AgriterraFor further information about our work check our website: www.agriterra.org. Would you like to be kept up-to-date to the latest news concerning Agriterra? If so, please send an email with your name to communicatie@agriterra.org

Agriterra facilitated farmers’ active participation to the Africa Fertilizer Summit so that farmers could present their perspectives and proposals, with the aim to arrive at resolutions that would reflect farmers’ views and interests.

Agriterra was founded by Dutch rural people’s organisations. We believe that strong and representative agricultural organizations are indispensable for the promotion of democracy, for a better distribution of income and for the economic development of a country. In developing countries a lot of people live and work in rural areas. They can make an important contribution to development. We offer assistance to farmer organizations and cooperative societies in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. We provide them with project funding and offer expert advice in the field of organizational strengthening, economic initiatives and lobbying. Consultancy services are provided by experts of Dutch agricultural organizations and cooperatives. Development cooperation does not occur through government structures or mediators, but immediately from farmer to farmer, from rural woman to rural woman, from cooperative to cooperative.

AGRITERRA

Agri terra

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Policies for Stimulating Rapid Growth in Fertilizer Use in AfricaDr. Karen Brooks, Sector Manager, The World Bank, U.S.A.

The World Banksupports growth in

agricultural productivity inAfrica and recognizes thatfertilizer, well used, is apart, but not the entire,solution to Africa’sproductivity problem. Withthe Department for Interna-tional Development (DFID)and others, the World Bankhas developed a fertilizertoolkit, an interactivecompendium of goodpractice.

That Africa’s agriculturalproductivity is stagnant oreven declining is wellknown. It is less wellknown that, at 3.3% (1990-2003), African agriculturein gross terms is actuallygrowing rather rapidly.Nevertheless, the growth isnot rapid enough to meetthe ambitious targets of thecountries in the region and,due to high populationgrowth, to lead to signifi-cant improvements in per

capita food supply orincome.

With stagnant productivity,output can grow only witharea expansion; this is whatis happening in Africa. Areaexpansion in land-abundantregions can be appropriate,associated with laborproductivity growth. It canalso become a basis foreconomic growth, as hashappened historically insome regions. This is notthe case recently in Africawhere it has replicated thelow input/low outputproduction on increasinglymarginal lands. Whereintensification has hap-pened, it is often partlybased on soil mining. Thisis not sustainable.

Africa’s current level ofagricultural growth istherefore neither environ-mentally sustainable norconducive to povertyreduction. African farmers

are not using technology inappropriate ways due toweak agricultural researchsystems, weak extension,lack of inputs, highfinancial risks, lack ofirrigation, and poorinfrastructure. Efforts areunderway to strengthenmany of these factors.Again, fertilizer is a part,but not the entire, solutionto problems of productivity.Public money spent onpromotion of fertilizeralone will yield low returns.

Fortunately, commitment toaddress the full agenda ishigher now than in the pastseveral decades, both at theregional level (throughNEPAD and the Compre-hensive Africa AgricultureDevelopment Program[CAADP]) and at thenational level (e.g.,increased public spendingon agriculture, nationalprograms focusing onbottlenecks, and soundmacroeconomic manage-ment). Comprehensivesectoral programs areexpensive but are a verygood use of scarce re-sources because they buildthe foundation for long-term rural growth.

When a country wants topromote fertilizer use, theWorld Bank tries to workwith it to provide guidance.The basic guidelinesinclude:

• Distinguish betweenareas with poor vs. goodlong-term commercial-ization potential as wellas between peopleneeding safety nets vs.those needing a boostinto marketable produc-tion. Intensive input usemay not be desirable inremote areas. Fertilizermay play a role in safetynets, but not for allhouseholds.

• In areas with highpotential and reasonablygood market access,support the demand andsupply side of fertilizermarkets simultaneously.

• Select demand-sideinterventions that willbuild future commercialclientele for purchasedinputs, including technol-ogy demonstrations,producer training,improved marketinformation, and others.

• Select supply-sideinterventions that bringdown the costs ofdelivery to a growingnumber of clients,including reducing tradebarriers, enhancingtransparency in regula-tions and standardizingthem over larger areas,and improving infrastruc-ture, among others.

With such interventions, isthere a role for subsidies?A subsidy is simply the useof public money for

Fertilizer is a part,but not all, of the

solution toproblems of

productivity. Publicmoney spent on

promotion offertilizer alone willyield low returns.

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something that is not purelyor even primarily a publicgood or service. Many ofthe interventions notedabove are subsidies andWorld Bank is supportingseveral of these, e.g.,matching grants fortechnology adoption,weather insurance, andpublic-private partnershipin irrigation investment.These belong to what wecall market-smart subsidies;i.e., they are consistent withlonger term market devel-opment. They can betargeted; their impactshould be reviewedregularly and publicly; andthey should be designedwith exit strategies.

Not all subsidies aremarket-smart. The tradi-tional price subsidyencourages overuse, orunderuse, or sole use offertilizer; it rarely allowsfor targeting smallholdersand is expensive. Pan-territorial pricing, a pricesubsidy to cover transportcosts to remote areas, hasno exit strategy withoutinfrastructure investment, isadministratively expensiveand cumbersome, andresults in late deliveries andin substantial leakage.Unless carefully targeted(difficult except throughpublic works), free fertil-izer distribution undercutsthe development ofcommercial sales. When

distribution is done duringelection campaigns, theprivate sector receives astrong signal of thelikelihood of periodicinterventions by govern-ment, increasing risk forprivate investment. Freefertilizer may also be of awrong type or producersmay not know how to useit. Each of these subsidiesis not sustainable and haslower impact and higherpotential for diversion andcorruption than market-smart subsidies.

African clients of the WorldBank have already begun toseek increased funding forinvestments in agriculture.The World Bank is re-

sponding positively whileensuring that efforts areconsistent with longer-termproductivity growth or,alternatively, with thedesign of viable safety nets.There is no standardizedapproach. However, allWorld Bank programs arecountry based. As theparticipants consider post-Summit modalities, it willbe important to keep inmind the ways in whichvarious institutions may beinvolved in implementation.Finally, the success of theSummit will very muchdepend on inclusion of theviews of both producersand the private sector.

Fertilizers and the Environment: Friends or Foes?Dr. Eric Smaling, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture, International Institute of Geo-Information Science and Earth-Observation, The Netherlands

We can examine theissue of fertilizers

and the environment fromthe perspective of theecosystem services, a termthat has been used duringthe Millennium Eco-Systems Assessment. The

question is: Are MillenniumDevelopment Goal 1(MDG1) (focusing on theeradication of extremehunger and poverty) andMillennium DevelopmentGoal 7 (MDG7) (ensuringenvironmental sustainability)incompatible?

Eradicating extreme hungerand poverty is not progress-ing well in sub-Saharan andNorth Africa. Unlike inAsia, it may be after 2015before hunger will bereduced. Therefore, thereare three options forrealizing MDG1 in Africa:• Bring the people to the

food through immigra-

tion. This is undesirableas we have recently seenwith events in the CanaryIslands.

• Bring the food to thepeople through normalimports or food aid.Imports without suffi-cient exports will resultin a lasting deficit inbalances of payment—another undesirablesituation.

• Allow the people to growenough food for them-selves in the region. Thisis the ethical option,because people will becapable of looking aftertheir own village,country, and region. This

requires the use ofpublic-private invest-ments and fertilizer.

To monitor progress onMDG7, environmentalsustainability, we willmonitor changes in vegeta-tion and land use. ForAfrica, the indications arenot good. The continentcontains three majorlandmarks where deteriora-tion has been well-monitored and documented:Mt. Kilimanjaro, Okavangoinland delta, and LakeChad. Certain humanactions often deterioratenatural processes, as in thecase of desert margins,

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where natural wind erosionworsens and causes severalproblems, including thoseaffecting health. Anotherarea of concern is the forestmargin. Originally, theproblem developed onlyfrom shifting cultivationand was cyclic. However,forest margins are nowunder severe environmentalthreats from all sides.

So, what is the nexusbetween MDG1 andMDG7—fertilizers and theenvironment? Two casesmust be dealt with: overuseand underuse. Both havenegative impacts on theenvironment. A balance offertilizer use is, therefore,an optimal quantity.

Excessive fertilizer useencompasses not onlyquantity, but also ineffi-ciency and unbalancednature of fertilization.Often, too much nitrogen isapplied in comparison tophosphorus, resulting inlow nitrogen recovery andgroundwater and aquiferpollution. This extensivelydebated issue is a signifi-cant problem on almost allcontinents. Additionalproblems include volatileemissions and acidification.In Africa, inefficient andunbalanced fertilizer usemay take place in someirrigated systems, such asEgypt, and in some urbansystems elsewhere on thecontinent. The only otherproblem in this category inAfrica is acidification,which is caused not asmuch by the high use of

fertilizer, but by croppingon lands where vegetationhas been stripped.

Fertilizer use is low onmost of the Africancontinent. This leads topoor yields and nutrientmining, which results in theexpansion of agricultureinto new lands. This causesdecreased vegetation cover,loss of biodiversity, loss offorest products, and thedecline of general organicmatter both above andbelow ground. Most of theproduction increase in thecontinent is due to areaexpansion, not increasedproductivity. The naturalvegetation is disappearingat a more rapid rate than iffarmers had a good crop.

This low fertilizer use istaking place on a continentwith inherently low soilfertility. Soil fertility in thearable lands of sub-SaharanAfrica is twice as high asthe soil fertility of non-arable lands of Africa. Thishas nothing to do withagricultural use, but resultsfrom the fact that Africa ismore than two billion yearsold, the oldest continent onthe earth. Africa is alsomore acidic, with itsaverage acidity one unitbelow the average ofEurope.

Promising avenues toincrease environmentallysafe fertilizer use includethe following:• Create awareness of

Africa’s low soil fertilityto those involved in

international and politicaldebate.

• Revisit the subsidyparadigms and indicatewhat aspects of fertilizeruse contribute to globalpublic and environmentalbenefits.

• Build regional strategieson fertilizer use and theenvironment. In WestAfrica, for example,issues related to urban-ization and sufficientfood production areurgent.

• Develop better knowl-edge management,monitoring and evalua-tion, and research anddevelopment tools.

• Develop reward systemsfor protecting non-marketecosystem services.

• Build synergies andlinkages among theGlobal EnvironmentalFacility (GEF) focalareas and three majorconventions onbiodiversity, climatechange, and desertifica-tion and landdegradation.

• Develop regionalfertilizer policies, whichmay be more appropriatethan country policies,particularly in regionssuch as West Africa,where agro-ecologicalzones cut across mostcountries. The EconomicCommunity of WestAfrican States(ECOWAS) could alsoplay a role here.

• Integrate existing waterand soil fertility strate-gies for greaterefficiency.

The second category ofavenues is the on-the-ground investments. Someexamples include:• Phosphorus recapitaliza-

tion. This would addressthe root cause, afterwhich other investments,following the law of theminimum, would have agood payoff.

• Building landscapes ofprotected areas whereecosystems exist nearagricultural systems. Thiscan be on a village,water-shed, or river-basinscale.

• Increasing and utilizinginformation related tosoil fertility and fertilizerresponse.

Many pathways, feedbacks,synergies, and externalitiesare involved in these issues.Land degradation hasnumerous serious repercus-sions. The removal ofvegetation not onlycontributes to carbonemissions, but it also affectsthe atmospheric circulationand reduces rainfall. Thesefeedbacks and externalitiesmust be quantified andassessed in detail to showthe need for increasingfertilizer use on thecontinent.

Addressing MDG1 andMDG7 simultaneouslyhelps us reach numeroustargets at once. Examplesof successful applicationsinclude:• Fertilizing with micronu-

trients, which alsoimproves health.

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• Creating mosaic land-scapes, with numerousactivities together on anarea of land. An exampleis developing forestry,tree plots, and teacultivation on awatershed.

• Integrating diverse cropsin the same system, withone crop benefiting fromfertilizer applied to aprevious year’s crop.

• Integrating water and soilfertility management viathe Zaï system to raisewater and nutrient-useefficiency.

• Improving the ringmanagement systems ofWest Africa. For ex-ample, by extending theheavily manured areanear the homestead, apart of the bush field withlow fertility can be leftuncultivated.

• Focusing on inner valleyswith good water avail-ability, where one cangain significantly fromtimely application ratesand quantities.

These are some possibili-ties in working withfertilizer and the environ-ment. Finally, fertilizer andthe environment are friendsrather than foes. Anincreased and targetedhigher fertilizer use canhelp reduce deforestationand improve biodiversityconservation. This has bothprivate gains and globalenvironmental benefits. Tomake this continent a bitmore fertile, we need just afraction of the money that iscurrently spent on themilitary.

Successful Interventions for Fertilizer SectorDevelopment

Building Input Supply Systems to Improve Access for Farmers

Dr. Akin Adesina, Associate Director, Food Security, TheRockefeller Foundation, Kenya

Dr. Borlaug calledfertilizer the fuel

enabling the Green Revolu-tion in Asia. Africa lacksthe fuel to achieve theAfrican Green Revolution.Researchers have devel-oped new productivevarieties, but one thing noresearcher has been able todo is develop varieties thatcan grow on air. All thesevarieties need nutrients.

Researchers havedeveloped new

productivevarieties, but one

thing noresearcher has

been able to do isdevelop varietiesthat can grow on

air.

The challenge nowis how to addressissues of access,affordability, andincentives for the

millions of farmersin the rural areas.

Moreover, the challenge ofAfrican agriculture is thatthe continent’s soils havebeen annually losing$4 billion worth of nutrientsfor almost 20 years, causinga real crisis. As Dr. Borlaugalso discussed, there is adirect positive correlationbetween fertilizer use,agricultural productivity,rural economic transforma-tion, and economic growth.Clearly, without fertilizersAfrica absolutely has nochance. There is no point incompeting in an Olympicrace without shoes. It istime for Africa to have itsown shoes, to produce andfeed itself, and to make adifference for all its ruralpeople.

This is a vast task. The 6%agricultural productivitygrowth rate put forth by theComprehensive AfricaAgriculture DevelopmentProgram (CAADP) will

require a huge fertilizer useincrease—in fact, thetripling of annual fertilizeruse from 1.4 to 5.2 milliontons. This means that Africahas to address issues ofaccess, affordability, andincentives for fertilizer use.The challenge is enormousbecause there are manyconstraints. Two majorconstraints are: on thedemand side, lack of smallfertilizer packages; and onthe supply side, lack ofrural stockists that bringinputs close to farmers. Wehave to correct these.

There is talk about thesuccesses of marketliberalization. It is true thatgains are being made, butwe should not forget thatwith liberalization, theprivate sector was supposedto take over. They have—but only in the highpotential areas where itmakes business sense. Thechallenge now is how toaddress issues of access,affordability, and incentivesfor the millions of farmersin the rural areas.

The paradox in Africa isthat you can find Coke andPepsi for sale anywhere,but no seed and fertilizer.Although the same sellerscould also be selling inputs,

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selling inputs is moredemanding because itrequires knowledge ofpurchase locations, productquality, storage, and safeuse. Capacity building, bothin technical knowledge andbusiness skills, is thereforecrucial to building viableenterprises that can belinked to input supplycompanies through a creditguarantee facility. This iswhat the RockefellerFoundation has been doingin Malawi, and the workhas resulted in a creditguarantee facility with veryhigh (16:1) capital lever-age. Despite this success,agro-dealer networks inMalawi still tend toconcentrate in highpotential areas.

We have discussed the issueof subsidy. It is clear that

poor farmers, not usingimproved seeds andfertilizers, are locked in apoverty trap. There is everyreason to give them publicsupport to get them out ofthis poverty trap. Thequestion is how do you dothat? In Kenya, the FarmInput Promotion Servicehas provided fertilizer inbags starting at onekilogram for poor farmers.After a demonstrated effect,many farmers have gradu-ated into higher use levels.This has also been profit-able for the agro-dealer.

Africa must reduce the highcost of fertilizer andimprove its value-to-costratio. Increased pricescaused a decline in thevalue-to-cost ratio from1980 to 2000. The highcost is partly due to high

import cost, caused by thesmall amounts imported,and partly due to hightransport costs to (andwithin) the continent. Jointprocurement and distribu-tion are essential but notenough because structuralconstraints, particularlyinfrastructure, also need tobe addressed. Finally, localfertilizer manufacturing,with private sector partici-pation, is another option toreduce cost.

To summarize, efforts atboth national and regionallevels can contributetoward a market system toreach millions of poor inthe continent. Promisingtargets for these effortsinclude:• At the national level:

improve agro-dealernetworks; establish

agricultural input creditguarantee schemes;improve output priceincentives; and establishsmart subsidies.

• At the regional level:initiate joint fertilizerprocurement anddistribution; invest inroads, rail, and ports; andharmonize policies,focusing, in particular, onfertilizer regulations andtariffs.

If all of this works, and weare able to lower the cost offertilizer arriving on thecontinent, improve theefficiency of transport, andprovide better outputincentives, then Africa willbe a happy Africa.

Successful Interventions for Fertilizer Sector Development

Developing Fertilizer Interventions for Semi-Arid Areas

Dr. William D. Dar, Director General, International Crops Research Institute for theSemi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), India

The potential ofAfrican agriculture can

be tapped by harnessingscience and technology toincrease agriculturalproductivity, profitability,and sustainability. There aretools to empower Africanfarmers to combat adversi-ties and play a central rolein developing agricultureinto a vibrant economicsector that could banishhunger and malnutrition

from the continent. TheFuture Harvest Alliance ofthe Consultative Group onInternational AgriculturalResearch (CGIAR) Centersis an important partner inthe African Green Revolu-tion, working not only incollaboration among 15other CGIAR centers butalso with National Agricul-tural Research and Exten-sion Systems (NARES),non-governmental organi-

zations (NGOs), and theprivate sector.

The question many ask is,Why must we use fertilizer?The simple answer is thatwithout fertilizer, Africacannot hope to feed itself.Judicious use of fertilizerinputs gives an immediateresponse and helps farminghouseholds achieve foodself-sufficiency andproduce surpluses for sale.

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Intensification is the key toself-sufficiency. Oneexample is rice. Presently,the 7.6 million hectares inrice production in sub-Saharan Africa couldproduce 18.8 million tonsof milled rice, requiring0.74 million tons offertilizer nutrients (NPK).Current consumption insub-Saharan Africa is11.9 million tons, of whichabout 50% (valued atUS $1.5 billion) is im-ported annually. Therefore,with resolve and rightinterventions, SSA couldhave a surplus of 6.9 mil-lion tons.

The Alliance is working onfertilizer usage in the drierareas, because these areasare home to the mostvulnerable and food-insecure households inAfrica. The soils aredeficient in nitrogen andphosphorus and have perhectare cereal yields of lessthat 1 ton, often less than500 kg. Many currentfertilizer recommendationsare based on crop responsesin more reliable rainfallareas. Consequently,farmers in drier areas findfertilizer too expensive andrisky. In addition, there has

been little investment indeveloping marketingstrategies for these regions.

Traditionally, agronomistsand soil scientists considerfertilizer quantities inrelation to output goals. Incontrast, farmers considerhow to best use a smallamount of fertilizer thatthey can afford, afterhaving sold, for example,two chickens. Hence, a newresearch question arises:how much fertilizer can thefarmers afford, and whereand how should they use it?Answering this requires

farmers’ current practices,with further gains achievedin combination with manureand better water manage-ment, such as Zaï pits.Farmers can also adoptcrop-livestock diversifica-tion, agroforestry, croprotation, intercropping, andtargeted niche breeding.Worldwide, manureannually contributes theequivalent of US $1.5billion in inorganic fertil-izer—mainly nitrogen,phosphorus, and organicmatter. However, manurebenefits crops most when itis combined with inorganicfertilizer. Legumes alsohave a major role to play,but work on them should beaccompanied by marketdevelopment efforts toensure that surplus legumesare sold.

Soil fertility managementalone cannot solve all ofAfrica’s problems. It isessential that agronomistsand soil scientists workclosely with crop breedersand social scientists toensure that appropriate cropvarieties are developed forthe various farmingsystems. This is known asthe Integrated Genetic andNatural Resource Manage-ment (IGNRM) approach.

Over the last few years, theAlliance of the CGIARCenters has been workingwith various partners tosupport many large-scalerelief programs. Much workis now being done onlinking on-farm promotionof fertilizer usage withinput supply. For example,

in West Africa, the Foodand Agriculture Organiza-tion of the United Nations(FAO) Warrantage Projectworks to ensure thatfarmers have access toinputs by breaking largepacks into smaller packsthat farmers can afford. Asone farmer said, “Withoutfertilizer, I producenothing.” More than 10,000farmers are now usingphosphorus fertilizer in theSahel of West Africa. Thenext step will be to con-tinue to build andstrengthen our strategicpartnerships and scale upand out.

Therefore, the challenge tothis Summit is this: how canwe increase the average perhectare fertilizer usagefrom 8 kg to 50 kg, using aholistic approach involvingaccessibility, affordability,and incentives? Africa musthave the will, the rightpolicy environment, and aroadmap for future actionsto make this African GreenRevolution a reality. Youcan count on the 15 centersunder the CGIAR Allianceto be your partners for afood-secure Africa.

Africa must havethe will, the right

policy environment,and a roadmap forfuture actions tomake this AfricanGreen Revolution a

reality.

Soil fertilitymanagement alonecannot solve all ofAfrica’s problems.It is essential thatagronomists and

soil scientists workclosely with crop

breeders and socialscientists to ensure

that appropriatecrop varieties aredeveloped for thevarious farming

systems.

working with farmers andappreciating their circum-stances and concerns.

In Mali, microdosing(20 kg per hectare ofdiammonium phosphate[18:46:0]) produced 80%more cereal grain (anadditional 35,000 CFA[$70] per hectare) than

Why must we usefertilizer? The

simple answer isthat without

fertilizer, Africacannot hope to

feed itself.

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Successful Interventions for Fertilizer Sector DevelopmentIntegrated Soil Fertility Management/Competitive Agricultural Systems andEnterprises

Dr. Victor A. Clottey, Agricultural Intensification in Sub-Saharan Africa (AISSA),Ghana

Agricultural intensifi-cation is a necessity in

Africa today due to the highpopulation growth andincreasing urbanization andindustrialization in thecontinent. Intensification ofagriculture is also needed toreach the NEPAD target of6% growth in agriculturalproductivity. Many actionsto develop agriculture havebeen taken at the macro andmeso levels, but far fewerat the grassroots level. Toinduce agricultural devel-opment, the developmentpolicies need to be trans-lated into actions at thegrassroots levels. Anexample of how it can bedone is the focus of thispresentation.

Grassroots actions com-prise both technology andinstitutional development.This work started withefforts on Integrated Soil

However, the workwith farmers

showed that besideslow soil fertility,numerous otherfactors hamper

agriculturalintensification.

Fertility Management(ISFM), where a combina-tion of inorganic andorganic fertilizer was usedto boost nutrient levels andto improve nutrient andwater-use efficiency.However, the work withfarmers showed thatbesides low soil fertility,numerous other factorshamper agriculturalintensification. Theseinclude: inadequate accessto credit, problems relatedto glut, inadequate negotia-tion power by lower actors,lack of information onprices and trade avenues,low commodity prices, fewvalue-adding enterprises,and commodity cartels thatcontrol trade expansion. Asa consequence, a moreintegrated approach toagricultural intensificationwas adopted, whichinvolves three components:• Simultaneous promotion

of technology andinstitutional development.

• Encouragement ofownership by localactors—producers andentrepreneurs, both ininput and producemarkets.

• Linking farming systemsto specific businesssectors.

This approach, calledCompetitive AgriculturalSystems and Enterprises(CASE), consists of thefollowing activities:• Formation of

agribusiness clusters atthe local level.

• Integration of farmersand local entrepreneursinto commodity valuechains.

• Strengthening supportservices and financingfacilities.

• Advocacy for favorableinstitutional environment.

• Strengthening organiza-tions of producers andlocal entrepreneurs.

These activities arecurrently being imple-mented in seven countriesof West Africa, withdifferent commoditiestargeted in different areas.The Agricultural Intensifi-cation in Sub-SaharanAfrica (AISSA) networkhas been established as aforum to join forces andfocus on common areas ofinterest and to exchangeexperiences, information,tools, and skills.

Many challenges remain.Particularly important willbe efforts focusing on localgovernance. An enablingenvironment for agricul-tural development needs tobe created at this level bystrengthening local andexternal markets, improvinginfrastructure, supportingjob creation, and improvinginformation and communi-cation networks. Theapproach presented hereshows promise in inducingeconomic growth, improv-ing food security, and canbe effectively utilized ingrassroots developmentprojects.

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Successful Interventions for Fertilizer Sector Development

Building Africa’s Institutional Capacity for Fertilizer Sector Development

Dr. Samuel C. Muchena, Managing Director, African Center for Fertilizer Development(ACFD), Zimbabwe

The African Center forFertilizer Development

(ACFD) is an intergovern-mental agricultural researchand development institutionset up by the Organizationof African Unity (OAU;now African Union), as apart of a broader strategy inimplementing the 1980Lagos Plan of Action. Themandate of ACFD is topromote fertilizer consump-tion in African agricultureand thereby reduce wide-spread hunger and malnu-trition. ACFD also wants tomake an impact on rural

The mandate ofACFD is to promote

fertilizerconsumption in

African agricultureand thereby reducewidespread hunger

and malnutrition.

poverty through increasedcrop yields and farmers’incomes. The Center startedits activities in 1991.

The mission of the Centeris to contribute to economicempowerment of Africanfarmers through develop-ment of affordable andaccessible technologies forcrop yields improvement.Its objectives are to:• Develop affordable and

accessible technologicalsolutions to improveagricultural production inAfrica, through theproper and adequate useof fertilizers and localorganic materials.

• Develop collaborativeresearch marketing, andsoil fertility managementprojects with national,regional, and interna-tional organizations.

• Conduct, foster, andsupport training in allaspects of plant nutrientresource development,marketing, and use.

• Conduct research on soilfertility managementleading to improved andsustainable agriculturalproduction and environ-mental protection.

The Center is located inZimbabwe, on land donatedby the Zimbabweangovernment. Its major

donors have been theZimbabwean government,OPEC Fund for Interna-tional Development, theRockefeller Foundation, theKellogg Foundation, theFood and AgricultureOrganization (FAO), andthe United Nations Devel-opment Program (UNDP).The Center has also earnedroyalties from the produc-tion and marketing of itstechnologies.

The ACFD has the follow-ing categories of activities:• Agri-Business Develop-

ment Program (ABDP):This program is gearedtoward training andnetworking of ruralentrepreneurs to buildcapacity of the privatesector to improveagricultural supportservices in rural markets.The program offers short-duration training courses,technology demonstra-tions, micro-financeactivities, and linkagedevelopment. Theprogram now operates inZimbabwe, Malawi, andZambia.

• Sustainable FarmingManagement System(SFMS): Designed tosupport farmers in theachievement of multiplegoals, the work has threecomponents: (1) proper

and timely use of agro-inputs, (2) conservationfarming, and (3) diversi-fied farming systems. Apilot in a village nearHarare is being scaled up.

• Development ofDrought-Resistant DwarfMaize Varieties: Devel-oped in collaborationwith local universities,these varieties are highyielding and efficient innutrient use. Farmerreception has been goodand the Zimbabweangovernment has recentlyprovided a farm for seedmultiplication. Linkageshave been developed toseveral institutions, andthe varieties have beentested in numerouscountries of the region.

• Developing and Promot-ing Micronutrients:ACFD has collaboratedwith the KhalahadiResource DevelopmentCompany of Botswanaon the development anduse of micronutrients.ACFD undertookpreliminary agronomicand market developmentstudies.

• Organic FertilizerDevelopment: ACFD hasplans to pursue this issueby establishing thequantities of availableorganic resources anddeveloping a strategy torecycle, market, and use

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organic products toaugment inorganicfertilizer.

• Regional FertilizerNetworking: Manyregional fertilizerconferences have beenorganized in collabora-tion with FAO, theRockefeller Foundation,and SADC Food,Agriculture, and NaturalResources (FANR)Directorate. The purposewas to achieve a greaterunderstanding of fertil-izer sector issues andconstraints; a regionalconsensus on theimportance of collabora-tion in procurement anddistribution; and creationof a framework forcontinued informationexchange, resourcesharing, and networking.

• Fertilizer IndustryStudies in the SADCRegion: Using thenetwork created duringthe above-mentionedconferences, with FAOfunding, ACFD con-ducted studies onfertilizer industries ofseven SADC countries.

Lack of adequate fundinghas been a major constraintto an effective functioningof the Center. The Centerhas developed a financialsustainability program,which is mainly based onmarketing of its technolo-gies. With AU recommen-dations and support, andwith the additional landprovided by the Zimba-bwean government, it ishoped that the fundingconstraint will beovercome.

Dr. Marjatta Eilittä was adviser to the IFDC AFSSecretariat, and prepared the Summit Proceedings.

Staff of The Rockefeller Foundation at the Summit.

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Summit Sponsor

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Summary

The preparations for the Summitrepeatedly emphasized the needfor action, not talk, as an outcomeof the Summit. It was thereforeappropriate to have a forum withinthe Summit for all stakeholders todiscuss the issues and identify whatthose actions may be. In thissession, participants were asked todiscuss and detail actions thatshould be undertaken in thecontext of five identifiedapproaches to increase access to,affordability of, and incentives forfertilizer use by the millions ofsmallholder farmers in Africa. Theparallel session outputs were thenpresented and discussed in aplenary session.

The outputs of the parallel sessionsare summarized versions of thepresentations that were given inthe plenary session. Twopresenters, Dr. Jeffrey Sachs andDr. Remi Cole, gave presentationsat the end of this session;summarized versions of theirpresentations are also included.

Session 3: Solutions to Africa’s FertilizerCrisis: Parallel Dialogue Sessions

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Moise Mensah, Former Minister of Finance, Benin

Mr. Baba Dioum, General Coordinator, Conference of West and CentralAfrican Ministers of Agriculture (CMA/WCA), Senegal

RapporteursDr. Andre Bationo, Soil Scientist, Tropical Soil Biology and FertilityInstitute (TSBF) of CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture)

Dr. M. M. Jibrin, Associate Professor, Ado Bayero University, Nigeria

Professor A. Agbede, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Nasarawa StateUniversity, Nigeria

Parallel Session 1: Reducing Fertilizer Procurement Cost at theNational and Regional Levels

Parallel Session 2: Improving Access to Finance for FertilizerMarket Development

Parallel Session 3: Improving Access Via Development of InputDealer Networks

Parallel Session 4: Developing Regional Financing Mechanismfor Fertilizer Sector Development

Parallel Session 5: Improving Access for Poor Farmers by SmartPublic Policies

Wrap-Up of Parallel Discussion Sessions

Closing PresentationsAfrica’s Green Revolution and the Millenium Development Goals:The Importance of the Fertilizer Summitby Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia Univer-sity, U.S.A.

Sustainable Land Management and Fertilizers: Responding toChallenges of Sustainable Land Management—the TerrAfricaInitiativeby Professor Richard Mkandawire, Agricultural Advisor, NEPAD, SouthAfricaby Dr. Remi Cole, Lead Specialist on SLM, The New Partnership forAfrica’s Development (NEPAD)

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Parallel Session 1: Reducing Fertilizer Procurement Cost at the National andRegional Levels

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Uzo Mokwunye, Consultant and Past Chair, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics(ICRISAT) Board of Trustees, Ghana

Mr. Jan Poulisse, Senior Economist, Land and Water Development Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations (FAO), Italy

RapporteursDr. Georges Dimithé, Policy Economist, IFDC

Professor Enwerem Dike, Professor of Economics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria

The group of this ParallelSession was diverse andincluded fertilizer importersand dealers. The groupdiscussed identifyingpriority areas for action toimprove access to, avail-ability of, and incentivesfor fertilizer use. Threepriority areas wereidentified:• Declaration of fertilizer

as a strategic commodity.This would allow freemovement of fertilizerwithin and across all theRegional EconomicCommunities. Actionsshould be taken by allRegional EconomicCommunities and theAfrican Union. Thisshould be done by the endof 2006.

• Use of local phosphaterock for phosphatecapitalization of Africansoils.Crop productivity islimited by the lowphosphorus content inAfrican soils. Approxi-mately 70% of the world’sphosphate resources arein the continent, and there

are many studies showingpositive results fromphosphorus recapitaliza-tion. One needs toconsider how the phos-phorus resources can beutilized technically andeconomically. Actionshould be taken by theAU with NEPAD. Theplan for phosphoruscapitalization should beproduced before the endof 2006.

• Building and operationof 200 subregionalfertilizer depots.This would be doneacross the continent. for a period of 10 years.This should be done as acontract to a reputablefertilizer trading com-pany. This would guaran-tee an even supply offertilizer and minimizethe common delays infertilizer distribution.Producer organizations,linked to a certain crop,could be used as a link.Action should be taken bythe AU and regionalbanks before the end of2006.

Approximately 70%of the world’s

phosphateresources are in thecontinent, and there

are many studiesshowing positive

results fromphosphorus

recapitalization.

A session in the Africa Hall. Threescreens were used for presentations.

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Parallel Session 2: Improving Access to Finance for Fertilizer Market Development

Co-ChairpersonsDr. William Kalema, Chairman, Uganda Investment Authority, Uganda

Mr. Lance Crist, Division Manager, Oil, Gas, Mining and Chemicals Department, International Finance Corporation (IFC),U.S.A.

RapporteursDr. Simeon Ehui, Lead Economist, The World Bank, Nigeria

Professor A. O. Ogungbile, Professor of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria

For fertilizer use toincrease in Africa,

numerous actors inthe sector need tohave better accessto capital: fertilizer

producers, fertilizerimporters and

distributors, andfinally, the farmers.

For fertilizer use to increasein Africa, numerous actorsin the sector need to havebetter access to capital:fertilizer producers,fertilizer importers anddistributors, and finally, thefarmers. Thirty-one peopleof different disciplines andbackgrounds took part inthis Parallel Session. Theydiscussed constraints of thedifferent actors in accessingfinance (Text Box 1) andreviewed different success-ful experiences thatimproved access to financefor fertilizer marketdevelopment (Text Box 2).The group made thefollowing recommendations

on the most effective waysto improve access to capitalin fertilizer business:• Create a development

fund, from which bankscan borrow to lend to theprivate sector forfertilizer procurementand distribution.

• Address the multitude ofpolicy constraints, andestablish a framework formicro-credit regulation,taxes and tariffs, andinterest rates.

• Create awareness ofpossible sources of funds.

• Train target beneficiarieson how to preparebankable proposals thatcan qualify for funding.

• Improve knowledge bybankers on agricultureand skills needed tomanage agriculturalloans.

• Use collateralization ofimported fertilizers inwarehouses to reduce riskof default on bank loans.

• Improve access tofertilizer through inputdealers, based onexperiences of successfulprojects (Text Box 2).

• Use a holistic approachto input procurement.

Women farmers in Africa have littleaccess to agricultural inputs.

Six press releases were produced during the Summit, and theevent stimulated more than 100 articles and broadcasts,

including in the New York Times, Radio Nigeria,AllAfrica.com, and Agence France Press. In the press roomare (left to right) Dr. Amit Roy, IFDC President; Dr. ThomasHargrove, Coordinator, IFDC Information and Communica-

tions Unit; and Jeff Haskins and Ellen Wilson of BurnessCommunications, U.S.A.

67

Text Box 1. Constraints Faced by Different Actors inthe Fertilizer Sector

Manufacturers/producers:• High cost of capital (19%-20%).• Undeveloped networks of input dealers.• Frequent government interventions.• Ignorance of donor funds.• Poor infrastructure development.• High taxes and tariffs.• Low profit margins.• High production cost.• High cost of raw materials and energy.• Unavailability and high cost of spare parts.

Importers:• Banks’ reluctance to advance loans to agricultural projects.• High cost of capital (19%-20%).• Undeveloped networks of dealers.• Frequent government interventions and unfavorable policies.• Ignorance of donor funds.• Poor infrastructure for transport and storage.• High taxes and tariffs.• Low profit margins.

Distributors:• Poor institutional network.

Farmers:• Lack of collateral to access credit.• Lack of market and credit-source information.• Absence of micro-credit policy.• Low produce prices.

Text Box 2. Success Stories that Canbe Replicated in Future Efforts

• Developing Agri-Input Markets in Nigeria(DAIMINA), in pilot schemes in fourstates in Nigeria, facilitated inputaccessibility, built human capacity formarket development, linked agro-dealersto the bank, and supervised repayment ofthe voucher scheme to enhance fertilizerpurchase.

• Rural Sector Enhancement Program(RUSEP), also in Nigeria, enhancedfarmer income, linked farmers to bothinput and output markets, and conductedtraining for capacity building and aholistic approach to business.

• Fadama development project in Nigeria,which utilized matching funds.

• Guarantee funds in Malawi.

Dr. Akin Adesina of The Rockefeller Foundation (left) andHon. Adamu Bello, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture.

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Parallel Session 3: Improving Access via Development of Input Dealer Networks

Co-ChairpersonsMr. Eben Makonese, Chief Executive Officer, Chemplex Corporation Ltd., Zimbabwe

Dr. Rita Laker-Ojok, Executive Director, AT-Uganda, Uganda

RapporteursDr. Roy Steiner, Senior Program Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, U.S.A.

Mr. Augustine Nnameka, Former Commercial Manager, Federal Superphosphate Company, Nigeria

The main goal of the groupwas to identify priorityactions that will buildsustainable input marketingsystems. Priorities includeavailability of the correctfertilizer for small-scaleAfrican farmers at the righttime and place, in appropri-ate packages, and ataffordable prices. Thegroup reviewed strengthsand weaknesses of variousapproaches to provideaccess to fertilizer, eitherphysically or financially.Three concrete priorityactions that must beundertaken to develop inputdealer networks wereidentified.

Due to time constraints, itwas possible to developonly a listing of possibleapproaches to strengtheningaccess to fertilizer throughinput dealers. The issueswere discussed in three sub-groups, each focusing on adifferent set of issues—policy, demand, and supply.It was emphasized thatsimultaneous activitieswould have to be under-taken in all areas. Thesethree areas are discussed asfollows.

Policy IssuesIn the policy arena, theobjective is to create astimulating environment forthe development ofdynamic input dealernetworks that will encour-age farmers to increaseproduction. Specificobjectives and associatedactivities follow:• Develop a regulatory

framework for agricul-tural inputs and ensuretruth-in-labeling (e.g., abureau of standards, spotchecks, and training forenforcement).

• Facilitate access of inputdealers to capital (e.g.,

soft loans and loanguarantees).

• Establish accreditationfor input dealers (e.g.,setting up accreditationauthorities and schemes,and stimulating andfacilitating training ofagro-input dealers inproduct knowledge, safeuse and handling, andbusiness management).

• Stabilize markets foragricultural produce(e.g., purchase of excessproduction, food securityprograms, and schoolfeeding programs).

• Establish input andoutput pricing policieswith attractive profitmargins for both inputdealers and farmers (e.g.,a stakeholder pricingboard).

• Establish policies andconduct advocacy toencourage private-sectorfriendly governmentinterventions and topromote sustainablecommercial access toinputs.

Demand IssuesIn the demand arena, thedevelopment objective is topromote market-oriented

agro-input uptake bysmallholders in Africa. Tofacilitate improvements infertilizer demand, thefollowing objectives andactivities would needconsideration:• Demonstrate the effec-

tiveness of fertilizer tosmallholders through asocial marketing ap-proach, including radio,television, web sites,short message service(SMS) access to market-ing information, and fielddemonstrations.

• Link farmers to profitableoutput markets. Giventhat demand for fertilizeris a derived demand,profitability of produc-tion needs to be im-

The objective is tocreate a

stimulatingenvironment for the

development ofdynamic input

dealer networksthat will encourage

farmers toincrease

production.

Given that demandfor fertilizer is aderived demand,

profitability ofproduction needsto be improved bylinking farmers tocommodity value

chains....

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proved by linkingfarmers to commodityvalue chains, encourag-ing the development ofproducer marketingorganizations, providingmarket information, andpiggybacking inputsupply onto contractfarming arrangements.

• Improve product knowl-edge training for dealersand lead farmers throughactivities such as dealertraining and certification,offering smart subsidiesto trained dealers,building effective linksbetween input dealersand extension farmergroups, and encouraginginput dealers to gain thetrust of the organizedfarmers.

• Encourage a nationalagro-dealer census andneeds assessment,including assessing

factors impactingdemand; linking dealersto a national organizationwith local branches;establishing a nationaldatabase, identificationcards, and credit referralsystem; and establishinga referral mechanism forcredit guarantee throughlocal association mem-bers providingguarantees.

• Make rural financialmarkets work for farmersthrough activities such asa warehouse receiptsystem, weather-indexedcrop insurance, supportto agricultural banks,Savings and CreditCooperatives (SACCOs)and village banks, andfacilitating linkage torural micro-finance.

• Support availability ofsmall quantities offertilizer for farmers in

Make rural financialmarkets work for

farmers....

Hon. Minister Bello of Nigeria at the endof a Session, in the Africa Hall.

ways that take intoaccount the national lawson packaging. In general,this objective should beintensively promoted,weighed bulk salesshould be encouragedwhere allowed, qualitycontrol mechanismshould be strengthened,and a code of goodconduct by input dealersshould be encouraged.

Supply IssuesFinally, supply constraintsshould be addressedthrough the followingobjectives and activities:• Improve capacity and

performance of stockists

by activities discussedabove, i.e., mapping ofdistribution, training,association building, andgreater knowledge ofnetworks.

• Increase capacity andperformance of supplychains through thefollowing activities:improving transportinfrastructure, jointsourcing and warehous-ing, creating creditguarantees, buildingrelationships all along theentire supply chain,encouraging dealers notcurrently selling inputs tostart selling them,establishing and strength-ening a conduciveregulatory environment,and increasing access toinput pricing information.

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Parallel Session 4: Developing Regional Financing Mechanism for Fertilizer SectorDevelopment

ChairpersonDr. Josue Dione, Director of Sustainable Development Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA),Ethiopia

RapporteursDr. Michael Morris, Senior Economist, The World Bank, U.S.A.

Professor M. T. Adetunji, Professor of Soil Science, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria

The group focused on thecreation of a regionalfinancing mechanism forfertilizer sector develop-ment. The Summit isexpected to propose theestablishment of the AfricaFertilizer DevelopmentFinancing Mechanism,which will fund thedevelopment of thefertilizer sector in Africaand thereby help spur theAfrican Green Revolution.It has been proposed thatthe mechanism be basedwithin the African Develop-ment Bank with fundingfrom bilateral and multilat-eral donors and regionaldevelopment banks.Beneficiaries wouldcompete for funds toimplement their proposedprograms.

The group reacted to thisdetailed and concreteproposal by stepping backand discussing the needfor—or lack of it—for sucha mechanism, as well as themost desirable functionsfor it.

After discussion, theconsensus was that, indeed,

there may be a need for thismechanism. The keyfunction would be themobilization of financing,on a large scale, for multi-country markets. Suchmarkets would be inher-ently less risky than single-country markets. Manyparticipants felt that ratherthan lack of financing, theconstraint to lending is therisk associated withlending. This mechanismwould allow for pooling ofrisks across countries, andmay therefore help over-come some of theseproblems.

There was agreement onsome of the key activitiesof the fertilizer financing

mechanism. In the shortterm, it would help financebulk importing, withrecognition of the need toinitiate blending in themedium term, and thereaf-ter move to local fertilizermanufacturing. Themechanism would alsosupport building fertilizerdistribution networks. Dueto the long lag timebetween mobilization ofcredit for and repayment ofcredit by distributors, thereis a problem with advancedfinancing; this should alsobe a key function. Themechanism would alsolower the price of fertilizerto farmers. The sessionparticipants agreed thatthere must be a cleardistinction between theprovision of public goodsand private goods.

The operational aspects ofthe regional financingmechanism were alsodiscussed. Three modelswere discussed:• A multilateral bank

model, as proposed in theguidelines.

• Regional economiccommission model.

This mechanismwould allow forpooling of risks

across countries,and may therefore

help overcomesome of these

problems.

There was quite a bit ofdiscussion on how aregional grouping couldraise funds and whether itwould be wise to rely onannual or periodiccontributions; this couldcreate dependency.Alternatively, a taxationmechanism, based one.g., ear-marked tax,could be used, especiallyin regions withpetroleum-exportingcountries.

• A public-private partner-ship model.

The group had a limiteddiscussion on the level offinancing required andcame to a conclusion that itwould be very difficult toestimate this without amore detailed analysis. Thegroup therefore proposedthat as a follow-up to theSummit, a detailed studyshould be commissioned toexplore the functions, aswell as strengths andweaknesses of alternativeways to constitute andfinance such a mechanism.

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most vulnerable. Ways toensure that subsidies reachthe poorest were alsodiscussed, and possiblemethods for it suggested,such as the involvement offarmer organizations indeveloping the subsidypolicy, of agro-inputdealers in the application ofthe subsidies, and the needto target them throughpublic works. The inad-equacy of focusing only onfertilizer was emphasized.Instead, farmers need tofind access to all agricul-tural inputs, but seed inparticular.

Finally, the group tackledthe issue of preventingleakages, such as vouchersand smart cards, redeem-able at agro-dealers, whoinvoice government forunsubsidized retail price. Itwas noted that the privatesector should be involvedin the planning of asubsidies program and infertilizer distributionthrough agro-dealers.However, with this ap-proach, problems may arisein two cases: in remoteareas without agro-dealersand when agro-dealerscreate secondary marketsfor vouchers. Vouchers or

Parallel Session 5: Improving Access for Poor Farmers by Smart Public Policies

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Karen Brooks, Sector Manager, The World Bank, U.S.A.

Professor Francis Idachaba, Vice Chancellor, Kogi State University, Nigeria

RapporteursMr. Edward Heinemann, Regional Economist, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Italy

Professor E.C. Nwagbo, Professor of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, University of Nigeria, Nigeria

This was a vibrant group,which discussed the issueof subsidies in great detail.The group reviewed anddiscussed positive andnegative aspects of subsi-dies (see Text Box 1), andthereafter consideredwhether subsidies arejustifiable and necessary.

A consensus was reachedthat subsidies are justifiedand needed, but a choice ontheir use should be made onthe basis of economicgrounds and a careful needsassessment. The issuetherefore is one of feasibil-ity and the need to identifyappropriate mechanisms forthe application of subsidies.

Subsidies can becomeaffordable for governmentsif they reallocate fundsfrom other areas, such asmilitary expenditure.Finally, in the formulationof subsidies, the partici-pants considered particu-larly the development of anexit strategy.

In defining smart policyoptions for improving theaccess to, affordability of,and incentives for fertilizeruse, the group identifiedthree possible options:• Non-subsidy roles of the

governments—Thisincludes investments ininfrastructure (e.g., ruralroads and electrification,storage facilities),technology development,soil testing, promotion ofweather insurance,provision of fiscalincentives to encouragelocal fertilizer produc-tion, and regulation offertilizer market andquality control. Govern-ment investments shouldbe strategic to reducetransaction costs for theprivate sector.

• Government role inpricing—Two contrasting

views were expressed inthe groups: someconsidered that topromote fertilizer use andensure its profitability tosmall farmers, govern-ments need to guarantee,stabilize, and subsidizeoutput prices, whereasothers emphasized theimportance of makingmarkets more competi-tive and therefore priceslower in rural areasthrough marketdevelopment.

• Government support forfarmer organizations andtheir service providers—This involves technicaltraining, support formicro-credit, and linkingfertilizer manufacturersand suppliers to ruraldealers and farmergroups.

The final focus of thediscussion was on the needfor universal vs. targetedsubsidies; most thought thatboth are necessary. Expen-ditures on public goods,such as roads, training, andquality control, benefiteveryone. Certain targetedexpenditures are alsoneeded for the poor and

A consensus wasreached thatsubsidies arejustified andneeded, but a

choice on their useshould be made on

the basis ofeconomic grounds

and a careful needsassessment.

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Text Box 1. Positive and Negative Aspects of Fertilizer Subsidies

These positive aspects of subsidies were discussed:

• A necessary prerequisite for agricultural growth: Subsidies are necessary becausefarmers are poor and subsidizing fertilizers can lead to adoption of fertilizer use andincreases in production that reduce levels of poverty.

• A necessary element of a national strategy to achieve food security: Linked to thisargument was the notion that it is more effective to subsidize production thanconsumption of imported crops. In the national economy, subsidies are in effect anincome transfer from the wealthier to poorer.

• A way to assist the disadvantaged, the women farmers, and those living in the mostremote and marginal areas: This can result in better gender relations and improvingof agricultural productivity of the poorest producers.

• A way to prevent urban migration.

• A global phenomenon: Numerous session participants emphasized, quite forcefully,the fact that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)countries subsidize their agricultural sector and African countries should dolikewise.

There was also a range of arguments raised against subsidies:

• Failure of impact: Despite application of subsidies in numerous countries, theyhave not worked in most cases.

• Subsidies as political instruments: In many countries, subsidies become used aspolitical instruments—wheeled out before elections or used to build up the supportfor politicians.

• Subsidies as an exhauster of national budgets: As a consequence, subsidies cancrowd out allocations to the agricultural sector, often considered as a fixed amountof the national budget.

• Subsidies as an agent of corruption: Subsidies have been associated withcorruption in the public sector institutions, with linkages of resources to theinstitutions and individuals within them.

• Subsidies missing their targets: Often, subsidized fertilizers go to the wrongpeople—those who can afford to purchase those fertilizers—and sometimes theyare transported to the wrong countries.

• Subsidies encouraging wastage: When there is wasteful fertilizer use, eitherthrough inappropriate application rates or combinations, this wastage is subsidizedalso.

• Subsidies can become permanent: Once introduced, subsidies are difficult toremove.

• Subsidies for majority difficult to implement: To contrast the analogy made withOECD countries, a point was made that unlike in OECD countries, a majority of thepopulation in Africa is involved in agriculture; they would be subsidized by aminority of the population.

smart cards can also bedistributed through farmergroups in ways that avoidthe possibility of fertilizerresale. Whatever the systemused needs to be closelymonitored. Particularattention should be made toensuring that fertilizerarrives in targeted areas andthat adequate quantities areavailable to prevent thepossibility of hoarding orresale.

Finally, the group identifiedpriority actionable pro-grams for the three actorsinvolved:• Farmers and their

associations—Providetraining to strengthentheir capacity to organizethemselves for purchas-ing, negotiating withsellers, and reducingrisks and transactioncosts for micro-financialservice providers.

• Private sector—Strengthen its capacity inrural areas throughbusiness and technicaltraining; developinnovative financialmechanisms to helpdealers; and strengtheninput dealer groups.

• Governments—Shouldassume roles in assuranceof quality control andregulatory systems;development of market-ing infrastructure;investment in technology;and strengthening ofservices to small farmersthrough research,extension, and soilanalysis.

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Africa’s Green Revolution and the Millennium Development Goals:The Importance of the Fertilizer SummitDr. Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University, U.S.A.

The talk of more studiesis misplaced because

the urgency of the issues isextraordinary. It is a shamethat the world is watchingevery year as the food crisisdeepens, the soil crisisdeepens, the lack offertilizer use continues, thecrop yields remain horren-dous, and there is no action.

Africa is confronted by anextreme food crisis. Whenwe look at the 2005emergency sites for theUnited Nations system,essentially all of sub-Saharan Africa was in anextreme food crisis. Mostof the rural farmers inAfrica are impoverished.The counterparts of hungerare disease and death.Countless diseases aresurging in Africa, but everyone of them is controllablethrough basic meals andmedicines.

The per capita foodproduction in Africa has

Smallholderfarmers need helpwith basic inputs

(seed andfertilizer),

agriculturalextension, and

small-scale watermanagement, and

they will more thantriple their yields.

fallen, and the yields havenot improved in 40 years.Actual average yields are0.5 ton per hectare for agroup of nine countries,whereas on-station experi-mental plots yields are 3-5 tons per hectare withimproved seed, fertilizer,and best managementoptions. However, fertilizeruse in sub-Saharan Africa isvery low, particularly incomparison to East Asia.This results in soil nutrientmining, averaging 70-80kilograms of nutrients perhectare every year. The rainforest is being cut downbecause soils are depletedand farmers have to expandthe farming area.Dr. Norman Borlaug isabsolutely right—if youwant to save the environ-ment, you had better getfertilizer there.

We, of course, also need toinvest in infrastructure. Butare we going to spend20 years waiting for theroads to be built? Theremust be subsidies forfertilizer for the poorest;those are the Africansmallholder farmers.Otherwise, death willcontinue.

The market-based theoryhas been tried for 20 years.If you look back at theAsian Green Revolution,every Asian country

subsidized its fertilizer andthis fertilizer was paid forby the AmericanGovernment.

The basic idea behind theGreen Revolution is well-known. Now almosteverything is planted tobasic staples, and maybe asmall amount to cash crops.With the Green Revolutionand increased yields, areaplanted to food cropsdecreases, and on the restof the land, the farmer canearn cash income. This ishow it worked in Asia; thisis how it needs to work inAfrica. But we need to startwith food security—it is notthe end of the story; it is thebeginning of the story.Smallholder farmers needhelp with basic inputs (seedand fertilizer), agriculturalextension, and small-scalewater management, andthey will more than tripletheir yields. Then they willbe able to shift theirproduction also to cashcrops. Once they are abovesubsistence, they can savefor the future, obtain micro-financing, and invest intheir farms. Let them riseabove subsistence and thenbring in micro-finance andmarket orientation—thenyou’ve transformed Africa.

This requires a change ofdirection. We are gettingpeople into the market who

are too poor to be part ofthe market. We must getinputs to the farmers so thatthey can be productiveenough to feed themselves,help their children tosurvive, and have enough tosell in the market. That isexactly the Asian approach.

The proposal wouldtherefore be: Next yeareach government shouldcommit to guaranteeing itssmallholder farmers basicinputs—10 kg of seed, 50to 100 kg of the appropriatefertilizer, and agriculturalextension. It can be done bya voucher, a smart card, andby agro-dealers. Theimportant thing now is tofocus on how to do it.

The donors should pay forthis. The most vibrantmarkets in the world todayare in Asia because Asia

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helped its impoverishedfarmers get inputs and riseabove subsistence levels.This is the promise that wasmade at Gleneagles lastyear—$25 billion extra aidfor Africa, more thanenough for inputs plus otherinvestments. The questionis, What will that $25 bil-lion be used for?

The African governmentsrepresented here should saythat they need the seed and

Sustainable Land Management and Fertilizers: Responding toChallenges of Sustainable Land Management—The TerrAfrica InitiativeDr. Remi Cole, Lead Specialist on Sustainable Land Management, The NewPartnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)

Land degradationaffects about 65% of

the population in sub-Saharan Africa, and it isestimated that if no actionis taken, two-thirds of thearable land in sub-SaharanAfrica will become non-productive and 25 countrieswill become water scarceby 2025. The MillenniumEcosystem Assessmentaffirmed the link betweenpoverty and degradation ofecosystem services. It is

the fertilizer. What thegovernments have to do isto take the leadership now.Participants should go backto their countries with thiscommitment: Africa musthave its own GreenRevolution. And it can’twait any longer. Africashould put aside ideologyand get to the practicalneeds. Nobody wants aidforever, but the currenttrajectory is the endless aidtrajectory.

estimated that over 3% ofGDP, or $9 billion in grossannual income, in Africa islost annually as a directresult of soil and nutrientloss.

To reverse these trends, andthereby address a majorobstacle to economicgrowth in sub-SaharanAfrica, scaling up ofSustainable Land Manage-

ment (SLM) will benecessary. However, pastexperiences point to a rangeof barriers—related toinstitutional, financial andsector issues, knowledgemanagement, and imple-mentation—which need tobe dismantled for aneffective and efficientscaling up to happen.Through work withpartners, TerrAfrica aims toaddress these bottlenecksand thereby create anenabling environment forthe scaling up andmainstreaming of SLM atthe country level.

The TerrAfrica approach ispeople-centered, integrated,multi-scale and multi-level,based on partnership andresponsibility, and focusedon the removal of bottle-

necks. It is coordinated andaligned within existingprocesses. TerrAfrica’swork is organized aroundthree mutually reinforcing“Activity Lines”:• Coalition building.• Knowledge management.• Investments.

The TerrAfrica platforminvolves an ExecutiveCommittee (built fromdiverse African and donorrepresentatives); Consulta-tive Forum involving civilsociety, African govern-ments and RegionalEconomic Communities(RECs), private sector, andscience and researchorganizations; as well as aSecretariat.

The Strategic InvestmentProgram (SIP) is the

It is estimated thatover 3% of GDP, or$9 billion in grossannual income, in

Africa is lostannually as a direct

result of soil andnutrient loss.

Summit display banners at the entrance of the Africa Hall.

75

investment arm ofTerrAfrica. An interagencyfunding mechanism tosupport integrated NaturalResources Management, itis also a vehicle tostrengthen coordinationbetween Global Environ-mental Facility and otherfunding mechanisms. TheSIP contributes to achiev-ing TerrAfrica’s activities,especially the InvestmentActivity Line, but alsoselectively the other two. Inturn, the SIP will benefitfrom the TerrAfricaplatform of partnership,advocacy, and knowledgesharing.

At the country level, theSIPs add value in numerousways:• As a catalytic resource to

finance the incrementalcost associated withSLM.

• As a mechanism tocoordinate interventions,allowing for betterplanning andimplementation.

• As a way to reducetransaction costs toAfrican governments.

• As a way to place landand environmental issuesat the core of the devel-opment agenda.

The SIP will attractadditional funding throughcreating a greater coher-ence in a country’s SLMportfolio, a better enablingenvironment (e.g., policyincentives), greaterefficiencies and lowertransaction costs, andallowing for consecutiveand complementaryprojects that advance scale-up. At the program level,use of monitoring andevaluation will help guidecountry efforts.

For SIP, NEPAD will be thecoordinating body and itwill help advocate for SLMat the country level bypromoting country-levelpartnerships that canleverage SIP. Countries willplan funding as they would

normally, but with the helpof their own country-levelSLM Investment Frame-works and supported by theTerrAfrica Platform. At thecountry level, the variousprojects all feed into theprogram-level monitoringand evaluation.

Where will fertilizer fit inthis framework? Thisinitiative has highlightedthe need to build andmaintain fertility throughnumerous means:• Integrated soil fertility

management.• Enabling policy

environment.• Sustainable investment in

land management.• Networking

development.

Africa’s soil crisis affectsfood production, and aclear solution is theintensification of agricul-tural production. Asstressed in this Summit,increased fertilizer use mustbe achieved in integrated

Summit participants in the Africa Hall of theInternational Conference Center.

packages, addressing bothdirect and indirect limitingfactors, such as improvedvarieties and pest control.The TerrAfrica initiativeintends to address theseissues through a compre-hensive analysis recogniz-ing the equal importance ofan enabling environmentand technical measures.The numerous factors mustbe addressed in parallel,and there is a need for amore integrated approachto sustainable landmanagement.

The SIP, TerrAfrica’sinvestment arm, is in aposition to work with itsSummit partners in definingthe role of mineral fertiliz-ers in the context ofsustainable land manage-ment to respond adequatelyto increasing food produc-tion in Africa.

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Summary

For the 6 months prior to theSummit, numerous Africancountries were involved inpreparations of fertilizer strategiesthat reviewed their fertilizer sectorand its performance. Actions wereidentified to improve accessibilityto, affordability of, and incentivesfor fertilizer use among smallholderfarmers. Seventeen CountryStrategies were presented in theSummit. Thereafter, the processcontinued and, at the time ofcompiling these proceedings, 25Country Strategies had alreadybeen drafted. The 17 strategieswere discussed in parallel sessionsthat were organized by RegionalEconomic Communities. Anoverview of the issues identified ispresented in the following pages.

Session 4: Country Strategies

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Cris Muyunda, Senior Agricultural Advisor, Common Market forEastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Zambia

Dr. N. P. Sicilima, Director, Department of Crop Development, Ministryof Agriculture, Tanzania

RapporteurProfessor A. Agbede, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Nasarawa StateUniversity, Nigeria

Parallel Session 1: Economic Community of West African StatesCountry Members

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Timothy Williams, Advisor and Head, Special Advisory ServicesDivision, Enterprise and Agriculture Section, Commonwealth Secre-tariat, United Kingdom

Dr. Daniel Eklu, Director, Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS), Nigeria

RapporteursDr. Saidou Koala, Director for West and Central Africa, InternationalCrops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Niger

Dr. I. Y. Amapu, Associate Professor, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria

Parallel Session 2: Economic Community of Central African StatesCountry Members

Co-ChairpersonsMr. Mohamed Beavogui, Director, West and Central Africa Division,Programme Management Department, International Fund for Agricul-tural Development (IFAD), Italy

Dr. Haile Gabriel Abeba, Director for the African Union SpecializedTechnical Office on Semi Arid Agriculture Research and Development,Burkina Faso

RapporteursMr. Joel Beassem, Secretariat, Economic Community of Central AfricanStates (ECCAS), Gabon

Professor P. D. Ngoddy, Professor of Food Science and Technology,University of Nigeria-Nsukka, Nigeria

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Parallel Session 3: Union of Arab Maghreb CountryMembers

Co-ChairpersonsMr. Abdelmajid Slama, Former Director, Near East, NorthAfrica and Europe Division, International Fund for Agricul-tural Development (IFAD), Tunisia; member, IFDC Board ofDirectors

Mr. Mohamed Fathi El-Sayed, Assistant Secretary General,Arab Fertilizer Association, Egypt

RapporteursDr. Mohamed El-Fouly, Professor, National ResearchCentre, Egypt

Professor G. B. Ayoola, Policy Analyst, MIR Project, IFDC,Nigeria

Parallel Session 4: Southern African DevelopmentCommunity Country Members and Common Market forEastern and Southern Africa Country Members

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Wilberforce Kisamba-Mugerwa, Director of Interna-tional Service for National Agricultural Research of theInternational Food Policy Research Institute (ISNAR/IFPRI), Ethiopia

Dr. Harris Mule, Chancellor, Kenyatta University, Kenya

RapporteursDr. James Nyoro, Executive Director, Tegemeo Institute,Egerton University, Kenya

Professor E. A. Aduayi, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture,Bowen University, Nigeria

Session 4: Country Strategies(Continued)

Country Strategies

Role and ComponentsThe Country FertilizerStrategies, prepared beforethe Summit and presentedand discussed during it,were a central element ofthe Summit process. TheseStrategies identify the mostimportant actionableprograms in policy andmarket development that acountry wants to implementin the short term (within 3years) to revive its fertilizersector and to accelerateaccess to affordablefertilizers in a timelymanner. As such, theyrepresent the steps neces-sary to establish privatesector-led fertilizer marketsin African countries to meetthe CAADP target of 6%annual growth in agricul-tural production.

The main objective of theCountry Fertilizer Strate-gies is to turn the Summit’svision, ideas, and commit-ments into concrete policiesand actions.

Each country was asked tofocus on four issues:• Primary constraints in

policy, institutions,financing, infrastructure,and market that limitpoor farmers’ access tofertilizers.

• Existing measures andinterventions in thefertilizer sector.

• Bold actions to improvefertilizer access,affordability, andincentives.

• Strategy integration andimplementation withinthe national agriculturesector programs.

Preparatory ProcessThe development ofCountry Fertilizer Strate-gies began 6 months beforethe Summit. The process isongoing and strategies arecurrently being developedinto actionable programs.

The Summit TechnicalCommittee defined theobjectives, roles, andformat of the CountryFertilizer Strategies in itsfirst meeting in November2005. Guidelines were laterdeveloped into Terms ofReference and sent to allAfrican Union membercountries in December2005. During the next6 months, the SummitSecretariats providedsupport to the Ministries ofAgriculture, while theIFDC field offices in Africaprovided technical assis-tance to countries thatrequested it. Severalcountries held stakeholdermeetings to validate theirreports before submittingthem.

The submitted strategieswere synthesized in May2006, and an overview ofshared challenges andcommon priorities wasprepared for Summitdiscussion. Altogether, 17countries presented their

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Table 1. Groupings of the Countries by Regional Economic Community (REC) in the Country FertilizerStrategy Sessions (Countries Highlighted in Yellow Presented Their Strategies)*

RECs ECCAS ECOWAS/UEMOA UMA/CENSAD COMESA/EAC/IGAD SADC

Burundi Benin Tunisia Comoros Angola

Cameroun Burkina Faso Algeria Djibouti BotswanaCentral African

Republic Cape Verde Libya Egypt Lesotho

Congo Cote d'Ivoire Mauritania Eritrea MadagascarDemocratic Republic

of Congo Gambia Ethiopia Malawi

Gabon Ghana Kenya Mauritius

Guinée Equatoriale Guinea Tanzania Mozambique

MEMBERS Rwanda Guinea-Bissau Somalia Namibia

Sao Tomé et Principe Liberia Seychelles South Africa

Chad Mali Sudan Swaziland

Mauritania Uganda Zimbabwe

Niger Zambia

Nigeria

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Togo

Country Fertilizer Strate-gies at the Summit.

When these proceedingswere compiled, 25 CountryFertilizer Strategies hadbeen drafted. These includestrategies from Egypt,Malawi, Angola,Cameroon, Ethiopia,Madagascar, Togo, andZambia. Ghana, Lesotho,and Sierra Leone were inthe process of writing theirstrategies.

Summit PresentationThe Country FertilizerStrategies were presentedand discussed in fiveparallel sessions organizedby the Regional EconomicCommunities (RECs)

(Table 1). The countrydelegations consisted of thePermanent Secretary,national technical experts,and other representatives.About 37 countries wererepresented in thesesessions.

The sessions focused onthree issues:• Strategy presentations

which cited threeimportant actions that thecountry intends toundertake.

• Discussions on innova-tive approaches toincrease fertilizer use andsupply.

• Identification of boldactions to acceleratefertilizer access,

affordability, andincentives for use.

Constraints andActionsThe countries identifiedfive categories of con-straints in their fertilizersector:• Weak farmer demand.• Poor farmer access to

fertilizer.• Underdeveloped produc-

tion capacity, despiteabundant resources in thecontinent.

• Limited trade in fertilizermarkets.

• An institutional vacuumresulting from StructuralAdjustment Programs,with no existing struc-

tures left to improvefertilizer availability.

These are further elabo-rated in Text Box 1.

The discussions named 10broad priority areas andactions. The 10 priorityareas are:• Develop national

fertilizer production and/or blending capacity.

• Improve fertilizer supplythrough the privatesector.

• Link input and outputmarkets.

• Create an effectivedemand for fertilizers.

• Improve the policyenvironment.

*Some countries belong to more than one REC.

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Text Box 1. Constraints in the Fertilizer Sector

Africa’s fertilizer production capacity is underdeveloped. Although the continenthas abundant raw materials for fertilizer production, it relies heavily on im-ported fertilizer. Africa is home to the largest phosphate rock reserves in the worldand Nigeria has large oil and gas reserves. However, sub-Saharan Africa importsover 90% of the fertilizers it uses. Egypt is, by far, the largest nitrogen producer inAfrica. Sub-Saharan Africa’s nitrogen production declined from 407,000 tons in 1992/93 to only 110,000 tons in 2002/03. Phosphate is produced in Burkina Faso, Côted’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Senegal. Côte d’Ivoire ceased producing phosphate in 1994/95.Nigeria and Burkina Faso followed in 1999/2000 and 2001/02, respectively. Produc-tion plants closed in these countries, because—against a backdrop of fluctuatingworld market prices—they failed to achieve the consistently high operating rate that iscritical for profitability.

Structural adjustment programs have resulted in an institutional vacuum inmany African countries. Parastatals that previously supplied farmers with inputshave been dismantled. Because no structures were created to replace them, manyfarmers experienced more problems with fertilizer availability, prices, and otherinputs.

Farmer demand for fertilizer is weak, particularly for subsistence crops. Currentfertilizer application rates are less than 10 kg/ha in 10 of the 25 countries whichsubmitted strategy papers. Most of the 10 countries are landlocked, namely BurkinaFaso, Central African Republic, Niger, Uganda, Burundi, Chad, and Mali. Also, morethan half of fertilizer use is on cash crops, such as potatoes, wheat, coffee, cotton,and tobacco.

Farmers lack access to fertilizer for several reasons, including:• Fertilizer’s high cost.• Low output prices and the absence of output markets for some crops (e.g., millet in

remote rural areas).• Long distances that farmers must travel to purchase fertilizer and sell output (e.g.,

up to 30 km in peri-urban areas and up to 500 km in rural areas).• Lack of fertilizer in small, affordable packages at the right time.• Lack of quality information on fertilizer application rate, price, and availability.• Limited purchasing power resulting from low income levels, non-membership in

associations, and lack of access to credit.• Uncertainty concerning fertilizer delivery time.

Fertilizer markets lack trader involvement for numerous reasons including:• Uncertain policy environment due to government and donor involvement in inputs

markets, including fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, interest rates, pricecontrol policies, subsidies, tenders for importation, import tariffs, and duties;continuous procedural changes for registration, labeling, packaging; and inexistentor non-enforced fertilizer legislation and regulation.

• Lack of information on fertilizer prices, imports and exports, and availability.• Lack of access to credit due to strict lending terms, high interest rates, exhaustive

collateral requirements, lengthy application procedures, and a small number ofassociations.

• High transportation costs.• High storage expenses.• Weak links among actors such as importers, wholesalers, and dealers.

• Improve access tofinance.

• Create rural agro-dealernetworks.

• Develop infrastructure.• Develop market informa-

tion systems and improveextension services.

• Strengthen human capitalin the fertilizer sector.

Specific actions for eachpriority area are in TextBox 2.

After the Summit, countrieshave worked to developstrategies into bankableprojects, while focusing onresolving problemsidentified during theCountry Fertilizer Strategyprocess.

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Text Box 2. Overview of Priority Areas

1. Develop national fertilizer production and/orblending capacity.• Assess the availability of raw material resources.• Promote organic fertilizers.• Provide fiscal incentives for investors in fertilizer

production.• Use phosphate rock deposits.

2. Improve fertilizer supply through the privatesector.• Reduce import costs through joint procurement.• Organize the consolidation of fertilizer importation

orders.• Improve access to credit.• Improve fertilizer importation services.• Develop marketing infrastructure.• Improve storage, warehouse, and distribution

infrastructure.• Create a national trader network.• Reduce port charges.• Train traders in business and entrepreneurial

skills.

3. Develop links between input and outputmarkets.• Promote small-scale agro-processing.• Establish a national input supply and output

marketing system.

4. Create an effective demand for fertilizers.• Use starter kits to develop interest in fertilizer use.• Strengthen farmer organizations and networks.• Promote seed and fertilizer technology packages.• Use water and nutrients efficiently.• Establish better fertilizer recommendations.• Train farmers on correct fertilizer use.• Train extension agents.• Increase support to research and extension

services.• Develop community-based farmer advisory

systems.• Conduct trials and field demonstrations.

5. Improve the policy environment.• Stabilize the exchange rate.• Eliminate import taxes and fertilizer subsidies.• Liberalize output markets.• Develop regulatory and legislative framework.• Establish a regulation and quality control agency.• Carefully select subsidy mechanisms and manage

fertilizer donations.• Develop codes of conduct for importers and

distributors.• Develop and enforce consistent laws and

regulations.• Develop and enforce quality control laws regarding

fertilizer packaging and labeling requirements.

Text Box 2. Overview of Priority Areas(Continued)

6. Improve access to finance.• Develop a financing mechanism.• Establish fertilizer development funds.• Rehabilitate agricultural banks.• Create a national fertilizer fund.• Open a fertilizer savings account with Village

Savings Associations.• Extend banking services to rural areas.• Reduce interest rates and collateral

requirements.• Help traders receive credit.

7. Create rural agro-dealer networks.• Provide financial and technical support to

dealers.• Establish dealer associations.

8. Develop infrastructure.• Develop roads, telecommunications, and

research infrastructure.• Subsidize internal transport costs.• Simplify registration procedures.• Improve research capacity and soil fertility

quality.

9. Develop market information systems andimprove extension services.

10. Strengthen human capital for the fertilizersector.• Strengthen research institutions and output

(site-specific fertilizer recommendations).• Revitalize farmers’ training.• Build agro-dealer capacity.• Provide funds for fertilizer demonstrations, trials,

workshops, and seminars.• Provide funds to equip fertilizer facilities.• Improve dealers’ knowledge and management

skills.

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Summit Sponsor

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation makes grants to solve some of the most difficult social and environmental problems facing society.

www.hewlett.org

The Hewlett Foundation is proud to support this historic event as part of the Foundation’s commitment to

supporting equitable growth in the developing world.

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Summary

Regional Strategies were anotherimportant input in the Summitprocess. Prepared by the RegionalEconomic Communities prior to theSummit, they identified thoseactions in Africa’s fertilizer sectorthat would most effectively beundertaken at the regional level,through efforts designed andimplemented by the RegionalEconomic Communities. ThreeRegional Fertilizer Strategies weredeveloped prior to the Summit andwere presented in this session.

An important component of thissession was a plenary panel withprivate sector participants. Theprivate sector will be a key playerin efforts to improve Africa’sfertilizer sector and will need totake a lead role in the production,importation, and distribution offertilizer. The panel, chaired by theDirector General of theInternational Fertilizer IndustryAssociation, includedrepresentatives of a largeinternational fertilizer producer, anemerging Nigerian company infertilizer production, a Nigeriancompany that blends fertilizer, aswell as three Nigerian banks. Eachshared their views on Africa’sfertilizer sector, its constraints, andpotentials.

In the following pages, anoverview of each of the RegionalStrategies is presented, along withthe summaries of the presentationsof the private sector panelists.

Session 5: Regional Strategies

ChairpersonDr. Richard Mkandawire, Agriculture Advisor, New Partnership forAfrica’s Development (NEPAD), South Africa

RapporteursDr. Lawrence Chidi Anukam, New Partnership for Africa’s Development(NEPAD), Nigeria

Dr. Tijani Onota, Head of Farm Mechanization, Federal College of SoilResearch Technology, Nigeria

Discussion LeaderMr. Luc Maene, Director General, International Fertilizer IndustryAssociation (IFA), France

Private Sector Panel Discussion

PanelistsMr. Arne Cartridge, Senior Vice President, Yara International, NorwayMr. Onajite Okolodo, Director, Notore, NigeriaMr. Saidre G.B. Zakari, National Sales Manager, Golden FertilizerCompany, NigeriaMr. Tony Elumelu, Managing Director, United Bank of Africa

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Summit Sponsor

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Regional Strategies

Rationale andProcess

Regional Fertilizer Strate-gies were a key input intothe Summit process. Therationale behind thedevelopment of RegionalFertilizer Strategies isbased on the fact thatcertain constraints tofertilizer market develop-ment at the sub-nationaland national levels can bemost effectively addressedat the regional level,through efforts designedand implemented by theRegional EconomicCommunities (RECs). Fourbroad categories offertilizer market develop-ment constraints andpossible regional solutionsare envisioned, as presentedbelow.

Three Regional FertilizerStrategies were developedprior to and presented at the

Constraint Possible Regional SolutionSmall consignments resulting in high price Regional importation, procurement, and

production to create economies of scaleHigh transaction cost due to agro-tradepolicies such as tariffs and taxes, as well asbarriers to trade

Policy reform to remove or reduce tradebarriers and allow for regional policyharmonization

National laws and regulations governingfertilizer industry restrictions on cross-border trade

Harmonization of legislation

Lack of regional market information byfarmers and traders inhibits them takingadvantage of regional opportunities

Regional market information systems

Summit. Two RECs eachdeveloped their ownstrategies: the EconomicCommunity of CentralAfrican States (ECCAS)and the Economic Commu-nity of West African States(ECOWAS). In addition, athird strategy was devel-oped jointly by the South-ern African DevelopmentCommunity (SADC) andthe Common Market forEastern and SouthernAfrica (COMESA). Thespecial position of the ArabMaghreb Union countriesshould be noted. Instead offurther development oftheir fertilizer sector, theirfocus in this Summit wasthe possible provision offertilizer and expertise tothe sub-Saharan countries;as a consequence, this RECdid not develop a fertilizerstrategy to the Summit.

The processes for preparingthe regional and country

strategies were similar.After the initial guidelinesfrom the Technical Com-mittee, Terms of Referencewere developed. The workwas carried out by agricul-tural marketing specialistsretained by the RECs withexperience in the use andcommercialization offertilizers in the region. Inaddition, consultants, for atotal of 1 month for eachREC, were engaged by theIFDC and NEPAD Secre-tariats to assist the RECsbetween January 2006 andApril 2006. During thisperiod the teams traveled tothe selected REC membercountries to conduct datacollection and analysis,interview stakeholders, andprepare the regionalstrategy documents.

The Regional FertilizerStrategies were presented inthe Summit and focused onthe actions to be taken in

the fertilizer sector of eachREC. A brief overview ofall three strategies ispresented as follows.

ECCAS RegionalFertilizer StrategyThe 11 ECCAS memberstates have a combinedpopulation of 120 millioninhabitants. Averagefertilizer use is 2.9 kg/ha,and the region accounts for1.9% of total fertilizerconsumption in Africa. Ofthis, Cameroon accountsfor 40%. There is nofertilizer production in theECCAS region despiteresources of natural gas (7of the 11 countries),phosphate rock (significantdeposits in at least 8countries), and potash (inCongo). Fertilizer blendingfacilities exist in the region.

ECCAS offers a vision forsuccessful development ofthe fertilizer sector that

Table 1. Constraints to the Development of Fertilizer Markets and Ways to Address Themat the Regional Level

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entails: a dense network ofsmall retailers; wholesaletrade throughout multi-country markets; a focus onimporters, ports, andstrategic markets; qualityassurance; assistance tofarmers to learn to diagnosesoil conditions; andfertilizer production. Toachieve this vision, theregion’s governments areurged to undertake initia-tives of four kinds:• Cut taxes, fees, and cost-

inflating regulations.• Promote competition.• Enforce truth-in-labeling.• Protect the environment.

Six priority actions weredefined in the ECCASpolicy.

Action 1: Establish multi-country importer tradeassociations for jointprocurement.The strategy urges thesetting up of projects, withtechnical and financialsupport from partners, instrategic market countries(e.g., Cameroon andDemocratic Republic ofCongo [DRC]) to:• Establish fertilizer dealer

associations.• Provide advice on

importation procedures.• Conduct advocacy to

member state govern-ments on policy, regula-tions, taxes, and othercharges.

• Establish bankingarrangements that willfacilitate access to creditfor importers andwholesalers.

Action 2: Promoteestablishment of nationalagri-input dealerassociations.Associations of fertilizerwholesalers and retailersmust be established incountries with high marketpotential. These associa-tions would have thefollowing functions:• Organize traders.• Conduct business and

marketing training towholesalers and retailers.

• Facilitate access to creditto allow purchasing ofstock.

• Conduct agronomictraining to traders andfarmers regarding how toidentify soil nutrientdeficiencies.

Action 3: Establish aregional fertilizer fund.The strategy proposes theestablishment of a regionalfund for the promotion offertilizers, in collaborationwith the African Develop-ment Bank (AfDB) and theDevelopment Bank ofCentral Africa’s States.

Action 4: Establishregional MarketInformation Systems.This recommendationfocuses on the establish-ment of a subregionalsystem of information onfertilizer markets, withinthe General Secretariat ofECCAS or in a memberstate to be agreed upon withthe financial partners.

Action 5: Promote policiesand regulations thatfacilitate regional fertilizermarkets.ECCAS proposes theestablishment of a networkof specialists responsiblefor conducting research andadvising the region onfertilizer regulations,organized by a develop-ment institution with therelevant expertise, incoordination withagribusiness experts andeconomists in African andwestern universities.

Action 6: Develop anddisseminate extensionmaterials to allow farmersto identify macro- andmicronutrient deficiencies.To help dealers advise andeducate farmers about howto diagnose nutrientdeficiencies, ECCASproposes preparation ofextension materials on theidentification of nutrientdeficiencies.

ECOWAS RegionalFertilizer StrategyA grouping of 15 countriesand 250 million people,ECOWAS has totalfertilizer use of1,500,000 tons, of whichhalf is used in Nigeria. On aper hectare basis, nutrientutilization is 13 kg/ha.

There is no current produc-tion of nitrogen fertilizerfrom natural gas becausemanufacturing in Nigeriawas discontinued in 1999;the recently privatizedfactory is about to com-mence production again.

There are significantphosphate rock deposits inthe region, amounting to2.26 billion tons, which arecommercially exploited inTogo and Burkina Faso,among others.

The vision of ECOWASconsists of a productive andsustainable agriculturethrough the promotion offertilizer use. TheECOWAS general objectiveis to promote the efficientuse of fertilizers to increaseagricultural productivity ona sustainable basis toensure food security andfight against poverty inWest Africa.

The regional strategy isbased on three pillars:(1) improving the regionalbusiness environment forthe fertilizer market,(2) stimulating effectivedemand for fertilizers, and(3) stimulating the supplyof fertilizers.

Four priority areas wereidentified in the strategy,each with several expectedresults.

Priority Area 1: Improvethe physical environmentfor optimal use offertilizers.This priority area envisionsthe physical environmentfor optimal fertilizer use tobe improved through theachievement of the follow-ing expected results:• Harmonization of norms

for fertilizer use.• Updating formulas and

recommended fertilizer

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doses according toagroecological zones andcrops.

• Setting up a regionalsystem to monitor theimpact of fertilizer use onthe environment.

• Promotion of integratedsoil fertility management.

Priority Area 2: Improvethe institutional,regulatory, and businessenvironment for fertilizer.The following expectedresults characterize how toachieve these priorities:• Adoption of a regional

regulatory frameworkand quality control offertilizers.

• Harmonization of taxpolicies to facilitate thefree movement offertilizers in the regionand facilitatesmallholders’ access tofertilizers.

• Fight corruption throughan ethical code ofconduct charter.

• Create a Regional Fundfor Fertilizer Develop-ment (RFFD).

• Build capacity in MarketInformation Systems.

Priority Area 3: Stimulatea creditworthy demand.The objective is to provideincentives to agriculturalproducers and commercialcompanies to increase theirdemand for mineralfertilizers substantially. Theexpected results are:• Develop demand within

agricultural value chains.• Strengthen capacities of

the farmer organizations,thus enabling them to

better negotiate fertilizerpurchases on interna-tional and regionalmarkets.

• Encourage commercialbanks and financialinstitutions to supportproducer access to creditto purchase fertilizers ona larger scale.

Priority Area 4: Stimulatethe supply.The objective is to increasefertilizer supply in the WestAfrican region throughattainment of the followingexpected results:• Make the regional market

attractive for investmentin fertilizer supply.

• Facilitate studies toassess the feasibility oflocal fertilizer productionand facilitate investmentin local fertilizerproduction.

• Build capacity ofnational distributors tosupply products that meetthe needs of smallholdersand agriculturalcompanies.

• Encourage commercialbanks and other financialinstitutions to increasetheir financing to theagro-input businesssector.

• Promote fertilizer tradebetween RECs wheneverprofitable and betweencountries in West Africaand North Africa inparticular.

• Promote the developmentof regional infrastructureto reduce transportationcosts.

SADC/COMESARegional FertilizerStrategySADC is composed of 14member states with apopulation of 228 million,and COMESA has 20member states with apopulation of 370 millionpeople. COMESA memberstates account for 50% ofthe African fertilizerconsumption, with Egyptusing a full 60% of thatamount. SADC membercountries account for one-third of the fertilizernutrient consumption withinAfrica, with South Africausing 70% of that amount.

Fertilizer production inSADC and COMESArepresents 12% and 39%,respectively, of the Africantotal. One member state ineach grouping—SouthAfrica in SADC and Egyptin COMESA—representsalmost the entirety of thisproduction. Productionfacilities in most of theother countries (Zimbabwe,Kenya, Malawi, andMauritius) are minor andnot competitive withinternational producers.The exception is nitrogenproduction in Libya.Several small blendingplants are situated through-out the SADC/COMESAregion. In terms of naturalresources for fertilizerproduction, coal forammonia production isavailable in South Africa,Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Natural gas is available inAngola, Egypt, Ethiopia,Libya, Mozambique,

Madagascar, and Sudan.Larger phosphate rockdeposits are found in sevencountries (South Africa,Angola, Egypt, Uganda,Zambia, Zimbabwe, andTanzania), but only SouthAfrica and Zimbabwe arecurrently internationallyviable. The numerous smallphosphate rock depositsthroughout the region areconfined to local use fordirect application. Potashsalts are found in Egypt,DRC, and Ethiopia.

The joint SADC/COMESAstrategy is seen as a part ofa broad regional strategyfor improving availabilityof key inputs, with anobjective to increaseagricultural productivityand regional food securitythrough increased andefficient use of fertilizers,both mineral and organic,by farmers in the regionalcommunities. Six priorityareas are identified in thestrategy.

Priority Area 1: Initiatebulk procurement.This involves actions toencourage the developmentof bulk purchasing throughthe private sector at theregional level to achieveeconomies of scale that willlower fertilizer costs.

Priority Area 2: Improvethe efficiency of theimportation anddistribution network.The actions in this priorityarea focus on lowering thetransaction and transporta-tion costs of fertilizer

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within the RECs. Specificactions should includeremoval of non-tariff fiscaland bureaucratic constraintsto fertilizer cross-bordertrade and infrastructuredevelopment—roads,railways, rail wagons, portfacilities, warehousing—toimprove the efficiency ofdistribution systems.

Priority Area 3: Establisha regional legal and policyframework.The priority area focuses onthe harmonization ofnational fertilizer policies

and regulations to lowertransaction costs andincrease intra-regional tradein fertilizers. Specifically,the following actions wouldbe taken:• Harmonization of grades

and standards.• Harmonization of tariffs.• Elimination of taxes in

each country.

Priority Area 4: Developregional fertilizer MarketInformation Systems.The strategy proposes thatregional market informationsystems will be incorpo-

rated into a plannedregional agricultural sectormarket information systemto support regional procure-ment and policy develop-ment.

Priority Area 5: Conductfeasibility studies forregional fertilizerproduction.As a first step, feasibilitystudies should be con-ducted to assess thepotential of fertilizerproduction.

Priority Area 6: Providesupport services.As a final priority area,diverse support services arerecommended, includingenhancing research andextension services, provid-ing business and technicaltraining to agro-inputdealers, building capacityof farmer organizations,and investing in soil andplant testing and qualitycontrol.

IntroductionComments byMr. Luc Maene, Director General, The International Fertilizer Industry Association(IFA), France

The mission of theInternational Fertilizer

Industry Association (IFA)is to actively promote theefficient and responsibleproduction and use of plantnutrients; to improve theoperating environment ofthe fertilizer industry in thespirit of free enterprise andfair trade; and to collect,compile and disseminate

Fertilizers havethree principlecontributions:

supportingagriculturalproductivity,increasing

nutritional value,and fighting land

degradation.

statistics and other informa-tion relevant to the fertilizerindustry. IFA’s membershipis wide:• Producers of nitrogen,

phosphorus, potassium,sulfur, and micronutrientfertilizers; raw materialsand intermediates; soilamendments; and organicfertilizers.

• Marketing organizations,traders, consultants,shippers, engineeringcompanies, and suppliersof materials and plantequipment.

• Research institutes,associations, andgovernment departments.

The 470 IFA members areglobally distributed inAfrica (9%), Middle East(14%), South Asia (9%),East Asia (12%), China

(5%), Oceania (4%),Eastern Europe and CentralAsia (12%), Western andCentral Europe (16%),North America (12%), andLatin America (7%).

The Association’s 2006annual conference inCapetown, South Africa,was the first one in theAfrican continent. Heldjust prior to the Summit, itbrought together 300companies from over 70countries. The conferencediscussions included theorganization of the fertilizerindustry representation inAfrica, the economicprospects for Africa, andthe ways in which theindustry can contribute tothe agricultural marketdevelopment in thecontinent. IFA has declared

the year 2006 as the Yearfor Africa.

At IFA we believe thatfertilizers are essential forthe elimination of povertyand hunger. We see thatfertilizers have threeprinciple contributions:supporting agricultural

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productivity, increasingnutritional value, andfighting land degradation.Fertilizer should be usedwithin an integrated soilfertility managementframework, adapted to localconditions, as the work inWest Africa by the Interna-tional Center for SoilFertility and AgriculturalDevelopment (IFDC)demonstrates.

An important debate aroundstimulating fertilizer use inAfrica has been whether tofocus on increasing supplyor converting the latentdemand into an effectivedemand. Currently, despitethe significant reserves ofnatural gas and phosphate

in the continent, Africa’sfertilizer consumption andproduction are extremelylimited in global terms.

Given the right tools,knowledge, and opportuni-ties, African farmers canthrive. Fertilizers are anessential component forgrowth because no countryhas ever shaken off povertywithout adequate soilfertility. This panel focuseson the supply and demandissues affecting the fertil-izer crisis in Africa, withfour assumptions to bediscussed by the panelparticipants. In order tofight hunger and povertymost effectively:

• African farmers must beable to shift en massefrom subsistence toentrepreneurship.

• Governments mustprovide transportinfrastructure andappropriate regulation.

• Farmers and agro-retailers need affordablecredit.

• Farmers need marketopportunities for theircrops.

In the panel presentationsand ensuing discussion,four important questionsshould be addressed:• What is the single most

important constraint togreater fertilizer use?

• What is the single mostimportant step thatfertilizer producersshould take to increasefarmers’ access tofertilizers?

• What is the single mostimportant step thatpolicymakers should taketo increase farmers’incentives to invest infertilizers?

• What is the single mostimportant step thatdistributors and retailersshould take to increasefarmers’ ability to investin fertilizers?

Comments byMr. Arne Cartridge, Senior Vice President, Yara International, Norway

The focus of thispresentation is on

Yara’s present initiativessupporting an AfricanGreen Revolution. Yara(formerly Norsk Hydro) isa 100-year-old fertilizercompany. Today it is theworld’s leading plantnutrients company withannual sales of 22 million

tons of mineral fertilizer tomore than 120 countries.Africa represents about 8%of the total sales volume.

For the past 20 years,Yara’s strong position inmany African markets isbased on two key strengths:Yara sees beyond theregion’s inherent uncertain-ties (political upheavals,economic fluctuations, andpoor customer solvency) tobusiness opportunities andis willing to take the risksto realize them. Thissometimes means movingquickly and being bold. Atother times, it meansexercising caution, reduc-ing activities, and beingpatient. This takes ability.

Nevertheless, an optimalcombination of businessmodels, people, products,and knowledge is notenough to ensure Africa’ssuccess. The continentplaces special demands onflexibility, endurance, andrisk management.

In the late 1980s and early1990s, at the time of theliberalization and structuraladjustment program, Yararegistered companies inseveral countries to importfertilizer and build adistribution system. Yarathen considered that theprivate sector could handlethe fertilizer issue becauseAfrican farmers hadsuffered enough due to

problems in the fertilizersector. Yara expected theeconomy to grow andfarmers to prosper as aresult of agricultural sectorgrowth. We all know wherewe are today.

But what is important nowis to go forward. The small-scale farmer is the mostessential part of the system.Farmers can only buy andproduce if they can sell asurplus production. Weneed to help smallholderfarmers become small-scaleentrepreneurs.

The ideal model for thesmallholder input deliverysystem no longer involvesthe supplier developing the

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distribution channels to thefarmers. In this system, therisk is too high and thefunds required are toogreat. In addition, farmersmay not make money fromfarming. Therefore, focusshould be on agriculturaloutput markets at the local,regional, and internationallevels. If farmers can selltheir produce profitably,they will produce more andmake money—this is the“pull” factor for inputs.Without guaranteedpayment for their work, thefarmers will remain at asubsistence level harmingfarmers and economicdevelopment.

Yara is now working withtwo Norwegian develop-ment organizations, theDutch bank Rabobank, andthe Rockefeller Foundationto find ways to improveaccess to and distribution offertilizer in Tanzania. Theambition is to launch theprogram on August 31during the Oslo Conferencefor an African GreenRevolution, a 3-dayconference focusing onpublic-private partnerships.The Yara Foundation alsosupports two of theMillennium Villages andawards the Yara Prize foran African Green Revolu-tion, which will be an-nounced on June 15 andwill go to grassrootinitiatives. Yara hopes thatthrough its commercialactivities, private-publicpartnerships, and philan-thropic initiatives, it canhelp bring a Green Revolu-tion to Africa.

Comments byMr. Onajite Okolodo, Director, Notore Chemical Industries,Nigeria

During the past 7 years,there has been no

fertilizer production inNigeria. With the acquisi-tion of the NAFCONfertilizer plant by NotoreChemical Industries lastyear, production of urea isexpected to resume in2007. This presentationgives a brief history of theNAFCON fertilizer plant,an update on the currentsituation, and describes theplans of Notore in regard tofertilizer production inAfrica.

NAFCON began in 1981 asa joint venture between theFederal Government ofNigeria (FGN; 70%) andKellogg Brown and Root(KBR; 30%). The plantstarted production in 1987and official launching tookplace in 1988, with designcapacity of 1,500, 1,000,and 1,000 tons per day forurea, ammonia, and NPK,respectively. The FGNapproved plans in 1991 forNAFCON II—a second,identical plant to be located

adjacent to NAFCON. In1993, the original plantwent into decline andclosed down in July 1999following key equipmentfailure. In 2000, somefunds were paid to KBR forrehabilitation, but soonthereafter KBR pulled out.In 2002, the FGN approvedprivatization of NAFCON.After two unsuccessfulprivatization attempts andfollowing liquidation inAugust 2005, NotoreChemical Industriesacquired NAFCON assets,including, among others, aplant and factory complex,gas turbines, corporateheadquarters and otherbuildings, land, and theNAFCON estate includinghousing and other resources.

The vision of Notore is tospearhead the AfricanGreen Revolution bymaking fertilizer moreavailable to the Africanfarmers and to become theleading integrated naturalgas and chemicals solutionsprovider in the company’schosen markets. The plan isto provide employment to1,000 local people, which isexpected to ease some ofthe current tension in theNiger Delta. This project isexpected to act as a catalystto revolutionize Nigeria’sagriculture by supportingthe transition from subsis-tence farming to a sophisti-cated agro-based industry.Agriculture and gas are

focus areas of the NewPartnership for Africa’sDevelopment (NEPAD).Notore straddles both areasand expects to be strategicto Nigeria’s economy andfuture.

The 2004 annual consump-tion of urea, the mostpopular fertilizer globally,was 110 million tons; in2010, the total demand isexpected to rise to 150 mil-lion tons. Notore will be theonly plant producing ureain sub-Saharan Africa, withexpected markets locally,regionally, and globally.The United States is animportant fertilizer im-porter, averaging over4 million tons per year ofimports in 2001-2004, andwith fertilizer importsexpected to rise. In 2000-2004, European annualimports averaged 4 milliontons, whereas potentialNigerian annual marketsare expected to be 2.5 to 3million tons. Current annualconsumption in Nigeria isonly 550,000 tons, withsupply constraints limitingthe market size.

Agriculture is a key sectorof the Nigerian society,providing 40% of the GDPand employing over 60% ofthe population. In contrast,oil contributes only 10% ofthe GDP but accounts forover 80% of the govern-ment revenue. The currentfertilizer use in the country

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is only about one-tenth ofthe world average. TheNigerian government iskeen to develop agricultureto reduce oil dependencyand increase revenue. Atthe same time, about 60%of the natural gas producedin Nigeria is flared. Thegovernment is committed toabolishing flaring by 2008;therefore, utilization of gashas become an importantpriority. Natural gasconstitutes over 90% of thefertilizer raw materials.Notore has signed a 20-yearcontract with the Nigeriangovernment for gas.

The objective of the projectis to build an integratedfertilizer-producingcompany with relatedproducts and auxiliarylinkages. The plan is toproduce for local markets1,700 tons of urea per dayby May 2007, and by 2010,initiate production in a newplant at the Onne site,enabling production levelsof 3,500 tons per day andsatisfying both local andregional markets. A longerterm plan involves thedevelopment of a newworld-scale plant in a siteand at a date to be an-nounced, enabling produc-tion levels of 6,500 tons perday for the company. Thecompany’s progress in thepast year has been rapid.By June 2007, the companywill have developed abusiness plan, selected itstechnical partners, com-pleted an environmentalassessment, and signed agas contract.

Comments byMr. Saidre G.B. Zakari, National Sales Manager, GoldenFertilizer Company

Until 1996, the domi-nant actors in the

procurement and distribu-tion of fertilizer in Nigeriawere the federal and stategovernments. In 1996, thesector was privatized,which has led to theestablishment of severalprivate fertilizer importcompanies and 24 blendingplants. Golden FertilizerCompany, established in1998 with corporateheadquarters in Apapa, isone such company. GoldenFertilizer now has twoblending facilities, theIganmu Sackett plant (withcapacity of 60 tons perhour) and the Apapa Nectarplant (180 tons per hour).The combined annualblending capacity is240,000 tons. The companysales figures have increasedfrom about 150,000 tons in2001 to about 230,000 tonsin 2005. Federal and state

government orders consti-tute 15% to 25% of thecompany’s fertilizer sales.

The private sector has beenactive and vibrant in thefertilizer sector since theliberalization. But, thecontinued participation ofthe federal and stategovernments in the fertil-izer sector should beclosely monitored andreviewed, particularlyregarding fertilizer subsi-dies, which are causingunhealthy competitionbetween the government-subsidized fertilizer and theprivate sector unsubsidizedgoods. For the privatesector to be successful inthe fertilizer business, thepublic sector must considera complete withdrawal fromthe fertilizer business overa period of 3 years. TheNigerian governmentshould also improve thecountry’s transport systemand place greater emphasison the railway and ruralfeeder road systems. Thiswill directly reducefarmgate fertilizer cost andthereby have a positiveimpact on agriculturalproduction.

The private sector is readyto take the lead in thefertilizer industry inNigeria. A proper enabling

environment is required togive the private sector thenecessary tools, andinvestors should seek moreresources. Notore hasalready taken over theNational Fertilizer Com-pany of Nigeria(NAFCON) at Onne inRiver State and is ready tostart production by thesecond quarter of 2007.Golden Fertilizer is poisedto improve its blendingfacility and plans to reach aproduction capacity of250,000 tons by 2007. Allstakeholders are invited toparticipate in the improve-ment of the Nigerianagricultural system.

But, the continuedparticipation of thefederal and state

governments in thefertilizer sector

should be closelymonitored and

reviewed,

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Comments byMr. Tony Elumelu, Managing Director, United Bank of Africa

Poor private sectorparticipation hasbeen caused by

agriculture’s longcycle, poor return

on investment, non-competitiveproduction

processes, poorlydeveloped markets,and lack of capacityto develop feasibilitystudies or business

plans.

The United Bank ofAfrica (UBA) is one of

Nigeria’s leading bankswith total assets of morethan 600 million naira(US $4.7 million). Clearlythe banking industry in thispart of the world has notfully supported agricultureand therefore, indirectlyfertilizer market develop-ment. This is despite thefact that agriculture is oneof the most importantsectors in the economy andfertilizer, the most impor-tant farm input.

To meet the MillenniumDevelopment Goals,agricultural growth,including increasingfertilizer use, is key. Amajor gap exists in fertil-izer production; in Nigeriaalone, current consumptionis estimated at less than10% of the potentialdemand. Even if fertilizer isbeing produced, it oftendoes not get to the rightpeople at the right time andat the right prices. Thisapplies to Nigeria as well,although with Notore’srecent acquisition of theNational Fertilizer Com-

pany of Nigeria(NAFCON), we expectproduction to begin soon.

Farmers and other actors inNigeria’s fertilizer markethave found it difficult toaccess finance from banks.Poor private sector partici-pation has been caused byagriculture’s long cycle,poor return on investment,non-competitive productionprocesses, poorly devel-oped markets, and lack ofcapacity to developfeasibility studies orbusiness plans. Policyinconsistencies, includingsubsidies, have led tomarket distortions, whereasabsence of policy enforce-ment, quality control, andmonitoring results inmalpractice. Significantcapital requirements haveexcluded the smallholderfarmer and high landingcharges increase theproduct price to the enduser. High transportationcosts and lack of storage

facilities are other majorchallenges in fertilizersector development.Infrastructure developmentis key and banks shouldsupport these efforts.Finally, due to poorlyfunctioning extensionservices, farmers may beunaware of the importanceof and ways to usefertilizer.

The funding challenge inthe fertilizer sector shouldnot be tackled in isolationbut should be a keycomponent of an approachinvolving:• Micro-credit schemes for

smallholder farmers.• Foreign exchange

stabilization due tocurrent dependency onimports.

• Regional trade policy andharmonization efforts.For example, to encour-age export from Nigeria,the Common ExternalTariff (CET) of the WestAfrican countries withzero duty on fertilizer

from one country toanother must besustained.

Finally, the support of theinternational developmentcommunity is vital toimproving Africa’s fertilizermarket.

Most African farmers are women.

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Summary

The Summit and its preparationsproduced a great deal of materialfor defining the actions that shouldconstitute the way forward: thecountry and regional strategies, thethematic parallel sessions, and themany presentations anddiscussions. The final meeting ofthe Technical Session summarizedthe actions discussed and therecommendations made by theSummit Technical Sessionparticipants. In addition, threeindividuals, each with longexperience and deep interest in thedevelopment of Africa’s fertilizersector, briefly presented their viewson the Summit and what mustfollow it.

Summaries of the addresses by HisExcellency Joaquim Chissano, Mr.Peter McPherson, and Dr. RudyRabbinge are presented, along witha synthesis of The Way Forwardpresented by Dr. Cyril Enweze.

Session 6: The Way Forward

ChairpersonDr. Cyril Enweze, Vice President, International Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment, Italy

RapporteursDr. Marjatta Eilittä, Senior Soil Fertility Specialist, International FertilizerDevelopment Center (IFDC), U.S.A.

Professor M. T. Adetunji, Professor of Soil Science, University ofAgriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria

Addressby His Excellency Joaquim Chissano, Former President ofMozambique

Addressby Mr. Peter McPherson, Co-Chair, Partnership to Cut Hunger andPoverty in Africa, U.S.A.

Addressby Dr. Rudy Rabbinge, Dean, Graduate Schools, WageningenUniversity, The Netherlands

Synthesis and Plenary Discussionsby Dr. Cyril Enweze, Vice President, International Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment (IFAD)

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Summit Sponsor

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AddressHis Excellency Joaquim Chissano, Former President of Mozambique

One of the shortcomingsof Africa’s agricultural

sector is the low utilizationof fertilizer. Africa needs tostart using fertilizers, notonly buying them abroadbut also producing them onthe continent. Africanregions should cometogether to share the risksof producing fertilizers.Everybody in the Summitunderstands why this is thecase. The high transportcosts result in excessiveprices; a farmer inMozambique may have tospend one month of hisrevenue to buy one kilo-gram of fertilizer. The onlyway to bring fertilizercloser to farmers is toproduce it in the region.Efforts could be startedwith sufficient regionalproduction, and thereafterdistribute fertilizer through-out that region.

Poor infrastructure ortransportation issues shouldnot become excuses.Instead, when agriculturaldevelopment is the focus, itbecomes evident that it isnecessary to have road andtransport. We should not be

The high transportcosts result in

excessive prices; afarmer in

Mozambique mayhave to spend one

month of hisrevenue to buy one

kilogram offertilizer.

like the man who sentsomeone to a town toprospect the market for ashoe factory. His employeecame back and said, “Don’tbother going there to put upa shoe factory because whatI saw there is not good.” Hesaid, “What did you see?”“The people are notwearing shoes.”

Africans have to make theeffort to organize theagricultural sector on thecontinent. However, at themoment, if you bringfertilizer to remote areas,people have no knowledgeof how to use it. Somefinancial resources need togo into educating farmersof the usefulness offertilizer. The Africancountries have to do that;the international communityhas to do that.

The perceptions of thebankers need to be changedalso. In this Summit, abanker said “Oh, it isnothing—that is just theway the banks understandit.” This means that theAfrican banks do notunderstand Africa—butthey are here to developAfrica. If they understandthe business the same wayas the Europeans, theninvestors come fromabroad. Africa has theAfrican DevelopmentBank—what is its roletoday? Africans should notwait, instead they shouldtake the initiative now andstart factories in eachregion. Africa also should

take advantage of theSouth-South Corporationand work with those whohave the know-how inBrazil, India, and China. Atthe moment, many studiesare being done, but few areimplementing actions. Inview of the soil degradationin Africa, why is it sodifficult to sit down andsay, “Let us build thisfactory!”? All the otherthings may follow.

Let us modernize Africa’sagriculture through the useof fertilizer and all othermodern technologies. Oncefarmers use fertilizer, thereis an incentive to buymachinery and use otherinputs. At the moment, thebanks understand that onecan borrow money to buy atractor, but they cannotunderstand that one canborrow money to buyfertilizer.

So let us reverse thesituation and make plans toinitiate action. Agriculture

is now seen by banks ashigh risk and it has to beconverted into a reliablebusiness. In this, thegovernment and the privatesector must work together.

I am here as a previousleader of government, buttoday I am also speakinglike a man of civil ser-vice—as someone leading afoundation. Foundationshave an important role inmobilizing the poor tobecome aware of what canbe done better in agricul-ture. Today, I am alsospeaking as a businessman,ready to initiate business inthe area of fertilizerproduction starting with theestablishment of a bulkblending plant. This willstart small and thereafterget larger, with othersjoining in: the government,the private sector, andbanks in Mozambique andin the region. And it will bepossible.

Within the CommonMarket for Eastern andSouthern Africa(COMESA) region,fortunately some of thework has already started.This work should be donewith the civil society, theprivate sector, and all thesmallholder farmers whoare at great risk. They willshow the way out of thisvery difficult but notimpossible problem.

Let us all take action andimplement these ideas now.

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AddressMr. Peter McPherson, Co-Chair, Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa, U.S.A.

I am here today as the co-chair of the Partnership

to Cut Hunger and Povertyin Africa—a relatively newgroup that is determined tosolve, not just analyze, theproblems that Africa faces.It is sad to see how littlehas changed in the past20 years in Africa, since Iwas the administrator forthe United States Agencyfor International Develop-ment (USAID). Not all hasstayed the same; however, Iam here to support thisprocess of the AfricanUnion (AU), the NewPartnership for Africa’sDevelopment (NEPAD),and the ComprehensiveAfrica Agriculture Devel-opment Program (CAADP).I do not agree with everylittle nuance of theseefforts, but I do agree thatAfricans have produced aplan.

The working groups todayhave produced new ideasdemonstrating a complexityof concepts that address theissues of Africa today.

If there is norecognition of theimportant role of

people, institutions,and infrastructurein the developmentprocess, there isno lasting growth.

The reality is thatAfrica lacks the

structures neededto achieve growth—

ones that werepresent in Asia. It is

simplistic to sayotherwise.

These ideas include how toimprove the poor roads, theweak agricultural researchand extension systems, andwhat is the correct role oftargeted subsidies and themarket. The working groupsolutions are in contrast tosimple bullet approachesthat are unable to solve thecomplex problems facingus.

The principal lesson wehave learned over 50 yearsof development aid is thatcountries that take chargeof their own futures have amuch greater chance ofhaving a better future. Onemay not agree with all theseplans, but this is Africa’sfuture, not other people’sfuture. Africans need totake charge of it, and that isa major developmentconcept.

In an earlier session,Dr. Jeffrey Sachs looked forlessons from the GreenRevolution in Asia andcalled for using substantial

resources for fertilizersubsidies. Although it istrue that USAID providedsubstantial fertilizersubsidies at that time,circumstances in Asia werevery different. First, unlikeAfrica that today has thelowest road density in theworld, Asian countries haddeveloped extensivetransportation infrastructureduring the colonial period,which involved railroadsand feeder roads. Second,their human resource basewas stronger in the 1960sthan the current base inAfrica. Analysis conductedin the 1980s on the successof the newly emergingeconomies of Asia demon-strated that the successfulcountries, in addition totaking charge of their ownfutures, invested greatresources in humancapacity building. Finally,due to Africa’s agro-ecological complexity andits mosaic of crops,climates, and soils, theachievement of Africa’sGreen Revolution istechnologically morecomplicated.

The reality is that Africalacks the structures neededto achieve growth—onesthat were present in Asia. Itis simplistic to say other-wise. A 1960s theory by aprominent Harvard econo-mist focused on the need toalleviate developing

country “resource gaps” byadding resources—such ascredit, fertilizer, andothers—to stimulateeconomic activity andgrowth. This theory waswidely discredited, but notbefore substantial resourceswent to subsidies for creditand fertilizer in the decadesfollowing independence inAfrica and elsewhere. Ifthere is no recognition ofthe important role ofpeople, institutions, andinfrastructure in thedevelopment process, thereis no lasting growth.

Dr. Jeffrey Sachs alsospoke of the past 20 yearsas an experimentation andfailure with the privatesector system. Frankly, thisis not so. Twenty years ago,there was a significanteffort to initiate change ineconomic policy that oftenresulted in benefit. Never-theless, many then realizedthat good economicpolicies alone do not mean

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that the economy willnecessarily respond.Without roads, withouttechnology, without people,without institutions, therewill be no growth.

It is to the shame of thedonor community that overthe last decade and a half,there has been a move awayfrom long-term develop-ment involving infrastruc-ture and technology, infavor of the shorter terminputs. For donors, it waspolitically easier to explainto their constituenciesachievements such asfeeding a child or givingmedicine; it was much

harder to explain theimportance of building aroad or giving funds forPh.D. training. At the sametime, we saw both donorsand many African countriesmove away from agricul-ture. This should not havehappened.

It would be very unfortu-nate, indeed, if vastresources were directedinto subsidies at theexpense of the basicinfrastructure—both humanand physical—necessaryfor achieving growth. Wedo not want to look back inthe next 10-15 years andsee that we are in the same

position as now. Shamewould then be on all of us.

In the coming years,Africans will be increas-ingly heard by donors.They will be able to makethe case for fertilizersubsidies, and people willlisten. But, as Africansmake that case, it is criticalto also make the case forthe longer term invest-ments. Without those, wewill all be disappointedwith the results.

Africans must take chargeof their development. Theprevious presentationscalled for a sense of

urgency. This, in addition tothe emphasis on agriculture,is most appreciated. Theurgency that most of theparticipants in this Summitfeel is very well-placed.With these longer terminvestments, there is a rolefor at least some subsidies.These are not prescriptions.Ultimately, these issues areones that Africans mustdefend with their ownbudgets to the donors. It istime to focus on theseissues for Africa now. Theinterest and attendance ofthe Summit’s participants isto be congratulated.

AddressDr. Rudy Rabbinge, Dean, Graduate Schools, Wageningen University, TheNetherlands

This event is a turningpoint in agricultural

development and thegeneral development inAfrica, if the right mea-sures, the right statements,and the right commitmentsare being approved duringthe coming few days. Asparticipants, we can be

In Africa,agriculture takesplace in the old,

deteriorated, andweathered soils,

which need a greatdeal of investmentin soil fertility so

that they canproduce.

witnesses of a historicalmoment; this is somethingthat we should be proud of.

Three years ago, a group ofscientists, with myself asthe chair, was asked toconduct a study on thefuture of agriculturalproductivity and foodsecurity in Africa on behalfof the United Nations andMr. Kofi Annan. The reportcompleted 2 years ago is atthe moment being imple-mented and put into action,demonstrating the confi-dence in the analysis thatwas done.

Africa is not Asia—Africais different. Dr. Borlaug

indicated that yesterday andI agree. In the diagnosis ofthe report, the group madeit clear:• Everywhere else in the

world, rice, wheat, andmaize cover 80% of thefood production; inAfrica, they are less than20%.

• Everywhere else in theworld, you see agricul-ture taking place inyoung alluvial soils inriver basins and coastalplains; in Africa, agricul-ture takes place in theold, deteriorated, andweathered soils, whichneed a great deal ofinvestment in soil fertilityso that they can produce.

• Everywhere else in theworld, investment inagriculture is at least2.5% of gross nationalproduct; not so in Africa,where it is less than0.7%.

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The political willthat has been

demonstrated here,as well as the new

insights andpossibilities wehave, will help

develop agriculturethat is productiveand an Africa that

is food secure.

• Everywhere else in theworld, there is a goodlogistics system; that isabsent in Africa, wherelocal and regionalmarkets are not function-ing. Yesterday, a speakerposed the question:“Why is it that a farmerin Minnesota is payingfor the same kilogram ofnitrogen one-fourth toone-seventh of what afarmer in Uganda ispaying?”

Unlike elsewhere, there is amultitude of farmingsystems in Africa. There isalmost no irrigated agricul-ture. The capacity of thescientists and the producershas been neglected and anenabling environment foragricultural production isnearly absent. And finally,property rights in Africa aresuch that it is very difficultto get access to creditoffered by commercialbanks.

This was our diagnosis andyou could conclude that thesituation in Africa isdreadful and hopeless. It isdefinitely not. We are nowconvinced that there is away out because there is awillingness to invest and awillingness to overcome theproblems. That foodsecurity can be solved byactive policies has beendemonstrated in Europe.Although the commonagricultural policy of theEuropean Union is nowconsidered obsolete andcausing difficulties, when itwas created in 1957, it

helped overcome a situationwhere food security was notguaranteed. Within 15 yearsafter its implementation,food security had becomeguaranteed; it was later thatthe same policies createdproblems because ofoverproduction. Thissituation should now besolved—and it will besolved because the politicalwill is now there.

We have been discussingthe Green Revolution forAfrica, saying that thereshould be a second GreenRevolution. In fact, thiswould be the fourth GreenRevolution. The first onewas in the 1930s in theAmericas and in Europe;then again we saw it in the1950s in Europe; andfinally, in the 1970s in Asia.So this will be the fourthGreen Revolution.

The analysis in the above-mentioned study thereforepointed out that it is toosimple to think that oneGreen Revolution ispossible in the Africancontinent; rather, it will bea rainbow evolution ofdifferent activities indifferent cropping systemsand farming systems. Andthere will be ampleopportunities to accomplishthem.

We are agreeing upon theobjectives we have. Nowthe question is the means toachieve them. For that, weneed a good discussion anddebate. We need to becareful with the means. We

also need to realize thatwhen the objectives havebeen reached, they need tobe reconsidered, as hasbecome necessary inEurope and the UnitedStates.

We also need to realize thatnot all can be done at theglobal level and instead, weneed to distinguish amongthe global level, theintermediary level, and themicro level. At the globallevel, where thepolicymakers and macroeconomists are active, it isnecessary to create asituation where theJohnson-Mellor Model isre-invented to ensure that,by promoting agriculture, itwill become the engine ofdevelopment. For that tohappen, agriculture needsto be stimulated andinvestments in agricultureshould be at least 7%. Thathas been agreed by the stateleaders of Africa—now itshould be implemented. Atthe intermediary level, it isimportant to work indifferent eco-regions andthrough diverse programs.It is at the micro levelwhere the Green Revolu-tion is going to happen—and it is the farmer who hasto do it. The farmer has tohave the opportunity toproduce. Tomorrow’sfarmer meeting at thisSummit is therefore to beapplauded.

There is ample proof thatthings are moving in theright way, that the wayforward is there. The

political will that has beendemonstrated here, as wellas the new insights andpossibilities we have, willhelp develop agriculturethat is productive and anAfrica that is food secure.

It will be important tostrengthen the enablingenvironment and not onlyform public-privatepartnerships but also tomake them active; theimportance of these two hasbeen demonstrated allaround the world. Coopera-tives in Europe have alsohad a key role in develop-ing agriculture that isprofitable and producesfood cheaply for all.

These are some of theefforts that are needed toovercome the current,dreadful situation, whichnever should have hap-pened—the current foodinsecurity needs to beeradicated.

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SynthesisDr. Cyril Enweze, Vice-President, International Fund for Agricultural Development(IFAD), Italy

This presentation comesfrom the clear demand

by Summit participants forurgent, concrete action.President Chissano, who ishelping make fertilizeravailable to farmers, is anexample of encouragementto all participants. To moveforward and initiate anAfrican Green Revolution,all participants must agreeon key issues surroundingfertilizer use in Africa. Boldactions that increasefertilizer access for millionsof poor farmers will allowAfrica to take charge of itsdestiny.

Summit participants haveagreed on several issues:• Africa needs a Green

Revolution now—nottomorrow, and not nextyear.

• While fertilizer is anessential ingredient ofthis Revolution, it is notthe only component.

• A Green Revolution willget African farmers out ofthe poverty trap.

Given the complexmission and

multiple constraintsinvolved, Summitparticipants are

proposing anintegrated, bold,and aggressivestrategy that

implements severalactions at once.

• The poorest Africanfarmers need specialconsideration.

These conclusions have ledto a consensus amongSummit participants on theneed for strategic invest-ment programs to increasefertilizer use and otherinputs to initiate the AfricanGreen Revolution. Summitparticipants are here to startthis Revolution immedi-ately—not to do morestudies and conferences.

Together, participants havealso agreed on numerousactions. Given the complexmission and multipleconstraints involved,Summit participants areproposing an integrated,bold, and aggressivestrategy that implementsseveral actions at once.These actions were

developed in the past2 days and during previousmeetings, such as theMarch 2006 meeting of theEminent Persons in NewYork City. These actionswill take place at variouslevels and different timeframes. Some can beginimmediately, others requiretime for initiation, some areshort term, others are longterm.

These actions, defined bythe Summit TechnicalSession participants in thepast 2 days, are as follows:

Action 1—Reduce thecost of fertilizer atnational and regionallevels by:• Declaring fertilizer a

strategic commodity. Forexample, ensure thatfertilizer has duty- andtax-free movement acrossregions and that theregulations on fertilizerare harmonized within aregion.

• Increasing the use oflocal fertilizer materials,especially phosphaterock.

• Improving fertilizerdistributionsubregionally, throughtrading companiesoperating 200 subre-gional fertilizer depotsacross the continent for10-year periods.

Action 2—Improvefinancial access forfertilizer marketdevelopment by:• Creating a fund to

finance fertilizer procure-ment and distribution.

• Training those involved.• Reducing risk by

collateralization.• Learning from successful

experiences.

Action 3—Improveaccess via developmentof input dealer networksby:• Formulating policies that

assist agro-dealers (e.g.,access to capital andquality control offertilizer).

• Improving fertilizerdemand through lobby-ing, dealer training,social marketing,knowledge training forfarmers, improving ruralfinancial markets, testingwith small fertilizerpackages, creatingprofitable output marketsthrough producermarketing organizations,market information,contract farming, andassessing the extent ofdealer networks, opera-tions, and needs.

• Increasing fertilizersupply through improv-ing capacity and perfor-mance of dealers andsupply chains through

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A strong consensusevident throughout

this SummitTechnical Session

is this: The time foraction by us all is

now!

transport infrastructure,credit guarantees,regulatory framework,etc.

Action 4—Initiate aregional financingmechanism by:• In the short term,

conducting a study and astakeholder consultationon the specifics of thefacility, including itslocation, exact functions,model, and level offinancing.

Action 5—Improvefertilizer access for poorfarmers by makingsmart public policies,such as:• Initiating targeted

subsidies to enable inputuse through farmerorganizations and agro-dealer networks. Thedelivery mechanismneeds to be market-friendly and minimizeleakages.

• Universal governmentinvestments such asinfrastructure, fiscalincentives, regulations,fertilizer recommenda-

tions, and weatherinsurance.

• Focusing on farmerorganizations and theirservice providers throughtechnical training, micro-credit, and linkingfertilizer manufacturerswith suppliers. In thiscontext, contract farmingshould be assessed as away to access inputs.

A strong consensus evidentthroughout this SummitTechnical Session is this:The time for action by usall is now!

A farmer watering vegetable crops for themarket in Lomé, Togo.

Taking notes after a session are Dr. Andre Bationo(left), rapporteur; Dr. M. M. Jibirin, rapporteur; andDr. Marjatta Eilittä, Adviser, IFDC AFS Secretariat.

101

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Mission:

To promote the scaling up of modern agricultural technologies that increase theproductivity and incomes of resource-poor smallholder farmers in Africa withoutharming the natural resource base.

Strategy:

• Work through public agriculture sector organizations.

• Build public-private partnership programs that assist the growth of smallholderfarmers enterprises.

• Focus on improving agricultural growth in potentially higher-yielding agro-ecological zones that have reasonable transport infrastructures in place.

• Support large-scale technology demonstrations on farmers’ fields.

• Backstop frontline extension workers with training and strategic funding foroperations.

• Assist in development of robust input delivery systems (especially in seed andfertilizer), preferably privately owned.

• Engage heads of state and ministers of agriculture and finance in dialog toaccelerate smallholder agricultural development.

Sasakawa AfricaAssociation

Summit Sponsor

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Summary

The Ministerial Session began withwelcome remarks and goodwillmessages by representatives of keyinstitutions and organizations, theFederal Capital Territory of Nigeria,the African Union Commission(AUC), and the New Partnership forAfrica’s Development (NEPAD).After the Ministerial address by theHon. Minister Adamu Bello, fourpresentations focused on thebackground to the Summit,principle features of its outcomes,and the results of the discussions inthe Technical Session. In hiskeynote address, Nobel Peace PrizeLaureate Dr. Norman Borlaugreminded the participants of theexperience with the GreenRevolution in Asia, the differencesbetween Asia and Africa, and thecrucial role of leadership ininitiating the African GreenRevolution.

The core of the Ministerial Sessionwas the discussion centered on thedraft resolution. After apresentation by the Hon. MinisterBello, there was lively discussionon the resolution. There werenumerous changes proposed andaccepted to the resolution. In theend, the report to the Heads ofState was unanimously approved.

The presentations by Hon. MallamNasir El-Rufai, Hon. RosebudKurwijila, Hon. Adamu Bello, andProf. Firmino Mucavele are editedversions of their written speeches.For the presentations of Dr.Norman Borlaug, Dr. Josue Dione,Dr. Akin Adesina, and Dr. AmitRoy, summaries of their originalpresentations are included.

Session 1: Opening Session

Co-ChairpersonsHonorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Develop-ment, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Honorable Rosebud Kurwijila, Commissioner for Rural Economy andAgriculture, African Union Commission, Ethiopia

RapporteurDr. Maria Wanzala, Africa Fertilizer Summit Adviser, New Partnershipfor Africa’s Development (NEPAD), South Africa

Welcomeby Honorable Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Minister of the Federal CapitalTerritory (FCT), Federal Republic of Nigeria

Goodwill Messageby Honorable Rosebud Kurwijila, Commissioner for Rural Economyand Agriculture, African Union Commission, Ethiopia

Goodwill Messageby Professor Firmino Mucavele, Chief Executive, New Partnership forAfrica’s Development (NEPAD) Secretariat, South Africa

Ministerial Addressby Honorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Vote of Thanksby Honorable Bamidele Dada, Minister of State for Agriculture andRural Development, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Session 2: Solutions toAfrica’s Fertilizer Crisis

ChairpersonHonorable Joseph Mungai, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Coopera-tive, United Republic of Tanzania

RapporteurMr. Mohamed Beavogui, Director, West and Central Africa Division,Programme Management Department, International Fund for Agricul-tural Development (IFAD), Italy

Africa Fertilizer Crisis: Summit Background and Processby Dr. Amit Roy, President and Chief Executive Officer, InternationalFertilizer Development Center (IFDC), U.S.A.

Framing of the Summit Outcomesby Dr. Akin Adesina, Associate Director, Food Security, TheRockefeller Foundation, Kenya

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WelcomeHonorable Mallam Nasir El-Rufai,Minister of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Federal Republic of Nigeria

I have thisprivilege to

welcome you tothis epoch-making

Summit toexchange ideas onthis all important

agricultural input—fertilizer.

Keynote Address “Achieving the African GreenRevolution”by Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate andPresident, Sasakawa Africa Association, Mexico

Report from Technical Session: High-Level Dialogueby Dr. Josue Dione, Director of Sustainable DevelopmentDivision, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa(ECA), Ethiopia

Session 2: Solutions toAfrica’s Fertilizer Crisis

(Continued)

Session 3: Implementing thePriority Actions for Solving

Africa’s Fertilizer Crisis

ChairpersonHonorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, The Federal Republic of Nigeria

RapporteursDr. Moise Mensah, Former Minister of Finance, Benin

Dr. Akin Adesina, Associate Director, Food Security, TheRockefeller Foundation, Kenya

I t is with great pleasurethat I, on behalf of the

Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Abuja, have thisprivilege to welcome you tothis epoch-making Summitto exchange ideas on thisall important agriculturalinput—fertilizer. Ourpurpose here is to developand harmonize soundhomegrown policy frame-works for increasedagricultural production inAfrica. With recentadvances in research andproduction technologies,coupled with increases inagricultural subsidies in thewestern world, this Summiton fertilizer would not havebeen more auspicious thannow, hence the Summittheme: Nourish the Soil,Feed the Continent.

Recent studies by theUnited States Agency forInternational Development(USAID) indicate a veryhigh correlation between

improvement in theagricultural sector andincreased incomes inagriculture-based econo-mies. This offers the bestopportunity for the allevia-tion of poverty in thosecountries. The Nigerianeconomy is growing at arate of 3%-5%. If theagricultural sector couldovercome such keyconstraints as poor accessto inputs and improvedtechnologies among others,the Millennium Develop-ment Goal target rate of 7%could be attained. Conse-quently, the proportion ofour people living in povertywould be greatly reduced.This is more profoundconsidering that despite therapid infrastructural andurbanization programs, themajority of Nigeriansderive their livelihoodsfrom agriculture and itsrelated enterprises—farmcultivation, animal hus-

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bandry, agro-processing,packaging, transportation,etc. Declining productivityof the agricultural sector isforcing many potentialfarmers to seek other meansof livelihood and vocationelsewhere. This depletes thenumber of those actuallyremaining on the farms.This has tremendousimplications for labor-saving devices and in-creased productivity. Theaverage age of farmers isabout 50 years and above.The output from poor soilsand marginal lands isdeclining because of thecontinuous use of outdatedtools and implements andovergrazing of pasturelandsby large herds of livestock.This is frustrating theefforts of the few oldfarmers. There is a verypressing need to intensifycultivation using improvedfarm inputs such asfertilizers. This will notonly increase production,but encourage the youthsand new entrants intoagricultural production.They are the ones who willbe producing for theexpanding market.Mr. President’s strongcommitment to agriculturaldevelopment is amplydemonstrated by his hostingof this Summit. In addition,he sponsored the meetingof the second technicalcommittee last February.President Obasanjosupported several otherinitiatives to ensureconcrete strategies to

increase availability andoffer specific incentives forincreased fertilizer use byresource-poor ruralfarmers.

The government’s greatconcern for the continuedimproved performance ofthe agriculture sector isshown by the number ofpolicy reforms recentlyarticulated in our NationalEconomic EmpowermentDevelopment Strategies(NEEDS).

The USAID/Nigeriacountry strategic plan for2004-2009 indicatedincreased agriculturalproductivity as one of theintermediate results to beevaluated in terms of yieldper unit of production. Thishas direct implications forincreased access to fertil-izer and other importantproduction inputs.

With over 600,000 hectaresof arable lands and agrowing market within andaround Abuja, the agricul-ture sector accounts for thelivelihoods of over 60% ofFCT inhabitants and over78,000 farm families. Thisexplains the government’srationale for according it aprime position in theeconomy of the Territory.Our policy thrust here is toempower mainly the ruralpopulace in the implemen-tation and execution oflaudable agriculturalprojects supported by ourinternational donor

agencies. This can be donethrough the provision ofbasic inputs and an en-abling environment.

Since opportunities aboundin the manufacture,transportation, handling,efficient management, and

utilization of fertilizers forprivate sector investments, Iask participants, stakehold-ers, and internationalpartners to join with theMinisters of Agricultureand the organizers towardachieving the set goals ofthis Summit. Governmentscannot do it alone. So, asyou “cross-fertilize” ideas,let our proposals andresolutions zero in onensuring adequate foodsecurity, economicsustainability, and theeradication of povertyamong African families.

Once again, you are warmlywelcome to Abuja, theFederal Capital City ofNigeria. I wish you fruitfuldeliberations and thank youfor your attention.

As you “cross-fertilize” ideas, letour proposals andresolutions zero in

on ensuringadequate food

security, economicsustainability, andthe eradication of

poverty amongAfrican families.

Animal traction plays an importantrole in some African farming systems

but is generally underutilized.

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It is apparent thatour leaders have

demonstratedpolitical leadershipby individually and

collectivelyaddressing

Africa’s stagnatingagricultural growthand development.

Goodwill MessageHonorable Rosebud Kurwijila, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture,African Union Commission, Ethiopia

It is a great privilege forme to address you at this

very important MinisterialSession of the AfricaFertilizer Summit. We arehere to deliberate the meansand ways of acceleratingthe accessibility andaffordability of fertilizer toAfrican farmers, andtherefore, inducing anAfrican Green Revolution.

Let me take this opportu-nity on behalf of theAfrican Union Commissionto welcome all of you tothis meeting in Abuja. Iwould also like to expressmy heartfelt gratitude toPresident Obasanjo and theFederal Government ofNigeria for hosting thisimportant Summit. Onbehalf of the African UnionCommission, I wish toexpress my deep apprecia-tion for your participationat this meeting despite yournumerous commitments anddemanding schedules. Ourpresence here today is ademonstration of ourcollective determination to

In most of our rural areas,land and unskilled labor aregenerally the principalassets. The rural farmer haslimited ability and re-sources to invest inimproved land managementand adopt modern andappropriate technologies. Inaddition, as the size offamily holdings declinesdue to population growth,the importance of agricul-tural intensificationbecomes more apparent andnecessary.

Dependence on rainfedagriculture, poor ruraltransportation, and lack of afinancial infrastructure havefurther limited Africa’sability to intensify agricul-ture. Because of thecomplex challenges that ourcontinent faces, govern-ments adopted a Compre-hensive Africa AgricultureDevelopment Program(CAADP). Africa needs torevamp and boost agricul-tural productivity and strivefor a 6% annual agriculturalgrowth. To achieve thisgrowth, Africa needs aconsiderable increase in theuse of modern inputs,including organic andmineral fertilizers. Inaddition, improvements inrural infrastructure arenecessary to cut down thehigh transaction costs thatimpede the import delivery

system and consequentlyraise input costs includingfertilizer. All these interven-tions need large invest-ments in agriculture. TheJuly 2003 Maputo Declara-tion on agriculture and foodsecurity allocated at least10% of the annual nationalbudget to agriculture andrural development. Thishinges strongly on thecommitments of Africanownership and solicitingour own solutions toproblems prior to seekingexternal support. It isapparent that our leadershave demonstrated politicalleadership by individuallyand collectively addressingAfrica’s stagnating agricul-tural growth anddevelopment.

Within this context, thetechnical session of theSummit brought togetherkey stakeholders to discuss

work together in addressingone of the challenges facingAfrica and the agriculturalsector.

Let me also thank theRockefeller Foundation,other development partners,and technical agencies thathave been essential to thisSummit and all that havecontributed financially andtechnically to the realiza-tion of this Summit. I wishto congratulate the NEPADSecretariat, the Interna-tional Fertilizer Develop-ment Center, and the localorganizing committee forsuccessfully organizing theSummit.

Africa remains the onlycontinent where foodproduction per capita hasfallen in the last 4 decades.This has led to Africa’sproblem of hunger,malnutrition, and povertyand has robbed many of theAfrican poor people of adecent life and dignity.Many factors have contrib-uted to this predicament,but the main factor is lowagricultural productivity.This has occurred due tolimited and improper use ofmodern varieties andfertilizers. In addition,enabling environments formodern technologies andfertilizer use have not beenput in place.

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and define in concreteterms bold actions that willaccelerate the accessibilityand affordability offertilizer to increase farmproductivity and improvefood security and house-hold income.

I wish to commend andcongratulate our technicalexperts who for the past2 days have discussed andagreed on key priority areasof action surrounding the

fertilizer crisis. They havealso emphasized theimportance of fertilizeravailability in the rightenvironment. Enablingfactors like sound policy,irrigation, rural infrastruc-ture, extension services,markets, and enhancementof the farmer’s capacity forsoil management arenecessary for the realizationof the African GreenRevolution. However, it ismy hope that you will

Goodwill MessageProfessor Firmino Mucavele, Chief Executive, New Partnership for Africa’sDevelopment (NEPAD) Secretariat, South Africa

NEPAD is an integratedprogram of the

African Union, developedby African leaders andbased on partnership amongAfrican countries with theobjective of promotingsustainable development inAfrica. Sustainabledevelopment includes fourdimensions: humandevelopment, socialdevelopment, institutionaldevelopment, and economicdevelopment. Strategically,

NEPAD contributes toAfrica’s goal to create aconducive environment forpeace, security, anddemocracy. Our effortswithin NEPAD are gearedtoward promoting goodgovernance, investment inour people, and enforcingpolicies that accelerateeconomic growth andhuman development.NEPAD is committed topromoting peace andsecurity in Africa, tobuilding institutionalcapacity, to improvingtrade, and to utilizing ourhuman and financialresources. Strategically, theRegional EconomicCommunities are feelers fordevelopment of countriesand the building blocks forsustainable developmentand integration. Operation-ally, the NEPAD Secretariatworks collaboratively and

extensively with the AfricanUnion Commission,Regional EconomicCommunities, and membercountries in the deliberationof priorities, mobilizationof resources, and coordina-tion of implementation.

The key principles andmethods of NEPAD are(1) African ownership andresponsibility; (2) partner-ship among Africancitizens, among Africancountries, and with theinternational community forAfrica’s development;(3) self-reliance andemphasis on reducingdependence on aid throughstrengthening of the privatesector; (4) self-confidenceto implement programs;(5) self-esteem in ourheritage and Africanhistory; (6) protection andpromotion of democracy

and human rights; (7) goodpolitical, economic, andcorporate governance;(8) people-centereddevelopment; (9) promo-tion and protection ofhuman rights; (10) genderequality; (11) accountableleadership; and (12) action-oriented partnership.

Progress has been made inmoving NEPAD fromconcept to policy develop-ment, and initial implemen-tation is now in process inalmost all countries. This isparticularly true for theagricultural sector, wherewe have achieved signifi-cant results. The Compre-hensive Africa AgricultureDevelopment Program(CAADP) has set a targetgrowth rate of 6% perannum for the agriculturalsector. To achieve thisgrowth rate, it is necessary

examine the recommenda-tions made by our expertsand propose priority actionsthat will be brought to theattention of Heads of Stateand Government forconsideration. The AfricanUnion Commission andNEPAD, in collaborationwith the United NationsEconomic Commission forAfrica (UNECA) and theAfrican Development Bank(AfDB) are poised to leadthe process. The African

Union Commission andNEPAD will play afacilitation role by workingclosely with member statesand development partnersto ensure that priorityaction areas are followedup for implementation toaddress the fertilizer crisisand pave the way for theAfrican Green Revolution. Ithank you very much foryour kind attention.

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to increase crop yields byimproving farmers’ use offertilizers and other moderntechnologies. It is CAADPthat brings us here today,and the Africa FertilizerSummit is convened withinthis framework. Similar tothe spirit and principles ofNEPAD, the Summit hastwo guiding principles.First, it is an action-oriented initiative to makefertilizer available andeconomically accessible tofarmers. Second, theSummit is an African-ledinitiative.

During these 3 days, weconsulted with civil societyorganizations and receivedsix important recommenda-tions. The civil societycalled first for organiza-tions’ involvement offarmers’ organizations.They have recommendedthat the major priorities foraction should include

capacity building, policyformulation, and monitor-ing and evaluation. Civilsociety organizations alsocalled for institutionaliza-tion of the tri-sector model,which includes the publicand private sectors and civilsocieties utilizing theproper public-private sectorpartnership. Also, recom-mended is supporting thecoordination of civil societyorganizations. They alsorecommend utilizing theskills of a civil societyorganization in capacitybuilding. Civil societyorganizations call forAfrican governments tospecifically target women,youth, and the poor in termsof agricultural inputs,subsidies, extensionservices, access to land, andcredit facilities. Subse-quently, they also recom-mend gender, youth, andcivil society offices inevery African country. Itwas recommended that thegovernment and the privatesector put in place mecha-nisms for preservation ofagricultural products,securing of markets, andextension. There should beaccountability in manage-ment of human resources aswell as resolution to createan enabling environmentfor agricultural productivityand food self-sufficiency.

It was not our intention tocome to Abuja to brain-storm. NEPAD and ourimplementing partner,

IFDC, have been workingsince January with RegionalEconomic Communitiesand countries to identifyconcrete and practicalactions to accelerate theaccessibility, affordability,and incentives for millionsof African farmers toincrease fertilizer use. Fromthe outset, it was ourintention to meet to discusssolutions, not to re-hashproblems that we all know.

Technical experts fromacross Africa and the worlddeliberated on Friday andSaturday to examine boldactions to address Africa’sfertilizer crisis. On Sunday,civil society gave us anadditional space to workand to achieve the objectiveof increasing productivityin agriculture and providingfood security. A number ofpractical, concrete, andimplementable actions havebeen identified that willensure fertilizer use andsupplies are expandedrapidly over the next 5years.

Today’s Ministerial Sessionwill outline in detail thetrue recommendations thathave been identified inaddressing Africa’sfertilizer crisis and inachieving 6% growth inagricultural production perannum. We are hopeful thatyou will support theserecommendations andsubmit them to the Headsof State for endorsement.

Reversing the currenttrends will take time.However, with yourcontinued leadership andsupport, Africa willsuccessfully break the cycleof food insecurity andhunger.

Thank you for yourcontinued leadership in thedevelopment of Africa. Iwould also like to recog-nize our partners fromAfrica and throughout theworld and appeal for yourcontinued partnership toimplement the recommen-dations. I would like torecognize IFDC, which hasworked with us in preparingthis Summit. I also recog-nize The RockefellerFoundation, the AfricanDevelopment Bank, theDepartment for Interna-tional Development, andmany other partners whocontinue to support ourefforts. With your contin-ued support, we willsucceed.Civil society

organizations callfor African

governments tospecifically targetwomen, youth, andthe poor in terms

of agriculturalinputs, subsidies,

extensionservices, accessto land, and credit

facilities.

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Ministerial AddressHonorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, FederalRepublic of Nigeria

Over the last 3 dayseminent scientists,

distinguished stakeholdersfrom the fertilizer sector,development partners, andfarmers have been meetingand developing strategies toaddress the fertilizer issueand how to put the Africancontinent on a trajectory toan African Green Revolu-tion. It is very clear—toparaphrase Dr. NormanBorlaug—“mineralfertilizer is the fuel”required to power thetrajectory.

President OlusegunObasanjo has the passionand commitment tofacilitate Nigeria and,indeed, all sister Africancountries to develop theframework and strategies toachieve the CAADP targets.The responsibility toimplement the Accra Planof Action developed fromthe Maputo declarationrests squarely on ourministries and associatedinstitutions.

I am happy to report thatNigeria has made substan-tial progress by recording a7% annual growth inagriculture over the last 2years. Our presidentialinitiative on cassava hasresulted in large-scaleadoption of cassavaproduction with thesubsequent downstreamactivities of processing,marketing, and storage.Other presidential initia-tives on rice, cocoa, cotton,vegetable oil, and rubberare recording various levelsof achievements. Forexample, Nigeria’s riceimportation has been cut byhalf, while the importationof vegetable oil into thecountry has since beenstopped. Just last month,Mr. President hosted aCocoa Summit for cocoaexporting countries andaction plans were adoptedto enhance cocoa produc-tion, consumption, andexports.

Nigeria has developed aNational Fertilizer Policythat incorporates all theexpected outcomes of theAfrica Fertilizer Summit,i.e., to enhance accessibil-ity, affordability, andincentives in fertilizerproduction, marketing, andutilization.

We must strive to ensurethat this Summit results in

concrete actions to improveAfrica’s soil fertilitythrough the efficientapplication of organic andmineral fertilizers. Ourmeeting should also focuson critical issues needed toaddress challenges facingthe fertilizer sub-sectorincluding, but not limitedto, national and regionalpolicies, markets, infra-structure, and financing.

This Summit will affordAfrica the opportunity tocoherently plan and makegiant strides in improvedagricultural production,improved nutrition andhigher incomes for impov-erished farmers, improvedland and water yields,better land tenure security,enhanced rural financingsystems, more efficientmarketing, reduced urbanbias of public spending,improved preservation andstorage, better extensionand research, enhancedroles for women, andcountering donor fatigue inagriculture.

In Nigeria today, agricul-ture contributes over 40%of the GDP. It accounts forover 80% of non-oilexports and employs over70% of our active laborforce. In fact, the agricul-tural sector is a priority forthe Obasanjo administra-tion. Nigeria has made

incremental strides toenhance fertilizer aware-ness and use. There was agradual shift in the 1970sfrom fallow soil fertilityregeneration to mineralfertilizer use owing to theconcerted effort of thegovernment to encouragefarmers to use mineralfertilizers.

Over time, however, apattern of ecologicalspecifications has emerged,which matches geographi-cal crop distributionpatterns based on cropnutritional needs and soilfertility levels. We havenow almost completed theproduction of soil charac-terization and soil fertilitymapping of the country.This will provide informa-tion on the fertility levels ofvarious soil types andnutrient requirements foundin Nigeria’s agro-ecologicalzones.

We must strive toensure that this

Summit results inconcrete actions

to improve Africa’ssoil fertilitythrough the

efficientapplication oforganic and

mineral fertilizers.

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The main thrust ofNigeria’s fertilizer supplypolicy is to ensure areliable and cost-effectivesupply of fertilizers for all.Consequently, efforts havebeen directed at stimulatinglocal production based onnatural resources andsecuring the shortfallbetween national require-ments and local productionthrough imports. Interven-tion support is now given tothe fertilizer sub-sector in

view of the significantnature of inputs to agricul-tural production. By this,government intervenes inthe sub-sector to stabilizemarket prices and cushionany adverse effects, whichthe gradual deregulation ofthe sub-sector may cause tofarmers.

The potential demand forfertilizer in Nigeria isapproximately 12 milliontons per year. Currentfertilizer use is alsoestimated at about 13 kg ofnutrients per hectare peryear for arable lands.Granted that the quantity offertilizer used by farmers isstill relatively low com-pared to the world average,the introduction of fertilizeruse in Nigeria has generallybeen successful.

A critical part of theefficient utilization of

fertilizer is the availabilityof infrastructure. Coresupport is urgently neededin many African countriesin the areas of transporta-tion and markets and moreso in countries such asNigeria requiring extensivemovement of the productacross several distantlocations. Warehouses andretail outlets are keyaspects of market infra-structure vital to a sustain-able policy on fertilizers.These inadequacies pose agreat challenge for Africa’sexisting but insufficientinfrastructure.

Our aspirations for sus-tained agricultural growthand food security throughincreased fertilizer usecannot be over-emphasized.We need to consider thecost implications andlogistical requirements of acontinent–wide infrastruc-

The main thrustof Nigeria’s

fertilizer supplypolicy is to

ensure a reliableand cost-

effective supplyof fertilizers for

all.

ture gap of this magnitude.The cooperation, financialresource commitment andgenuine support of Africa’scollaborating developmentpartners towards theattainment of our aspira-tions for sustained agricul-tural growth and foodsecurity through increasedfertilizer use cannot beover-emphasized. Wetherefore solicit yourmeaningful and genuinecooperation in this regard.

The time for concertedaction is now. Let us take abold step together toexpand food security andincome opportunities acrossAfrica to the benefit of ourpeople. I earnestly thankyou all and once again,warmly welcome you toAbuja.

An agricultural input company displaying its products in the Summit Hall.

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Africa Fertilizer Crisis: Summit Background and ProcessDr. Amit Roy, President and CEO, IFDC, U.S.A.

Background

Sub-Saharan Africa isexperiencing an

agricultural crisis. In the40-year period from 1961to 2001, average cerealyields in South Asia almosttripled whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, they roseby only one-fourth, to anaverage of 1.0 tons perhectare.

What is striking is howdifferently the productionhas increased in the tworegions. In Asia, 80% of thegreatly increased cerealproduction was due toimproved crop yields andonly 20% by increasing thearea under cultivation. InAfrica, most of the produc-tion increase has come fromincreased area undercultivation. This hasresulted in worseningdeforestation, encroach-ment on fragile lands, andcontinuous land use, all ofwhich have increasednutrient mining of Africansoils. One decade ago,more than 60 kg of nutri-

ents per hectare wereremoved from the soilannually in 40% of Africancountries; now this highrate of removal is occurringin more than 75% of thecountries. But somecountries, such as Nigeria,have reversed this trendthrough leadership andcommitment.

This low fertilizer usecontributes to soil nutrientmining and low agriculturalproductivity. Fertilizer userates in Africa (20 kg/ha),and particularly the rates insub-Saharan Africa (8 kg/ha), are far lower than theworld average (93 kg), andthe average for Asia (146kg), especially East Asia(202 kg). Both extremes offertilizer use cause environ-mental problems, althoughof different kinds, sointermediate rates shouldnormally be the goal.

The high price of fertilizersis often mentioned as aconstraint to fertilizer usein Africa. Fertilizers areindeed expensive on thecontinent, because inlandfreight charges, operationalcosts, and other costs areusually higher in Africathan elsewhere. These costsmight be decreased throughvarious interventions,including increased marketcompetition, which wasseen recently in Malawi.Utilization of indigenous

fertilizer resources has alsobeen of interest, both fornitrogen and phosphorus.Africa has 70% of theworld’s phosphate re-sources and significantnatural resources fornitrogen and potashproduction.

Summit PreparationsThe Summit’s guidingprinciple is that whileinorganic fertilizers areessential to achieve anAfrican Green Revolution,efforts to only increase theiravailability are not enough.Instead, a holistic approachis needed, includingimprovement of farmeraccess to fertilizer,affordability of fertilizer,and incentives for fertilizeruse through better outputmarkets. This approachneeds to involve efforts tosupply farm inputs, toincrease production, and to

improve marketing andprocessing of farm outputs.

The Summit will consist of4 days of activities, with aTechnical Session (June 9–10) followed by a Ministe-rial Meeting (June 12), thenthe Meeting of the Heads ofState (June 13). No formalactivities are planned forJune 11.

The Summit is bringingtogether numerous actors. Itis chaired by H.E. PresidentObasanjo and convened bythe African Union (AU) andNew Partnership forAfrica’s Development(NEPAD). H.E. PresidentObasanjo is also the chairof the Eminent Persons’Group, consisting of world-renowned scientists,policymakers, and develop-ment specialists. TheEminent Persons’ Grouphas set the overall visionfor the Summit, has advisedon the structure andconduct of the Summit, andguides the follow-upactions. The Group metonce before the Summit, inMarch 2006, in New YorkCity. The 29-memberTechnical Committee,consisting of representa-tives of national andinternational organizations,with a majority based inAfrica, has been extremelyactive and has given itsinput on the Summitagenda, participants,

The Summit’s guidingprinciple is thatwhile inorganicfertilizers are

essential to achievean African Green

Revolution, efforts toonly increase theiravailability are not

enough.

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exhibits, and key papers intwo meetings: inJohannesburg, SouthAfrica, in November 2005and Abuja, Nigeria, inFebruary 2006.

Summit preparations havebeen led by two Secretari-ats, one at IFDC headquar-ters in Alabama, U.S.A.,another at the NEPADSecretariat inJohannesburg, SouthAfrica. In Nigeria, theNational and LocalOrganizing Committeeshave been closely involvedwith the Summit prepara-tions in Abuja. A Communi-cations Strategy Group,consisting of representa-tives from NEPAD, theRockefeller Foundation,IFDC, the InternationalFertilizer Industry Associa-tion (IFA), the LocalOrganizing Committee, and

the Burness Communica-tions, has communicatedabout the Summit and itsimportance to local,national, and world media.

Summit preparations havebeen complex. NumerousAfrican countries and fourRegional EconomicCommunities have preparedCountry and RegionalFertilizer Strategies and theSummit Secretariats havecoordinated the preparationof diverse Summit papers.These include the “VisionPaper,” which outlines thebackground, key actors, andobjectives of the Summit,as well as several otherpapers focusing on impor-tant aspects of the fertilizer

This Summit will beaction-oriented.

In Africa, most ofthe production

increase has comefrom increased

area undercultivation. This has

resulted inworsening

deforestation,encroachment onfragile lands, andcontinuous landuse, all of whichhave increased

nutrient mining ofAfrican soils.

sector in Africa. TheStrategies and backgroundpapers have been fed intothe Summit TechnicalSession, which combineskeynote addresses, panels,and concurrent panelsessions.

Finally, this Summit will beaction-oriented. The keyoutput of the TechnicalSession will be the defini-tion of the way forward—the future actions thatshould be taken in thefertilizer sector in Africa.These actions will bepresented at the MinisterialMeeting on June 12.

Framing of the Summit OutcomesDr. Akin Adesina, Associate Director, Food Security, The Rockefeller Foundation, Kenya

Fertilizer provided theupward thrust to

stimulate agricultural

productivity all across Asia.African agriculture is stuckbecause there is nothing tofuel it. That is why thisSummit is critical. Throughthe research efforts ofdiverse partners, we havethe varieties that can createthe African Green Revolu-tion. But there are novarieties that can grow onair; they require nutrients.African soils are dead, andthe natural capital stock hasbeen depleted during thepast 30 years. As Africa’s

population continues togrow, the productivity ofagriculture continues todecline. Africans are tiredof being poor and nothaving access to productivetechnologies that can makea difference in their lives.

There are three importantpoints regarding fertilizer inAfrica:• Its use is almost nil, in

stark contrast to Asia.• It is not a silver bullet;

instead, it is a goldenbullet—the same bullet

But to justify the approach in Africa based onthe current situation in Asia fails to take intoaccount that although both have a problem,

the solutions must be different.

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that got Asian countrieswhere they are today.

• Its environmental use iskey, and organic fertiliz-ers should be used whenavailable.

But to justify the approachin Africa based on thecurrent situation in Asiafails to take into accountthat although both have aproblem, the solutions mustbe different. For example, afat person and a thin personboth have a weight prob-lem, but each problemshould be addresseddifferently. African agricul-ture must gain weight. Thestrong efforts to accomplishNEPAD’s bold target forAfrican agriculture aredaunting tasks, requiringtriple the fertilizer use.

A series of constraints limitAfrica’s ability to reach thisgoal: demand and supply,policy, institutional,financing, and infrastruc-ture. This is not a review ofthem all, but two importantconstraints to mention are(1) on the demand side, thelack of fertilizer in smallpackages, and (2) on thesupply side, the scarcity ofshops selling inputs,particularly in rural areas.

Focus has to be on improv-ing accessibility to,affordability of, andincentives for fertilizer usefor farmers to get the inputsneeded. Accessibility has todo with the quantity,quality, and the timeliness.Affordability means thatthey do not have to break a

bank to use fertilizer, andincentives mean that theyprofit from the raise inproductivity with fertilizer.The paradox is that softdrinks can be found in anypart of Africa, but not seedand fertilizer.

The challenge, of course, isthat selling seed andfertilizer is not the same asselling Coke and Pepsi. Tosell seed and fertilizer, youmust have product knowl-edge and expertise tohandle and store themproperly and give advice tofarmers. It also requirestechnical and businessmanagement skills.

This is what we have donein Malawi with ourpartners. We have trainedagro-dealers to helpincrease their networks. Wehave improved availabilityof capital to them through acredit-guarantee mecha-nism. Still today, most agro-dealers are concentrated inhigh potential areas; weneed to change that.

The problem is that 75% ofthe African population islocked in a poverty trap andcannot afford seed, fertil-izer, or agri-chemicals. Inwestern Kenya, only 1%-2% of the small farmers areusing inputs. They are thetargets of smart subsidiesthat do not destroy themarket, but will get themout of the poverty trap.

Africans should not go toan Olympic race and runwith no shoes. The shoes

should be there. The“shoes,” in this case, are thesufficiently small packagesof fertilizer and decreasedprice of fertilizer throughjoint procurement anddistribution. We must alsoaddress structural supplycapacity constraints, suchas regional transportationinfrastructure, and removalof all taxes and tariffs onfertilizer. Africa’s supplycapacity should be builtthrough private-sectorproduction capacity using75% of the world’s phos-phate rock deposits that areon this continent.

The key elementsof the way forwardat the national levelare:• Improve access,

affordability, andincentivesthrough develop-ment and scaling up ofthe agro-dealer networksall across rural Africa.

• Establish input guaranteeschemes to link thetrained stockists to theinput suppliers.

• Initiate smart subsidiesthat do not undermine themarket.

• Package inputs in smallersizes.

• Improve output prices forour farmers.

At the regional level,affordability must improvethrough:• Joint procurement and

distribution.• Investment in infrastruc-

ture, such as roads andrail.

• Stimulation of localmanufacture offertilizers.

• Harmonization of allregulations.

Finally, all of this is goingto cost money. This is amomentous period to turnAfrican agriculture around.We need to free agricultureand our farmers andmillions of people in ruralareas from poverty, foodinsecurity, and high levelsof vulnerability. You will bemaking landmark decisionstoday and tomorrow. You

will change the face ofAfrica. You will create anew voice, from that ofhunger, misery, and povertyto one of hope. As you goto your offices, as you driveon your roads, as you go toyour villages, you will see anew voice coming out inAfrica. It will be a voicesaying, as Martin LutherKing said in the UnitedStates, “We are free, we arefree at last.” Thank God,African agriculture finallygets itself moving and weare free at last.

The challenge, of course, isthat selling seed and

fertilizer is not the same asselling Coke and Pepsi.

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Keynote Address “Achieving an African Green Revolution”Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and President, Sasakawa AfricaAssociation, Mexico

The Green Revolutionstarted in Pakistan and

India, with more modestefforts taking place in otherAsian countries. Itscomponents were improveddwarf wheat and semi-dwarf rice varieties withhigh yield potential, whichhad been developed duringprevious decades withfunding from theRockefeller Foundation.

At the time the work wasinitiated, there was a senseof urgency originating fromIndia’s high populationgrowth rate and pooragricultural productivity.There was also muchcriticism of the effort. Theon-farm testing showedgood disease resistance andhigh yield potential, butwithout fertilizer therewould have been nochange. In 1965, 5 millionnutrient tons were used inall developing countries ofAsia. This increased by 15-fold to 77 million tons in

2006. With irrigationdevelopment and mechani-zation, production went from368 million tons to 1 billion,17 million tons. In Indiaalone, it went from a static11.5 million tons (1960-65)to 75 million tons. Conse-quently, self-sufficiency wasquickly achieved in Pakistanfor wheat and in India forwheat and rice. The finalimportant ingredient wasleadership by politicalleaders, the Prime Ministers,and the Heads of State. Theygave leadership for thewhole effort, includingestablishing fertilizer plants.

There is much misinforma-tion on fertilizer, and acommon one regards thepotential role of organicfertilizer. One cannot solvethese problems with organicfertilizer even if we use allthe organic fertilizeravailable in the world. Thereis not enough of it! Focusingon organic fertilizer alone isnonsense and pure theory.For example, China,probably the world’s experton the use of organicfertilizer, only sawa great increase inproduction when itstarted importingurea from Japan inthe early 1960s,after which it built1,200 smallammonia plantsusing coal as a rawmaterial.

To help improve thesituation in Africa, anunderstanding is needed ofthe factors that allowed theGreen Revolution to takeplace in Asia. They are:• Transport infrastructure.• Irrigation infrastructure.• Public supply and

distribution system forgrain.

• Marketing boards tofacilitate food productionproblems.

• Production subsidies.• Large commercial

demand for food.

In Africa, colonial powerswere not interested in food,but instead, in minerals, andthey built transportationinfrastructure that reflectedthis.

Of the essential ingredientsfor a Green Revolution inAfrica, we already haveavailable high-yieldingvarieties that produce wellwith a modest amount offertilizer. There is, how-ever, a lack of infrastructurefor transport, causinginability to move food from

surplus areas to hungryareas. Fertilizer must be animportant component, andAfrica needs to increase itsuse from the extremely lowcurrent average. Availableland is already there toincrease production inAfrica.

Now, there needs to bepolitical will and determi-nation to win the game onthe food front. Otherwise,Africa will continue tostagnate in poverty andmisery. Some may thinkthat small farmers cannotdo it. These farmers haveseen the demonstrations ofimproved varieties, but ifwe do not have one of theimportant components—fertilizer—to harness thepotential of these varieties,it is all wasted. We needtherefore to put research towork to produce food toalleviate human suffering.The participants of thisSummit and others workingon agricultural developmentwant to help.

The people on policy haveto lead! Lead! Lead! Doit—don’t sit and talk! I’mtired of listening to talkabout it and seeing hungerand poverty in many partsof the world where itdoesn’t need to exist. It’s upto you!

China, probably the world’sexpert on the use of organicfertilizer, only saw a great

increase in production when itstarted importing urea from

Japan in the early 1960s.

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Report From Technical Session: High-Level DialogueDr. Josue Dione, Director of Sustainable Development Division, United NationsEconomic Commission for Africa (ECA), Ethiopia

I am honored to submitthe outcomes of the

Technical Session onactionable ways to confrontthe African fertilizer crisisby increasing availabilityand by improving access,affordability, and incentivesfor increased fertilizer useby African farmers.

This will be done againstthe background ofNEPAD’s vision forAfrica’s economic develop-ment, which is based on theincreased and sustainedeconomic growth rates of7% per year. This visionalso uses the CAADP as anavenue for agriculturalgrowth, food security, andrural development. Thetarget annual growth ratefor the agricultural sector is6%.

Yet, to realize that chal-lenge, African farmers mustface some considerablechallenges including lowproductivity, limited access

to agriculturalinputs andtechnologies,and also seriousworld marketconstraints. Thisis called thedouble discon-nection of theAfrican farmer:from themarkets backward to theinput market and forward tothe output market. With thisdouble disconnection, thereis no way to get agriculturemoving. Consequently,African farmers find it verydifficult to feed theirfamilies, let alone thegrowing African popula-tion. The African market isgrowing, but it is mainlydue to urbanization andother factors. This growingmarket is being served byincreasing the agriculturalsectors outside of Africa.This is another significantconsequence of the doubledisconnection of Africanfarmers from their ownmarkets.

To change the situation anddevelop the market, wemust promote intensifica-tion through improvedseeds, fertilizer, irrigation,and other measures. Wemust also address soilnutrient depletion. Africa’sagriculture is suffering fromthe same ailments that

African people are suffer-ing from: hunger—our soilsare suffering from hunger;thirst—our people have noadequate access to potablewater; and poor markets—our products need to thrivein the global economy.

To fix these problems,Africa needs to face thefertilizer crisis. Given thatwe are mining $4 billionper year from our soils, wemust look at another criticalissue here. Africa’seconomy is suffering from akind of a triple bleeding:bleeding from the soils bymining those $4 billionworth of fertilizer nutrientsper year; bleeding in ourforeign reserves byimporting food that wecould produce for ourmarkets; and bleeding againin foreign reserves byimporting fertilizer that wehave materials to producelocally.

Honorable Ministers, theseare the action recommenda-

This is called the doubledisconnection of the Africanfarmer: from the markets

backward to the inputmarket and forward to the

output market.

tions that the TechnicalSession humbly, but verystrongly, submits for yourconsideration. I thank youfor your attention.

(After this speech,Dr. Dione presented thereport from the TechnicalSession [draft resolution] tothe Honorable Ministers).

Africa’s agricultureis suffering from

the same ailmentsthat African peopleare suffering from:hunger—our soilsare suffering fromhunger; thirst—our

people have noadequate access topotable water; andpoor markets—ourproducts need to

thrive in the globaleconomy.

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Summit Sponsor

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Summary

After welcome remarks by the Hon.Minister Bello, goodwill messageswere delivered by representativesof key institutions affiliated withthe Summit: His Excellency AlphaOumar Konaré (Chairman of theAfrican Union Commission), Hon.Jeanne Dambendzet (Minister ofAgriculture, representing HisExcellency General Denis Sassou-Nguessou, President of theRepublic of Congo and Chairmanof the African Union), ProfessorFirmino Mucavele (Chief Executiveof NEPAD Secretariat), and Dr.Judith Rodin (President of theRockefeller Foundation). PresidentJimmy Carter, 39th President of theUnited States, addressedparticipants by video, followed bythe video An African GreenRevolution. His ExcellencyPresident Olusegun Obasanjo thendelivered the Presidential Address.

The report from the MinisterialSession was delivered by Hon.Adamu Bello and was discussed bythe participants. Thereafter,representatives of six significantinstitutions on Africa’s developmentdelivered remarks. After theadoption of the Summit Resolution,the session was closed.

The presentations by H.E.Olusegun Obasanjo, Hon. AdamuBello, Prof. Firmino Mucavele, Dr.Donald Kaberuka, Mr. Pat Fleuret,Dr. Hafez Ghanem, and Mr. JanVlaar are edited versions of theirwritten speeches. For thepresentations of H.E. Alpha OumarKonaré, the Hon. JeanneDambendzet, Mr. Lennart Båge,and Dr. Norman Borlaug,summaries of their originalpresentations are included.

Session 1: Opening Remarks and Addresses

ChairpersonHis Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo, President, Federal Republic ofNigeria

Welcome Remarksby Honorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Goodwill Messageby His Excellency Alpha Oumar Konaré, Chairman, the African UnionCommission, Ethiopia

Goodwill Messageby Honorable Jeanne Dambendzet, Minister of Agriculture,representing His Excellency General Denis Sassou-Nguessou,President, Republic of Congo and Chairman, the African Union

Goodwill Messageby Professor Firmino Mucavele, Chief Executive, New Partnership forAfrica’s Development (NEPAD) Secretariat, South Africa

Goodwill Messageby Dr. Judith Rodin, President, The Rockefeller Foundation, U.S.A.

Video Address by President Jimmy Carter, 39th President of theUnited States and Founder, The Carter Center, U.S.A., then AnAfrican Green Revolution (Video)

Presidential Addressby His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo, President, Federal Republic ofNigeria

Report on the Conclusions and Recommendations of theMinisterial Sessionby Honorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, Federal Republic of Nigeria

RemarksDr. Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank (AfDB),Tunisia

Mr. Lennart Båge, President, International Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment (IFAD), Italy

Mr. Pat Fleuret, Mission Director, United States Agency forInternational Development (USAID), Nigeria

Dr. Hafez Ghanem, Country Director, The World Bank, Nigeriarepresenting Mr. Paul Wolfowitz, President, The World Bank, U.S.A.

Mr. Jan Vlaar, DGIS, representing the Minister for DevelopmentCooperation, The Netherlands

Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and President,Sasakawa Africa Association, Mexico

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Summit Sponsor

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Welcome RemarksHonorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,Federal Republic of Nigeria

The Africa FertilizerSummit could not have

come at a better time—when African farmers aretoiling under the hotAfrican sun to eke out aliving from the continent’sdepleted soils. Hunger andmalnutrition continue toremain persistently high inthis great continent. Africalags behind the rest of theworld in improved agricul-tural technologies and

innovative agronomicpractices that will nourishthe soil, increase agricul-tural production, andimprove the quality of lifeof its teeming farmingpopulation. The AfricaFertilizer Summit deservesthe fullest support of allwho live in Africa, all whotravel the continent, and allwho have the best interestof these people at heart.

Join me, therefore, tocongratulate PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo forproviding the leadershipand support to convene andchair the Africa FertilizerSummit. I also acknowl-edge the exemplary roles ofthe Eminent PersonsGroup, the RockefellerFoundation, the NEPADSecretariat, and IFDC in

garnering and mobilizinginternational and Africansupport for a successful andresults-oriented fertilizersummit.

The government has put inplace several measures tomake fertilizers availableand affordable to Nigerianfarmers.

A major thrust of ourfertilizer policy is to makethe private sector the driverin fertilizer production anddistribution. As part of thisadministration’s reformpolicy, the government hasundertaken several mea-sures to ensure fertilizeravailability at competitiveprices to farmers. Forexample, the NationalFertilizer Company,NAFCON, and the Federal

Africa lags behind the rest of theworld in improved agricultural

technologies and innovativeagronomic practices that will

nourish the soil, increaseagricultural production, and

improve the quality of life of itsteeming farming population.

Superphosphate FertilizerCompany were privatizedand sold to privateinvestors.

The President firmlybelieves that resourcefulfarmers should be able toaccess their fertilizerrequirements at the righttime. My Ministry, there-fore, operates a fertilizermarket stabilizationprogram to make theproduct affordable toNigerian farmers. I wasprivileged to chair theMinisterial Session. Iconcur with the passion andcommitment of my col-leagues to give totalsupport to our Presidentand Heads of State andgovernors to work toachieve the African GreenRevolution.

Hon. Minister Bello and Dr. NormanBorlaug discussing exhibits in the

Summit Hall.

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Goodwill MessageHis Excellency Alpha Oumar Konaré, Chairman, The African Union Commission,Ethiopia

Africa’s present foodinsecurity requires

government action andbudgetary commitments.Various presentations inthis Summit have shownthat Africa must have acommon position to solvethis problem. Food securitymust be a moral, social, andeconomic imperative aswell as a human right.

Africa is the only continentwhere food production hasdeclined in the pastdecades. The continent’sfood insecurity has beencaused by low soil fertilityand soil degradation. Also,much of Africa’s resourcesare spent on foodimportation.

To solve the soil fertilityproblem we must improve

soil management andincrease fertilizer use. Asthe Summit Chair andUnited Nations SecretaryGeneral Kofi Annan said,Africa needs its own GreenRevolution, following theexamples of Latin Americaand Asia, which witnessedgreat increases in foodproduction and reducedhunger.

Therefore, it is important toincrease agriculturalproductivity in Africa byutilizing agricultural inputs,especially fertilizers.Average fertilizer use inAfrica is much lower thanin Asia. African agriculture,which is mainly subsis-tence, is harmed by poorrevenues and low access tocredit.

This crisis in the fertilizersector has often beenrecognized by Africanleaders. In the Summit ofthe Organization of AfricanUnity (OAU) in 1980,leaders decided to establisha center for fertilizerresearch and soil manage-ment in Africa. OAU’sCouncil of Ministersapproved the establishmentof the African Center for

FertilizerDevelopment(ACFD), butmember coun-tries did notratify it. Never-theless, thiscenter is the onlyAfrican institu-tion that ismandated topromote thedevelopment ofthe fertilizersector. Thecenter works toimprove agriculturalproductivity through thebalanced and effective useof mineral fertilizers,research on soil fertilitymanagement, and promo-tion of fertilizer production.The center was imple-mented in collaborationwith regional economicorganizations, privateorganizations, and otherpartners, who should bethanked for theircontributions.

Today, member countriesmust seize the opportunityto ratify the establishmentof the ACFD, demonstrat-ing that this Summit isaction-oriented. To achievethis goal, public-privatepartnerships must beestablished to manage thecenter and strengthen itscapacity to assist membercountries in fertilizer

strategy and policydevelopment.

All African governments—especially the Republic ofNigeria—should becongratulated for initiatingfertilizer production, whichwill reduce Africa’sdependency on others. Thisfertilizer production mustmeet the needs of Africanfarmers and agriculture.The New Partnership forAfrica’s Development(NEPAD) and other Africaninstitutions will surelysupport this.

Finally and most impor-tantly Africa needs peace,stability, and good gover-nance, as well as the freemovement of persons,goods, and services.Democracy ensures libertyand full participation of allpeople.

Food security must be a moral,social, and economic imperative as

well as a human right.

All African governments—especially the Republic of

Nigeria—should becongratulated for initiatingfertilizer production, which

will reduce Africa’sdependency on others. Thisfertilizer production mustmeet the needs of Africanfarmers and agriculture.

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Goodwill MessageHonorable Jeanne Dambendzet, Minister of Agriculture, representing His ExcellencyGeneral Denis Sassou-Nguessou, President, Republic of Congo and Chairman, theAfrican Union

This Summit is held asAfrica and the world

are striving to fulfill thefirst Millennium Develop-ment Goal: to reduce thenumber of people sufferingfrom hunger by half by2015. Of the world’s 2.5billion malnourishedpeople, 900 million livesouth of the Sahara. This iswhy decision-makers havegathered at this Summit—toincrease fertilizer use toraise the production andproductivity of Africanagriculture.

Many African countriesface the problem of

inadequate food security,but at the same time therehave been promisingimprovements in foodsecurity. Thus, Africancountries should look tothemselves for inspirationand examples in bringingreform through appropriateagricultural policies. Africais rich in land and waterresources and should not belagging in food production.

Numerous areas should beaddressed to increaseagricultural productivity inAfrica, including watermanagement, building offarmers’ capacities,marketing of produce, landmanagement, and develop-ment of road infrastructure.Fertilizer use must also beintegrated into farmingsystems. Increased agricul-tural production is impera-tive for the achievement offood security and povertyreduction. Thus, it is theresponsibility of Africanleaders to ensure adoption

of measures to developagriculture. Thiscorresponds with thecalls by NEPAD.

The Republic of theCongo has potassium,phosphates, andnatural gas. Thecountry is emphasizingthe importance of

agricultural development,and concurs with otherAfrican countries’ commit-ment to agriculture,including the 10% alloca-tion of the national budgetfor agriculture. The Summitwill also contribute to anincrease in rural employ-ment, and thus will encour-age populations to stay inrural areas.

Thus, African countriesshould look to themselves

for inspiration andexamples in bringing

reform throughappropriate agricultural

policies.

Fertilizer use should beprudent, however, to fosterenvironmental protection,good management ofnatural resources, andmaintenance ofbiodiversity. Thus, we needa code of conduct toguarantee appropriate useof fertilizers.

The Heads of State Session.

Small input dealers in Africa need access to capacitybuilding and credit to improve their businesses.

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Goodwill Message

Professor Firmino Mucavele, Chief Executive, New Partnership for Africa’sDevelopment (NEPAD) Secretariat, South Africa

Thank you for contribut-ing to the development

of Africa and its foodsecurity and for makingAfrica proud. As you know,NEPAD is a program of theAfrican Union, developedby African leaders andbased on partnership amongAfrican countries topromote sustainabledevelopment. NEPADpromotes good governanceand rule of law, investmentin our people, and pursuitof policies that accelerateeconomic growth andhuman development.

The NEPAD Secretariatworks collaboratively andextensively with the AfricanUnion Commission,Regional EconomicCommunities, and membercountries to determinepriorities, mobilize re-sources, and coordinateprogram implementation.Progress has been made in

moving NEPAD from aconcept to policy develop-ment and implementation,particularly for the agricul-tural sector, in most Africancountries.

In 2002 the AfricanMinisters of Agricultureendorsed the Comprehen-sive Africa AgricultureDevelopment Program, orCAADP. In 2003, AfricanHeads of State and govern-ments adopted CAADP asthe framework to promotefood security and fostersustainable agriculturaldevelopment. Our leadersalso pledged to allocate10% of national budgets tothe agricultural sector.Since then, widespreadstakeholder consultationswere instrumental inreaching the targets ofregional and nationalagricultural programs.

CAADP has set a target of6% yearly growth for theagricultural sector. Toachieve this growth rate atthe national level, there is aneed to raise yields byincreasing farmers’ use offertilizer and other moderntechnologies. It is CAADPthat brings us here today.The Africa FertilizerSummit was convenedwithin this framework.

Like the spirit and prin-ciples of NEPAD, theSummit has two guidingprinciples:• This is an action-oriented

initiative to makefertilizer available andeconomically accessibleto farmers.

• This initiative is Africanled. Civil societyorganizations, the privatesector, and key stake-holders have madeseveral recommendationsto announce developmentof the fertilizer sector.

Civil society organizations,the African private sector,and other key stakeholderscall for greater involve-ment, including of farmers’organizations, in fertilizerprograms. Prioritiesidentified for action includecapacity building, policyformulation, and monitor-ing and evaluation. Thestakeholders call forinstitutionalization of thetri-sector model, whichincludes the public andprivate sectors and civilsocieties, in pro-poorpartnerships. Theycall for the supportand coordination ofkey stakeholders towork with govern-

ments to implement Summitrecommendations.

The gender, parliamentaryaffairs, and civil societyunit in the NEPAD Secre-tariat should be replicatedin every country and at alllevels of government.African governmentsshould ensure that specialpolicies and programs areimplemented to effectivelyaddress the needs ofwomen, youth, and the poorin terms of agriculturalinputs, subsidies, extensionservices, land, and credit.Stakeholders have alsorecommended that thegovernment and privatesector put mechanisms inplace to foster and securemarkets.

It is not our intention tocome to Abuja to brain-storm. As you know,NEPAD and its implement-ing partners have workedsince January with RegionalEconomic Communitiesand countries to identifyconcrete and practicaloptions to accelerateaccessibility, affordability,

From the outset, it wasour intention to discusssolutions, not to rehash

known problems.

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and incentives for millionsof African farmers toincrease fertilizer use. Fromthe outset, it was ourintention to discusssolutions, not to rehashknown problems. I amhappy to report that anumber of practical,concrete, andimplementable actions havebeen identified that willensure rapid expansion offertilizer use in Africa overthe next 5 years.

The Summit will outline indetail the recommendationsidentified in addressingAfrica’s fertilizer crisis andin achieving CAADP’s 6%growth target. Reversingthe alarming trends willtake time. With yourcontinued leadership andsupport, however, Africawill successfully break thecycle of food insecurity andhunger.

With yourcontinued

leadership andsupport, however,

Africa willsuccessfully

break the cycle offood insecurity

and hunger.

Goodwill MessageDr. Judith Rodin, President, The Rockefeller Foundation, U.S.A.

We at the RockefellerFoundation see the

tremendous potential for anAfrican Green Revolution.It will be a hard battle, withmany hurdles—but it canbe won.

The Rockefeller Founda-tion has made criticalinvestments to help achievethis goal, through initiativesto improve Africa’s soils,and to expand the varietiesof crops available tofarmers that can enhancenutrition and resist pests,diseases, and drought.

We have recently focusedon ways to build andstrengthen rural markets,training stockists called“agro-dealers” who cansupply farmers with thefertilizers, seeds, and otherinputs they need.

But we all know thatfostering such a vibrantrural marketplace requiresmore. It needs:• New forms of credit

guarantees, to providefarmers with modest butessential capital forpurchasing fertilizer and

other agriculturalsupplies.

• Smart subsidies for thepoorest farmers who havelittle means to affordthese inputs.

• Incentives to catalyzelocal manufacturing anddistribution facilities thatwill lower the costs ofseeds and fertilizers.

• And finally, it needs asignificant financingmechanism to support theoverall agriculturalsector.

As with any system, everyelement is crucial here.

Let me briefly describesome fascinating resultsfrom work along just oneelement of this continuum.We have developed a pilotprogram that creates acommercial market forfertilizers, seeds, and otherfarming products inMalawi, Kenya and Ugandaby supporting strongorganizations such as AT-Uganda, the AgriculturalMarket Development Trustin Kenya, and the CitizensNetwork for ForeignAffairs. It builds what somehave called “the missingmiddle.” It is the localprivate shop owner:• Someone who has gained

the knowledge andmanagement skills to runa profitable retailbusiness.

• Someone who can beoffered credit and access

to capital to buy suppliesin bulk and keep thenecessary inventory onhand.

• Someone who is trainedabout fertilizer and seedsto help local farmersunderstand what to buyand how to use it.

And, this is crucial:• Someone whose shop is

in or near the village—sothat the farmers don’thave to travel for miles toget there and can easilytransport the seeds andfertilizer back to theirfields.

A network of these retailentrepreneurs, spreadacross rural Africa, wouldfill the gap and create avibrant marketplace. Let metell you about one of them.

In 2002, Janet Matembawas a wife, a mother, andthe owner of a smallgrocery shop in the villageof Lumbadzi in ruralMalawi. She sold supplieslike sodas, soap, biscuits,and cooking oil to farmersin the village.

Janet hesitated when arepresentative of ourpartner, the Rural MarketDevelopment Trust,approached her aboutselling agricultural prod-ucts. It would meanextending herself finan-cially, learning new skills,

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and stepping into unfamil-iar territory.

Janet Matemba eventuallydecided to take the trainingcourse and become acertified agro-dealer. Shestudied business manage-ment and learned aboutaccounting, inventory, andcustomer service. With thehelp of a guaranteed creditfacility, she bought fertil-izer and seeds from thewholesale suppliers in 50-kilogram bags.

Janet broke those bagsdown into smaller, moremanageable packages of10, 5, 2, and even 1kilogram—small enoughfor a farmer to carry on abicycle, or on foot. Shebegan selling the packagesto the local farmers, and herbusiness took off.

Ms. Matemba expanded hershop—it’s now the size of awarehouse. Last September,at the end of the growingseason, Janet Matembacalculated that her sales forthe year were $200,000,much of which she hasreinvested into her growingbusiness. This is a remark-able achievement in acountry with an annual percapita income of less than$600.

The Minister of Malawitold us yesterday that theyare having a bumperharvest, and I’m sure thatagro-dealers like Janetplayed a big role inproviding the inputs toenable farmers to achieve

this success. We hope thatthe Malawi Governmentwill support policies thatkeep the agro-dealersthriving.

Janet Matemba is one ofmany examples of thepotential of small retailentrepreneurs to take part intransforming the Africanlandscape—working hand-in-hand with farmers toreplenish depleted soils,create a viable agriculturalmarketplace, and enhanceAfrica’s ability to feed andnourish its people.

The next step is bringing allthe Janet Matembastogether to pool theirresources so they canbenefit from economies ofscale and the power ofcollaboration. To a degree,this is already happening.

Agro-dealers have begun toform purchasing associa-tions that can offer groupcollateral to the fertilizercompanies, buy supplies atlower prices, and alsobargain for better creditfinancing arrangements.The challenge is to con-tinue building the “missingmiddle.”

Janet and others like hertake big risks, and theirefforts need to be supportedby national governments,banks, and the privatesector for this importantexperiment to succeed.

She and thousands of othersacross Africa are willingand able partners in

Africa’s future. But to beeffective agro-dealers, theyneed supportive andconsistent governmentpolicies, and an effectivesupply chain that includesan enlightened privatesector and credit facilitiesthat ensure predictableaccess and reasonable cost.

As our friend, NormanBorlaug, has said so wisely,they need “political willand the correct economicpolicies.”

This Summit provides thatopportunity—the momentto act is now, to invest inagriculture as the engine ofeconomic growth in Africa.

The technical expertiseshared at this meetingdemonstrates powerfullythe remarkable gains inproduction by investing inthe health of the soil.

Building agricultural inputand output markets thatserve small-scale farmers,including those in remote,rural areas, will be key toassuring that this economicdevelopment benefits thevast majority of Africa’speople.

We have heard new ideashere about how to createaccessibility, affordability,and appropriate incentivesto encourage greater use offertilizer. But to make theseideas a reality, this Summitmust result in concretemeasures. It is an ambitiousgoal. And we know that it isachievable.

But it can only be accom-plished through collabora-tion and integrationbetween each sectorrepresented at the Summitand among African coun-tries across the continent.

National governments willneed to take the lead andcommit significant re-sources and promotepolicies that support theentrepreneurial talent, thedrive, and the energy ofpeople like JanetMatemba—and the farmersshe serves.

Achieving this goal willalso need involvement ofthe private sector, particu-larly the fertilizer industry.And it will need supportfrom the donor community.The Rockefeller Founda-tion is delighted to play akey role here.

Achieving Summit goalswill not only feed thehungry people of Africa,but in the process, it willestablish the African peoplein their rightful place in anew economic equation.By investing in them—theirentrepreneurial spirit, theirdedication and work ethic,and their seemingly endlessreserves of optimism—wecan usher in a new era: anAfrican Green Revolution.

The need is great, the causeis urgent, and the time isright. We stand ready tooffer our best help.

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Script of Address byPRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER FOR THE AFRICA FERTILIZER SUMMITJimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States of America and Founder, The CarterCenter, U.S.A.

This is the transcript ofthe video address made

by H.E. President JimmyCarter during the Heads ofState session:

“I regret that I am unable tojoin you in Abuja at theAfrica Fertilizer Summit.As one of the founders ofthe Sasakawa-Global 2000,I have a deep interest inincreasing farm productionin Africa.

“In his 1970 Nobel PeacePrize lecture, Dr. NormanBorlaug said the “GreenRevolution” boughtmankind only 30 years—that unless populationgrowth were slowed wewould again face a foodcrisis.

“It is now more than 30years later, and whilepopulation growth hasslowed, it will grow by 50percent to 9 billion peopleby 2050.

“Although Africa has someof the highest fertility ratesin the world, per capitafood production hasdropped.

“We need to do more.

“While African nationswork to slow populationgrowth, the agriculturalsector must increase itsproductivity quickly, withan emphasis on biotechnol-ogy and soil fertility.

“Poor soil fertility must beovercome.

“We know that nutrient-depleted soils are thegreatest limitation toAfrican agriculture. Butefforts to improve soilhealth have been hamperedby insufficient localcapacity to producefertilizer and the resourcesto import it.

“We now have the im-proved seeds to catalyze anAfrican Green Revolution.But those seeds must havenutrients to produce thegrain that Africa sodesperately needs.

“More than 80 percent ofAfrica’s farmland isseverely depleted of vitalplant nutrients.

“Africa imports about19 million tons of cerealgrains per year, at a cost of$3.5 billion. If soil erosionand nutrient loss continue atthe current rate, crop yieldsin Africa will decline by asmuch as 30 percent by2020. This will lower totalcereal, root and tuber, andlegume production by about26 million tons yearly.Meanwhile, Africa’spopulation will increasefrom today’s 750 million to1.1 billion people.

“Without progress inincreasing soil fertility,hunger will be a constantcompanion of Africa and apotential cause of conflict.

“Sasakawa-Global 2000and other agriculturalorganizations have devel-oped innovative ways torestore soil fertility, such asconservation tillage andgreen manures.

“Those of you gathered forthe Africa Fertilizer Summitface a tremendous chal-lenge to develop a strategyfor rapidly providing bothmineral and organicfertilizers to restore thenutrient-depleted soils ofAfrica. The African Unionshowed vision in initiatingthe Summit, and in havingit chaired by OlusegunObasanjo, who is not only

President of Nigeria, butalso my friend and a fellowfarmer. I’m pleased that theInternational FertilizerDevelopment Center, whichI helped establish, isimplementing this historicSummit.

“Some worry aboutenvironmental conse-quences of fertilizer use inAfrica. But with soundmanagement practices, thehungry soils of Africa willmake almost all nutrientsavailable to crops. In fact,the alarming mining of soilnutrients in Africa makesthe use of mineral fertilizerenvironmentally friendly.The nutrients will addorganic matter to the soil,increase vegetative cover,and reduce soil erosion.

“The goals of Sasakawa-Global 2000 are compatiblewith those of the Summit:to reduce poverty, improvefood security, and protectthe natural resource base insub-Saharan Africa.

“You at the Africa FertilizerSummit have a historicopportunity and an awe-some responsibility: toleave healthier soil for ourchildren and grandchildren,and more important, hopefor the future.”

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Presidential AddressHis Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

The most importantgoals in our national

development—the urgentneed for Africa to doubleits fertilizer use, improveagricultural productivity,and raise rural incomes inthe face of a rapidlygrowing population andworsening poverty—cannotbe overemphasized. Thesimple but brilliant ap-proach on how to improvecrop yields and producehigh-yielding varieties thatrespond appropriately tothe use of fertilizer isknown the world over.However, it has yet tobecome the commonpractice in our vastcontinent.

This first-ever AfricaFertilizer Summit repre-sents a major attempt tosynthesize the disparatefertilizer policies of ourvarious countries into aprogrammable coherentwhole. This Summit willhopefully result in concreteactions to improve the

fertility of Africa’s soilthrough a more efficient useof organic and inorganicfertilizers. We have acommon goal, which is tobuild consensus aroundissues that constrainfertilizer use in Africa andto agree on strategies thatwill advance agriculturalproduction. We all agreethat increasing the health ofour mined soils with bothorganic and mineralfertilizers is a key compo-nent to achieving Africa’sGreen Revolution.

This gathering, therefore, isa crucial milestone in ourquest to rapidly reverse ourlow agricultural productiv-ity and accelerate foodsecurity for our needypopulation.

We will also address thechallenges facing Africatoday in the fertilizer sub-sector. These includeconflicting and contradic-tory national policies, lackof market access, utilizing acommodity of scale,infrastructure, andfinancing.

We anticipate that theoutcome of this Summitwill allow Africa to takebold steps toward achievingagricultural growth andproductivity, food security,improved nutrition, andhigher incomes for ourhard-working, but poorlyrewarded, farmers.

To move forward in asustainable manner, we, asAfricans, must put ourhouse in order. It isheartwarming to know thatwe are already doing thisby drawing on bitter lessonsfrom the past. We mustreaffirm our commitment togiving agriculture thepriority of place andresources in our planningand development process.We must be consistent andpredictable. We must alsoexploit our areas ofcomparative advantage anddevelop products that willhelp our populationsachieve their highestproductive potentials andimprove their livingconditions. We mustproduce what we consumeand also produce forexport. To achieve this, wemust integrate and ex-change ideas, experiences,information, and bestpractices for sustainedsuccess. This is what thenew African spirit is allabout.

We all know that farmers insub-Saharan Africa havetraditionally employedshifting cultivation byallowing depleted soils torest and regain fertility.Today, however, populationpressure compels us togrow crop after crop,thereby mining the soil ofnutrients. Although morethan 70% of Africa’s activepopulation is directlyengaged in farming,

farmers do not have enoughto show for their toil.

Farmers will eagerly usefertilizer if they can findaccess to it, at the pricethey can afford, and profitfrom it. They understandthat fertilizers will increasetheir yields and that thiswill invariably improvetheir incomes. Africanleaders recognize that withaccess, affordability, andincentives, farmers will usefertilizers and improvedseeds, making agriculturethe engine for propergrowth as it has been inAsia and other regions.

Africa’s low fertilizer use isalso environmentallyunsustainable. Not onlydoes it lead to depletedsoils, but it also contributesto deforestation with poorproductivity from existingfarmlands. Now, our forestsdo not provide enoughwood to use for cooking orto keep the growingpopulation warm. There-fore, we should be equallymindful of the need to usefertilizers in a judicious andenvironmentally safemanner. We must also payattention to water issues,especially water harvestingand irrigation. We all knowthat adequate fertilizerusage and water manage-ment go hand in hand.

The sustainable andefficient use of fertilizers

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should be treated as anintegrated strategy. Theonly viable alternative forus to achieve the Millen-nium Development Goals isto increase agriculturalproductivity and adopt andadapt new ideas, newtechnologies, and newpractices. Our farmers arenot empowered to thesenew things. They needempowerment.

In Nigeria, agriculturaldevelopment is taking off.In the last year we achievedover 8% growth in agricul-tural production. This hasexpanded agriculturalexports on items such ascassava, reduced foodimports, improved cultivat-able arable land, fosteredprivate sector participation,promoted eco-friendly farmpractices, and protectedprime agricultural lands forsustained agriculturalproduction.

Our national strategy paperhighlights Nigeria’s strategyin developing the fertilizersector to meet the rate ofgrowth in fertilizer supplyand use in a way that iscommensurate with therequired rates of agricul-tural growth to achievefood security. This paperwill be available to you. Wehave also tried to estimateprojections on major cropareas, crop yield, andfertilizer use, which formedthe basis for articulatingour national fertilizerstrategy.

Nigeria’s agricultural andfood self-sufficiencystrategy includes the

“Presidential Initiative onAgricultural Commodities.”This presidential initiativeis set for increased produc-tion, processing, marketing,and export of major crops.Under my chairmanship, allconcerned stakeholders,public and private, are togather in a participatoryand parliamentary-likeatmosphere to discussopportunities and con-straints of production andself-sufficiency on aparticular commodity orfood item. These initiativesare followed by periodicprogress reports andassessments on eachcommodity program. Thisapproach has brought aboutbroad-based citizenparticipation on issuescritical to their daily lives,thus making them part ofthe policy process andsensitizing them to theimportance of their roles ascitizens in the nation’sdevelopment process.

The promotion of womenfarmers for agriculturaldevelopment is a deliberatepolicy of the Nigeriangovernment. Our vision forthe fertilizer sector is toprovide good qualityfertilizers at the right timeto the farmers in the mostcost-effective manner. Ourmission is to ensure thatNigerian farmers have easyfarm-gate access toaffordable high-qualityfertilizers to increaseagricultural production andimprove their quality oflife. Apart from inputs foragriculture, we have threecommodity companies thatwant to ensure profitable

prices for the farmerthroughout the year.

The National Council onAgriculture, our highestpolicy-making body in theagricultural sector, hasinitiated the policy frame-work for the establishmentof ready and availablemarket outlets for farmproduce that will ensurehigh profitability andagribusiness. We are notresting on our laurels. Wecontinue to intensifymeasures and addressexisting adverse conditions.We are making gains in theavailability of quality foodson a sustainable basisthrough building physical,social, and economicinfrastructure in rural areas.We are improving marketinfrastructure and access tomarkets for agriculturalproducts. There is coordi-nation and collaborationamong various stakeholdersin the downstream agricul-tural sector to close thegaps between food produc-tion and nutrition issues.We should produce locallyto satisfy our needs.

Nigeria has an abundanceof natural gas for fertilizerproduction. Natural gas canbe used in the production ofammonia and urea, materi-als that presently have astrong world market and, ifproduced, could bringadded value to Nigeria’sresource endowment,particularly in the produc-tion of nitrogenous fertiliz-ers. Rock phosphate, asignificant source ofphosphorus fertilizer, isalso available in commer-

cial quantities at severallocations. This is similar tolimestone deposits, whichare spread across thecountry and can be used asfillers in blended fertilizers.Sulfur, a secondarynutrient, derived frompetroleum exploration inour Niger Delta region, isalso available in abun-dance. We have privatized amajor fertilizer companyand we are coming out witha competitive gas policy.

It is now my pleasure tocontribute a sum of $10million as a means ofmaking the Africa FertilizerFacility a reality.

Now let me once againthank and commend theRockefeller Foundation andits President, Judith Rodin,for the vanguard role theyplayed in planning,preparing for, and support-ing this Summit here todayand for hosting the EminentPersons Group meeting inNew York. Let me alsothank President Chissano,Dr. Borlaug, AfDB’sPresident, the World Bank,NEPAD, IFAD, IFDC, and,of course, the chairpersonof the AU Commission,President Konaré, and histeam in Addis Ababa, fortheir support of thisSummit. It is now mypleasure and privilege notonly to happily welcomeyou but also to formallydeclare this Summit openand wish you all a verysuccessful stay and delib-eration here. May Godcontinue to bless Africa.

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Report on the Conclusions and Recommendations of theMinisterial SessionHonorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, FederalRepublic of Nigeria

Africa needs a five-point action plan:

1. Develop agro-dealers(rural stockists) acrossrural Africa.In an African village, youcan find Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, or Fanta, but youcannot find seed orfertilizer. Therefore, there isa need to develop agro-dealers across the conti-nent. Nigeria has experi-enced success in this regardthrough the DevelopingAgri-Input Markets inNigeria (DAIMINA)project that developed4,000 dealers with thesupport of the United StatesAgency for InternationalDevelopment and thefederal government. Agro-dealer development hasalso been successfulelsewhere in Africa, e.g.,Malawi.

2. Establish nationalagricultural input creditguarantee facilities.To link agro-dealers withinput supply companies,these facilities wouldguarantee credit to inputdealers from commercialbanks and micro-creditinstitutions. In Malawi, thisyielded very high (16:1)capital leverage ratios.Therefore, such creditguarantee facilities are animportant area of actionresulting from this Summit.

3. Develop “smart”subsidies for the poor andvulnerable.In general, fertilizeravailability should beincreased. However, smartsubsidies that directly targetthe very poor should alsobe developed. The subsi-dies would not displace the

private fertilizer markets.Instead, subsidies wouldmake inputs accessible andaffordable to the poor,raising their demand forfertilizer.

4. Run regional fertilizerprocurement and distri-bution centers; removetrade barriers; promotelocal fertilizermanufacturing.Located strategically ineach region, these centerswould be run as private-public partnerships.Removing tradebarriers and promotinglocal fertilizer manufac-turing will makefertilizer more availableand less expensivethroughout Africa.

5. Establish the AfricaFertilizer DevelopmentFinancing Mechanism.While the finances for thefacility have not beendecided, PresidentObasanjo has suggestedpossibly locating thefacility within the AfricanDevelopment Bank. Thefunctions of the facilitywould be to:• Support the establish-

ment of regional fertilizerprocurement anddistribution facilities.

• Provide credit guaranteesfor fertilizer importersand distributors.

• Develop the Africanfertilizer manufacturingcapacity.

President Obasanjo hasgraciously grantedUS $10 million for thestart-up of this facility.

(Honorable Bello thenpresented the draft resolu-tion for the Heads of State.)

In an Africanvillage, you canfind Coca-Cola,Pepsi-Cola, orFanta, but you

cannot find seedor fertilizer.

In general,fertilizer

availability shouldbe increased.

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RemarksDr. Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank (AfDB), Tunisia

Over the last 5 years,the continent of

Africa, despite the manychallenges it faces, bothinternal and external, hasnonetheless registered arecord real economicperformance of 5.5%—running, for the fifth year,ahead of populationincrease. It is true that thisis to some extent driven bya buoyant internationaleconomy and good com-modity prices, but it is alsoa result of cumulativereform efforts and agrowing confidence inAfrica.

We are, of course, awarethat this rate of growth isstill below the MillenniumDevelopment Goal target of7% needed on a sustainedbasis; it is also not, from ageographical viewpoint,evenly distributed acrossAfrica. Above all, we seethat the growth is notcreating concomitantincreases in employmentand poverty reduction. The

reason is because agricul-ture has been contracting ornot growing as fast as canbe expected, given itsimportance and potential.In a number of cases, signsof the so-called “DutchDisease” have begun toemerge.

Agriculture continues to bethe backbone of manyAfrican economies. Clearly,any broad-based growthstrategy aimed at signifi-cantly reducing povertymust focus on increasingproductivity in agriculture.

Today, in spite of decadesof reforms:• Cereal production

stagnates at 1 ton per ha.• Africa is spending $3.5

billion on food imports.• Overall growth in

agriculture (in valueterms) is barely keepingin tandem with thepopulation increase.

I see a number of factorsthat will be critical for us toreverse this unacceptablesituation:• Our ability to learn from

past policy errors vis-a-vis our support toagriculture.

• A successful strategy ofintensification andproduction focused onfertilizer and other inputuse.

• Our capacity to managewater, infrastructure, andthe environment.

• Our ability to retain anincreasing value on thecommodity chain.

• A successful conclusionto the Doha Round.

While African agriculturehas been severely affectedby external factors, such asvolatility in internationalmarkets, droughts, orfloods, we must also admitserious man-made errors,which compounded thechallenges. During the1980s and early 1990s, ourpursuit of the necessaryadjustment policies mayhave lacked a sequencedapproach. We may haveaddressed issues of statefailure without addressingthose of market failure.While the overall objec-tives were and remain right,the liberalization ofmarkets, sudden withdrawalof the government’s role inaspects of input and outputmarketing, and the removalof subsidies to all inputscreated gaps in support toagriculture. The publicsector, which was alsoundergoing reforms, wasnot able to fill the gaps. Wemay have opened up spacebut without the necessaryincentives to develop themarkets to deliver inputsand extension services ingeneral. The policy thrustmay have been right but thesequencing probably lessso.

It is now evident that amuch more robust public/private sector interaction isneeded to ensure that Africacan improve its productiv-ity and take advantage ofopenings in the interna-tional markets. The reformsmust include diversifica-tion, deepening of theprivate sector, greaterpublic support, removal ofobstacles to cross-bordertrade and investment,harmonizing policies topromote regional integra-tion, and growth in agricul-tural markets.

Over the years, the AfricanDevelopment Bank hasprovided $10 billion worthof support to the agricul-tural sector, about 18% ofthe Bank’s portfolio. Thisshare has increased in thelast few years to about23%, as a result of ourincreased backing ofNEPAD’s multinationalagricultural projects. Theseprojects have benefited tothe tune of aboutUS $160 million since2002. Additional projectsunder NEPAD are currentlyat different stages ofpreparation. In this broadsupport to agriculture,provision of inputs such asfertilizer has accounted for10% to 15% of projectcosts—in projects like theEthiopia National FertilizerProject and the multina-

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tional New Rice for AfricaDissemination Project.These projects involveseven countries in theEconomic Community ofWest African States(ECOWAS) region—Benin,Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea,Mali, Gambia, and SierraLeone. In such projects, wehave attempted to ensurethat fertilizer is madeavailable and sustainablydistributed. We have beencareful to pay due attentionto soil fertility managementand proper environmentalconservation practices.

Many of the projects wehave funded have includedimprovement of ruralinfrastructure such asfeeder roads, storagefacilities, rural watersupply, and electrification.We have supported, in theform of grants, AfricanAgricultural ResearchInstitutions.

Throughout the years of ouragricultural interventions,we have continued to drawlessons, including theimportance of an enablingpolicy and institutionalenvironment and the needfor attention to themicroeconomic issues. Letme share with you ourexperience in providingagricultural credits. In thepast, lines of credit toagricultural developmentbanks or similar organiza-tions were an importantchannel for supporting ruralaccess to finance. Over theyears, in many countries,such institutions failed and

were closed. We shifted toproviding the same supportvia private commercialbanks. This has not beenparticularly successful;reasons range from the highrisk averseness of the banksto the high transaction costsof handling numerous smallfarmers, etc. Efforts arenow underway to identifythe most optimal way toprovide sustainable accessto finance while buildinglinkages to the formalbanking sector.

We have also observed theimportance of creditsubsidies, provided they aretargeted, limited, and time-bound. Equally, we haveobserved that fertilizers,when available, have beenunaffordable and notpackaged to suit smallfarmers. In any case, in theabsence of water, infra-structure, weak or nosecurity of tenure to land—particularly for women—incentives to boost produc-tivity are limited. We aredrawing upon all theselessons to ensure ourinterventions are limited todomains where we have, orcan develop, comparativeadvantage.

At this Summit the focus ison use of fertilizer on thecontinent. Constraints havebeen well analyzed andsolutions proposed. Wehave followed with interestthe proposals to developlocal fertilizer manufactur-ing capacity to takeadvantage of the continent’sabundant raw material, the

provision of financialsupport to bulk procure-ment, distribution centers,credit guarantee facilities,and the use of smart,targeted subsidies.

We agree that governmenthas, in the short term, animportant role to play, to bethe engine that drives theintensification process,including upgrading theneeded rural infrastructure.I applaud the ongoingefforts by regional organi-zations to promote theinteraction that expands themarkets for both inputs andoutputs.

The Summit has madeproposals on actions toaddress the key structuraland financing constraintsthat limit access to and useof fertilizers in Africa.

In order for us to avoidmistakes of the past, it isimportant that we take alonger term perspective inidentifying lasting solutionsto both state and marketfailures, which have limitedfertilizer use.

The Bank will continue towork with African govern-ments, the private sector,and the donor communityto promote mechanisms andinstitutions that supportlasting agricultural develop-ment. The Bank has beenasked to host the financingfacility, which may besupported via a multi-donortrust fund. We are pleasedby this vote of confidencein the Bank. We also take

note of the leadership rolethat Nigeria has shownthrough the initial pledge ofUS $10 million, announcedby President Obasanjo. Weshall work expeditiouslywith other agencies, whichhave also been requested tosupport this effort, to workout details of the financingmechanism for consider-ation by relevant banks.

In conclusion, let me pointout that, while our attentionat this Summit has been onfertilizer use, we mustmaintain our focus on theoverall issues of thepotential of science andtechnology and Africanagriculture. We mustcontinue the fight in thecontext of the Doha Roundto ensure market access forour agriculture. We mustwork for the success of the“Aid for Trade” agenda toboost our trading capaci-ties, and we shoulddefinitely scale up ourefforts on regional integra-tion and Africa’s internalmarket. Winning the waragainst hunger in Africa is achallenge for humanity, itrequires sound policies,peace, stability, goodgovernance, strong institu-tions, and careful planning.Today the world hasenough resources andtechnological know-how toensure that no human goeshungry in this 21st centuryof unprecedentedprosperity.

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RemarksMr. Lennart Båge, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD),Italy

An African GreenRevolution is clearly

needed. We know it cannotjust be a blueprint of theAsian one; we have veryspecific, complex, uniquelyAfrican features that needto be the starting point.

First we should recognizethat sometimes there isgloominess about the lackof achievement. I think it isimportant that we recognizethat when we moveforward, when we act, weact on some measures ofsuccess. We have seen(after the structuraladjustment) how agro-dealers are starting toprovide farmers withinputs, traders are buyingthe produce, and agro-processors and exportersare contracting smallfarmers to produce cropsfor them. There is progressalthough too little of it. Weneed to upscale it. We needto make a more rapiddifference in the lives ofmillions of farmers. In

Nigeria, the so-called“cassava revolution” hastransformed this countryinto the largest cassava-producing nation in theworld. In parts of Kenya,we are seeing specializedsmall-scale dairy farmersproducing for sale in themarket. Above all, we areseeing enormous changes inpolicy and institutions.Your governments repre-sented here today areabsolutely serious aboutrural poverty reduction. Wesee it manifested not only inthis Summit, but in thegovernments, in the AfricanUnion, in the PovertyReduction Strategy Papers(PRSPs), and in the 2003Maputo Declaration. Allthese events and processesare testimony to a new orreinforced realization thatwithout agriculturalproduction, withoutenhancing agriculturalproductivity as PresidentCarter referred to, we willnot have the African GreenRevolution and we will notbe able to eradicatepoverty.

But we should not becomecomplacent. Huge amountsof work continue and itmust be done urgently, butwe can build on someachievements and on sometested theories when we goforward. Let me say this:IFAD pledges our full

support to the conclusionsand the recommendationsof the Summit. Today weare one of the principalexternal financers ofagricultural development inAfrica. Over the firstdecade of this newmillennium, wewill have doubledour funding forAfrica. Across theregion, we areworking to assistgovernments andnational partners todevelop andimplement theirpolicies and programs forreducing rural poverty.

But this is your GreenRevolution. We are apartner and we are stronglybehind it, but it is yourRevolution. The events ofthe past 4 days have trulyshown how much will andhow much ability there is in

Africa to solve thecontinent’s problems andsolve them now. Theproposal for solvingAfrica’s fertilizer crisisrepresents an important partof achieving the African

Green Revolution. Let meend by stating that we arevery much looking forwardto working with yourgovernments, with civilsociety, with the privatesector, and with growingemphasis on vital farmerorganizations to achieve thevision that this Summitrepresents.

There is progress althoughtoo little of it. We need to

upscale it. We need tomake a more rapid

difference in the lives ofmillions of farmers.

Agri-Inputs are needed to increaseagricultural productivity in Africa.

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RemarksMr. Patrick Fleuret, Mission Director, United States Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID), Nigeria

The Summit has namedfertilizer as a strategic

intervention to reducehunger and poverty and hasproduced excellent recom-mendations to achieve thisgoal. The United StatesGovernment is aware of thedaunting challenges inimproving food securityand reducing poverty inAfrica. We support yourvision—the vision ofAfrica’s leaders—toachieve a robust andaggressive 6% agriculturalgrowth rate per year.

The United States Govern-ment is supporting thisvision through the Compre-hensive Africa AgricultureDevelopment Program(CAADP) of the AfricanUnion (AU) and the NewPartnership for Africa’sDevelopment (NEPAD).We believe this is a strong,integrated framework to

facilitate agriculturalinvestment and donorcoordination.

We must focus on theprivate sector and thepower of open markets inorder to sustain increases inthe use of modern agricul-tural inputs. Incentives andpolicies that allow theprivate sector to unlock thepower of the GreenRevolution are the onlyviable long-term solutions.Consistency in policyinitiatives encouragesprivate sector investment,particularly in the capital-intensive fertilizer markets.In recent years, USAID—through its partnership withIFDC—has supported manyprograms for fertilizerdevelopment in Africa.Activities are now under-way in Mozambique, Mali,Cameroon, Madagascar,Angola, Malawi, Ghana,Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania,and Kenya.

We will consider therecommendations concern-ing targeted subsidies toimprove the poorestfarmers’ access to fertilizer.Several key points include:• Targeting smart subsidies

to the poorest farmers,perhaps by usingvouchers to accessfertilizer.

• Building capacity tomanage and monitor theprograms.

• Involving the privatesector and farmerorganizations in theprograms’ design andmanagement.

We also endorse therecommendationsthat discuss otheraspects of agricul-tural development.This includesrelated infrastruc-ture, such as ruralroads, small-scalewater develop-ment, technologydevelopment, andcapacity buildingof farmer organiza-tions. These investmentsand others make fertilizeruse possible.

We also agree that morefertilizer should be pro-duced within Africa. Theseopportunities must beexplored and developedwhere possible andeconomically viable.

In conclusion, to continuesupporting agriculture anddevelopment in Africa,USAID will follow therecommendations from thisSummit. First, we willfocus on countries that areusing policy and investment

programs to stimulate that6% agricultural growth rate,a very important AU-NEPAD objective. Second,our support for fertilizerwill be through AU-NEPAD’s ComprehensiveAfrica Agriculture Devel-opment Program. Third, wewill work with governments

and other partners topromote private sectorinput distribution, includingfertilizer. Last, we will useour substantial food-aidresources combined withdevelopment assistance toreach the chronically food-insecure. In conjunctionwith governments, we willdo what we can to linkthem to agricultural growth.

Incentives and policiesthat allow the privatesector to unlock thepower of the Green

Revolution are the onlyviable long-term solutions.

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Remarks

Dr. Hafez Ghanem, Country Director, The World Bank, Nigeria, representing Mr. PaulWolfowitz, President, The World Bank, U.S.A.

It is a great honor for meto represent the World

Bank at this Summit and tobe allowed to make a fewremarks about the impor-tant subject of fertilizer usein Africa.

There is an urgent need toraise agricultural productiv-ity in Africa to stimulatefaster economic growth,improve food security,

reduce poverty, and achievethe Millennium Develop-ment Goals. As an institu-tion whose mission is tofight poverty, the World

Bank is committed tosupporting Africa’sagriculture, and to helpenhance productivitythrough increased and moreefficient use of fertilizers.

Fertilizer, when introducedas part of a broaderdevelopment strategy, canmake a vital contribution toincreased agriculturalproductivity in Africa. Thediscussions that have takenplace during the past fewdays as part of this Summitclearly indicate that freshapproaches are needed forpromoting fertilizer use inAfrica. Many fertilizerpromotion schemes thathave been implemented inAfrica in the past have hadonly temporary success.The benefits often couldnot be sustained, because

the schemes imposedvery heavy fiscal andadministrativeburdens on govern-ment.

Drawing lessonsfrom experience, thestrategies coming outof this Summit mustbe based upon a

strong partnership betweengovernment, the privatesector, farmer associations,and civil societyorganizations.

Our work in Nigeria todayprovides an example of thekind of support the WorldBank can provide toAfrican agriculture.Currently, we are financinga project sponsored by theNigerian government calledFadama. The Fadamaproject works with localcommunity associations,including farmer organiza-tions, to provide resourcesand help introduce newagricultural productiontechnologies. Through theproject, these groups canobtain matching grants tofund up to 70% of the valueof investments made inproductive assets. Theinvestments help them toaccess farming inputs,including improved seedand fertilizer, develop andmanage small-scaleirrigation systems, andbecome involved inpost-harvest valueadding activities.The matching grantsprogram beingimplemented here inNigeria through theFadama projectprovides a goodexample of a“market smart”subsidy, because itallows support to bechanneled to poorfarmers who lack

the resources needed topurchase fertilizer andother improved inputs,while at the same timebuilding the effectivedemand needed to stimulatethe emergence of a privatesector-led inputs distribu-tion system. It also showswhat can be achievedthrough a successfulpartnership involvinggovernment, the privatesector, farmer associations,and civil society.

We at the World Bank aredelighted to be here andlook forward to a continuedand strengthened partner-ship with African govern-ments, developmentpartners, the private sector,and civil society organiza-tions to ensure the successof the “African GreenRevolution.”

Fertilizer, when introducedas part of a broader

development strategy, canmake a vital contributionto increased agricultural

productivity in Africa.

Drawing lessons fromexperience, the strategiescoming out of this Summit

must be based upon astrong partnership

between government, theprivate sector, farmerassociations, and civilsociety organizations.

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RemarksMr. Jan Vlaar, DGIS, representing the Minister for Development Cooperation, TheNetherlands

I had the opportunity toparticipate in all 5 days

of the conference, and itwas a pleasure to work withyou. Exchanges of viewswere rich, frank, and openamong the many specialistsfrom both the public andprivate sectors, includingmany representatives fromfarmer and producerorganizations. The Nether-lands’ contribution to theSummit consisted ofindirect support throughproducer organizations andthrough IFDC. Thesecontributions have bornefruit. In the meantime,despite the preparation ofthis Summit, the importantwork in the field continuednormally through IFDC’sMarketing Inputs Region-ally (MIR) and StrategicAlliance for AgriculturalDevelopment in Africa(SAADA) programs.

This Summit is an impor-tant step in a continuousprocess. The Summit

Resolutions will be areference point andmilestone, for the AfricanUnion (AU)/New Partner-ship for Africa’s Develop-ment (NEPAD), forindividual countries, andfor donors. It must help theultimate beneficiaries, butalso trigger collaborationamong states and facilitatedonor alignment.

As for our “alignment,” wedo fund programs foragricultural development inAfrica, but not so many.However, we do believethat in Africa, agricul-ture is a key sector forfostering pro-pooreconomic develop-ment. Therefore, wevery much adhere tothe Summit’s outcomeand will contribute toit wherever it fits intoongoing programs andefforts in our partnercountries. Some of thesecountries obtain generalbudget support. We believevery much in the impor-tance of sound nationalplans for economicdevelopment and povertyreduction. A good PovertyReduction Strategy Paper(PRSP) will inevitablycontain agriculturaldevelopment, with locallyadapted priorities andactions that will be moredetailed than the pointsmentioned, particularly in

the Summit Resolution.Such plans should beworked out at the nationallevel, but also at decentral-ized levels, such as districtsand rural communities,where it is possible toinclude all relevantstakeholders. Such planswill then include things thathave been discussed duringthe conference, includingsome that did not make itinto the Resolution. Thespeaker for the RockefellerFoundation mentionedelements they support. Iwould like to mention some

that I did not hear: invest-ments in soil and waterconservation technologiesand weather insurance todiminish risks for farmerswho invest in rainfedagriculture. Insurance canbe an alternative forirrigation with respect tothe risk element. Detailedplans will have to beworked out associating allstakeholders, includingfarmers’ organizations andthe organized privatesector. Possibilities shouldbe identified for public-private partnerships, to

eliminate bottlenecks and toidentify strategic publicinvestment and support.This should trigger eco-nomic development andmake markets work for thepoor.

The Netherlands cansupport such plans byscaling up existing pro-grams in African partnercountries, supportingimprovements in thebusiness environment inthese countries, andproviding general budgetsupport. The Netherlandswill also continue tosupport your efforts toreach the targets of theWorld Trade Organization(WTO) Doha Round. Morespecifically, we are workingwith you on cotton. Also onthe issue of internationaltrade, we support yourefforts to diminish thenegative effects of food aid.Food aid should be strictlylimited to cases where it isreally needed, and it mustbe organized so that it doesnot spoil the market ordiscourage localproduction.

Subsidies for fertilizersmust be organized in asmart way, which meansusing existing marketchannels and partneringwith the private sector,instead of replacing privateagro-input dealer networks.

....agriculture is a keysector for fostering pro-

poor economicdevelopment.

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We must be careful andcreative. It is possible toprevent mistakes from thepast.

The idea and importance ofan Africa Fertilizer Devel-opment Financing Mecha-nism, such as proposed inthe Resolution, is not yetclear to us. Some measures,such as the proposedregulation reform andelimination of taxes, mustbe dealt with at a regionalscale. But the most impor-tant step must be to takeother measures into accountin developing comprehen-sive national developmentplans and national budgets.Funding arrangements insupport of them will thenbe worked out in the mostappropriate way. We arelooking forward to yourpropositions.

We must becareful and

creative. It ispossible to

prevent mistakesfrom the past.

RemarksDr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate andPresident, Sasakawa Africa Association, Mexico

I need not be as gloomytoday as I have been in

the past when talking aboutfood issues in differentparts of the world. Whynot? During the last 3 days,I have heard the interestexpressed here in theSummit to attack thisproblem.

Based on experience withthe Green Revolution inother countries, we knowtwo of the three mostimportant ingredients inimproving the world foodsituation. One ingredient isthe seeds of improved high-yielding, disease-resistantvarieties. But, they have thepotential to change worldfood production only ifthey are provided with theright nutrients—fertilizers.And that is the main thrustof this importantsymposium.

It is the third ingredient thatwe have not mentionedmuch, and yet it was crucialin some of the most critical

changes in the world foodproduction over the last 3decades. Permit me to turnback the clock to the 1960sand to the problems of foodand hunger—and yes,starvation—in Pakistan andIndia. Who made thechanges? The leaders! Theleaders made the scienceand technology useful.There is no point indeveloping researchmethods in science andtechnology if they are notapplied to improve foodproduction and standards ofliving.

Who are these leaders? InPakistan, it was Minister ofAgriculture Malik KhudaBakhsh Bucha, with the fullsupport of President AyubKhan. In India, it wasShri C. Subramaniam,Minister of Food andAgriculture, with the fullsupport of Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi. A decadelater, China’s Chou En-Laimade the most courageousdecision in fertilizerinvestments when the firstembargoes by the petro-leum exporting countriescaused the petroleum pricesto increase and his supplyof urea nitrogen from Japanwas cut off. In 3 weeks, hemade a commitment toestablish ten 1,000 tons perday anhydrous ammoniaplants and urea convert-ers—the biggest fertilizerinvestment in the history of

the world. But, who put thatinto operation? Otherpolitical leaders. DengXiaoping changed theeconomic policy imple-mented by Minister ofAgriculture He Kang.

These people madedecisions that utilizedtechnology developed inthe case of wheat in Mexicoby the cooperative Mexicangovernment and theRockefeller Foundationprogram, and in thePhilippines by the collabo-ration of the Philippinegovernment and theRockefeller and FordFoundations. They pro-duced the seeds, but theagronomic technology wasproduced by many people,and the training programswere conducted by severalinternational organizations.

The people who tested thevarieties established thecredibility of the totalpackage of practices. I hadthe pleasure of trainingthousands of people whoworked together across15 countries in NorthAfrica, the Near East, andthe Middle East during thatperiod. The data collectedfrom them about thevarieties’ adaptation andresistance to disease madeit possible, under thestarvation conditions inIndia, for us to import18,000 tons of seed of the

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high-yielding disease-resistant varieties fromMexico. A year later,Pakistan imported42,000 tons, and Turkeyimported 23,000 tons.China imported 10,000 tonsfrom Pakistan.

These were courageousdecisions. At the time whenthis took place, gloom anddoom were everywhere inthe world. Many topacademicians told the worldto forget aboutIndia—there is nohope. China wasprobably worse,but we in thewestern world andin Africa knewvery little aboutthe conditions inChina at that time.It was not until

1974 that I found the samesituation there. But, I alsofound that the Mexicanwheat technology had beentransferred there fromPakistan. Both India andPakistan became self-sufficient in wheat produc-tion and shortly thereafterin rice production: in 1968in Pakistan; in 1972 inIndia; and in 1980 in China.

This was a result of thosetwo basic ingredients—

But, the third ingredient,leadership, was the all-important

one.... Are there two or three,hopefully many more, who have

the courage to take the fertilizeruse recommendations forward?

high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties and thefertilizer that permittedthem to reach their yieldpotential. Many otherimportant ingredients wentinto it, but these were thetwo basic ones. But, thethird ingredient, leadership,was the all-important one.Now, my challenge to you,Heads of State and Minis-ters of Agriculture, is this:Are there two or three,

hopefully manymore, who have thecourage to take thefertilizer use recom-mendations forward?

I want to say hereonce and for all that Ihave always recom-mended using all theorganic fertilizer thatis available, but I get

sick and tired of listening topeople say, “We can do itwith organic fertilizer.”This is plain nonsense. Wehave spent 20 years in sub-Saharan Africa talkingabout this. Let us get busywith mineral fertilizer, withthe recommendations thathave been made, and putthe pieces together.

I hope there are severalHeads of State and Minis-ters of Agriculture who willget this African GreenRevolution on the roadnow. Now! Because I’m 92years old, and I do notknow how many hours,days, weeks, months ormaybe years I will be here.And I want to see thatAfrican Green Revolutionon the way to changingfood production!

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Background Papers: An Overview

Fifteen background papers on topics relevant to the Summit themes were given to the Summit participants.Most were prepared for the Summit, but other relevant papers, which had originally been prepared in anothercontext, were utilized. The background papers reviewed and analyzed a broad range of topics relevant to theSummit themes. The papers were written by policy experts, soil scientists, and economists, many with world-wide recognition in their fields. The purpose was to give an in-depth assessment of a particular issue affectingthe fertilizer sector in Africa.

Summaries of all background papers are given in the Appendix. In the following, some of the main conclu-sions of each paper are highlighted, often with visual aids. The papers are presented in three groupings:Understanding Africa’s Fertilizer Sector; Linkages of Africa’s Fertilizer Sector to Soil, Environment, andWater Resources; and Diverse Approaches for Promoting Fertilizer Use on the Continent.

Understanding Africa’s Fertilizer Sector

Achieving an African Green Revolution: A Visionfor Sustainable Agricultural Growth in Africaby Marjatta EilittäThe paper presents the current situation of low agricultural productivity and limited use of fertilizer in Africa and arguesthat achievement of increased agricultural productivity is essential to building stability and prosperity on the continent.The low agricultural productivity on the continent is in stark contrast to Asia, where large increases in productivityresulted from the Green Revolution in the 1960s. The paper makes the case that now is the time to follow the call of theformer Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, to initiate an African Green Revolution. It describes theactors, history, objectives, and format of the Africa Fertilizer Summit as well as its important role in trying to achieve thegoals of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP).

The paper ends with a call to Summit participants to channel their efforts toward the achievement of the Summit’sobjectives and the formulation of effective strategies and actions that will improve agricultural production in Africathrough increased use of fertilizer: “It is only when the positive impact of these programs can be felt by the continent’sfarmers—whether a maize farmer in southern Benin reaping a half ton of maize from his degraded soils or a Ugandanfarmer struggling to keep up his yield of banana—that we have started to achieve our goals. Until then, we need to keepworking and remind ourselves that achieving ‘a prosperous and peaceful Africa’ is not only in all of our interests, but it isalso our responsibility.”

Overview of the Fertilizer Situation in Africaby Oumou Camara and Ed HeinemannAgainst the backdrop of the current attention to create an enabling environment for broad-based economic growth andpoverty reduction in Africa, Camara and Heinemann describe the direct link between the yield gains caused by fertilizeruse and the Millennium Development Goals (Figure 1). The continent’s fertilizer sector is complex, both continentallyand within each country, but in general the demand for fertilizer is weak. The authors point out that although fertilizerconsumption has recently increased, the relatively high increase rates (e.g., 1970-2002, 3% across the continent) does notrepresent large increases in absolute quantities, and in fact, during this period 12 countries had negative growth rates(Figure 2). In 33 African countries in 2002, fertilizer use averaged less than 10 kg ha-1.

Camara and Heinemann review the weak production capacity on the continent as well as the development of policyenvironment in the past decades. This includes from the heavy government intervention in the post-independence period,to fertilizer price controls and subsidies in the mid-1970s, to the structural adjustment and liberalization starting in the1980s. The latter, the authors conclude, “resulted in an institutional vacuum in support of agriculture” because “in only afew countries was there a private sector ready to establish fertilizer supply chains into rural areas, and many farmersfound themselves worse off in terms of fertilizer availability, variety, and, above all, prices.” Current policies are

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Figure 2. Compound Annual Growth Rates in Fertilizer Consumption by Country (%),1970-2002

fostering fertilizer access by smallholders, but the authors conclude: “Yet enormous numbers of farmers—particularlythose in more remote areas or in areas of low population densities and agricultural potential—are poorly served by thenew private sector markets. Accessibility remains weak, choice is limited, and prices are extremely high. There is stillmuch to be done to make these markets work in a manner that is efficient, competitive, and transparent.”

The authors outline five elements to “break the high-price and low-demand cycle” on the continent:1. Designing and strengthening policies for an environment in which smallholders can intensify their production systems.2. Defining fertilizer’s role in national development strategies.3. Strengthening human capital in research, extension, and among dealers and farmers.4. Reducing fertilizer cost in ways that foster private sector development.5. Improving the profitability of fertilizer use.

Fertilizer use

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Figure 1. Linkages Between Fertilizer Use and the Millennium Development Goals

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Figure 3. Significant Phosphate Rock Deposits ofAfrica

Figure 4. Significant Potential Nitrogen and PotashResources of Africa

Fertilizer Raw Material Resources of Africaby Steven J. Van KauwenberghThis Summit background paper is the first work published that covers all fertilizer raw material resources in Africa—nitrogen, phosphate, and sulfur. This book is meant as a resource that will help stimulate the growth of Africa’s fertilizerindustry. Over 400 pages, the book is based on the author’s research during his 22-year IFDC career. Africa has extensiveresources of these three raw materials (Figures 3 and 4). Nevertheless, although six African countries control 42% of theworld’s currently exploitable phosphate rock reserves and 50% of the total global phosphate rock reserve base, there isvery little development of indigenous fertilizer raw material resources through local or regional production, making mostof Africa rely on expensive imported fertilizer. The first four chapters of the book are background: introduction tofertilizers and fertilizer industry, overview of fertilizer production alternatives, fertilizer raw material characteristics andproduction, and assessment of fertilizer projects. The second half of the book consists of descriptions of all countries thatpossess significant nitrogen, phosphate or sulfur resources. Each country description consists of general country informa-tion, fertilizer resources, historical and current state of development of resources, and chemical and other analyses ofspecific materials.

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Figure 6. Holistic Approach

Factors Affecting Supply of Fertilizer in Sub-Saharan Africaby D. Ian Gregory and Balu L. BumbIn this background paper, which also has been published as The World Bank Agriculture and Rural Development Discus-sion Paper 24, Gregory and Bumb review fertilizer use, raw materials, production, and fertilizer trade in Africa. Threefactors constraining fertilizer supply on the continent are given: market development factors, technical factors, andinfrastructural factors.

Since fertilizer is readily available on the international market, the authors argue that “the problem of supply is essentiallyone of efficiency in procurement, distribution, and marketing.” What is needed now is for African countries and donorsto invest resources in building the capacity of the private sector and supporting infrastructure, and thereby reducingfertilizer price by shifting the supply curve to the right (Figure 5). This will require actions centered on the five pillars ofmarket development:• Creating a conducive and stable policy environment.• Human capital development of the emerging private sector.• Improving access to business finance.• Increasing availability of market information.• Establishing regulatory frameworks and ensuring their enforcement regarding quality, quantity, nutrient contents, and

truth-in-labeling.

These actions, the authors argue, need to be planned and implemented in a holistic way because fragmented efforts willnot create the synergy needed for better supply systems and reduced transaction costs (Figure 6).

Figure 5. Reducing Fertilizer Price by Shiftingthe Supply Curve to the Right (SSCR)

Factors Affecting Demand for Fertilizer in Sub-Saharan Africaby Valerie A. KellyIn this background paper, which has also been published as World Bank Agriculture and Rural Development DiscussionPaper 23, Kelly proposes that, instead of making profit-maximizing fertilizer decisions, most African farmers considertwo issues before they purchase fertilizer. The first is an assessment of the profitability of fertilizer use, both absolutelyand relative to alternative expenditures; this issue concerns incentives to fertilizer use. The second is an assessment of theability to acquire the desired amount of fertilizer and use it efficiently; this issue is related to issues of capacity.

Kelly then reviews incentives for fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa, including fertilizer response, input-output pricerelationships, and net returns and finds variable combinations of incentives for the various common crops in the continent(e.g., strongest for maize and irrigated rice; in export crops, good for tea; Table 1). For most crops, an important way to

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improve profitability in sub-Saharan Africa would be to reduce the very unfavorable input/output ratios. In general,incentives could be improved by implementing programs that improve agronomic response, protect farmers against lowand volatile output prices, and reduce fertilizer cost. Numerous ways are being tried to improve farmer capacity topurchase fertilizer, the second issue that farmers consider. The author argues that improving farmer capacity to usefertilizer will have to involve not only informing farmers about available technologies but also increasing their capacity toevaluate, adopt, and adapt the most appropriate technologies for their situation from a pool of available ones. The latteroption is in stark contrast to the traditional “one size fits all” approach to fertilizer recommendations.

Finally, the author argues for a more nuanced approach to how fertilizer policy fits into a country’s overall developmentstrategy and goals. Different types of crops require different approaches to extension on technical farming skills, develop-ment of input acquisition, and output marketing skills. Promotion of fertilizer use for different crops may also havedifferent effects, from environmental to poverty alleviation to economic growth.

Table 1. Fertilizer Incentives: Summary of Key Indicators by Crop and Region

Source: Yanggen et al., 1998.

Notes: Information on VCRs was sparse, and costs that were used in calculating ratios werepoorly documented, hence no attempt was made to generalize about “typical” VCRs. Informationabout shares of fertilizer consumption is drawn from Gerner and Harris (1993). Three crops thatuse a large share of SSA fertilizer (wheat 14%; sugarcane 11%; and tobacco 5%) are notcovered because they are important crops in only a few countries and very little informationabout “incentives” for these crops was found. The shares reported by Gerner and Harris (1993)differ from those reported in Table 1, section 1.C. of this report because of differences in timeperiods and countries covered.

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Linkages of Africa’s Fertilizer Sector to Soil,Environment, and Water Resources

Table 2. Water Use, Grain Yield, and Water Use Efficiency(WUE) for Millet at Sadore and Dosso (Niger)

Source: ICRISAT (1985).

Figure 7. Land Classification of African Soils

African Soils: Their Productivity andProfitability of Fertilizer Useby Andre Bationo, Alfred Hartemink, ObedLungu, Mustapha Naimi, Peter Okoth, EricSmaling, and Lamourdia ThiombianoBationo et al. emphasize Africa’s challengingbiophysical environment and its implications forthe development of a fertilizer sector. Examplesinclude:• Large areas with significant soil constraints.• Widespread soil degradation, caused by the

low inherent fertility, climate, and humanprocesses.

• Extensive and increasing areas affected bymoisture stress; only about 14% of Africa isrelatively free of moisture stress.

As a consequence, by far the largest land cat-egory on the continent is that of unsustainableland (55%), which is fragile, easily degraded, andnot productive. Medium and low-potential soilsoccupy 28.3% of Africa’s soils, leaving only16.3% to prime and high potential lands (Figure7).

Due to the numerous constraints in the fertilizersector, emphasis in recent decades has shifted tocombinations of organic and inorganic methodsto improve crop productivity on the continent.Fertilizer response by crops in different parts ofthe continent has generally been high, althoughvariability in soil fertility and fertilizer recoverywithin an area and on the same farm is wide-spread. The impact of poor soil fertility onagricultural productivity is great. Even in the dryareas of the Sahel, several scientists havereported that with rainfall exceeding 300 mm,nutrients, not water, is the factor most limitingcrop production (Table 2). The authors conclude:“Many development projects have investedbillions of dollars in soil and water conservation.For the most part, these did not include soilfertility improvement and the water harvested inthis manner is not reaching its full potential forproductivity improvement.”

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Agricultural Production and Soil Nutrient Mining in Africa:Implications for Resource Conservation and Policy Developmentby Julio Henao and Carlos BaananteThe authors examine nutrient depletion rates from African farmland during the 2002-2004 cropping seasons by estimatingsoil nutrient balances, i.e., nutrient inputs and nutrient losses. They found that 85% of African farmland, or 185 million hain total, had nutrient mining rates of more than 30 kg/ha of NPK yearly, and 40% (95 million ha) had rates greater than 60kg/ha yearly. These rates vary by agroecological zone and by country, with rates being moderate (30-40 kg/ha) in thehumid forest and wetlands of southern Central Africa and the Sudan, and over 60 kg/ha in the sub-humid savannahs ofWest Africa and the highlands and sub-humid areas of East Africa. The highest nutrient mining rates, over 60 kg/haannually, are found in the agricultural lands of Guinea, Congo, Angola, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. The average rateshad greatly increased since the last assessment of 1995-97 (Figure 8).

The main factors responsible for the high nutrient depletion rates are soil erosion by wind and water (N and P) andleaching (N and K). Erosion alone causes nutrient losses of 10-45 kg/ha annually, and if not controlled, can lead to yieldreductions of 17%-30% by 2020.

The authors conclude by outlining policies that are needed to reverse soil nutrient mining:

“Proper understanding of the nature and causes of soil nutrient mining is crucial to designing policies and investmentstrategies to efficiently reverse soil nutrient mining, restore soil fertility, and increase land productivity and food produc-tion. Such policies and investment strategies must be viewed as key contributors to the joint goals of increased agricul-tural production, food security, economic development, land conservation, and environmental protection.”

Figure 8. Nutrient Mining in Agricultural Lands of Africa (1995-97 and 2002-04)

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Fertilizer Use and the Environment in Africa: Friends or Foes?by Eric Smaling, Moctar Toure, Nico de Ridder, Nteranya Sanginga,and Henk BremanSmaling et al. consider fertilizer use in the context of achieving two goals: halving by 2015 the proportion of peoplesuffering from hunger (MDG 1) and integrating the principles of sustainable development into country policies andprograms and reversing the loss of environmental resources (MDG 7).

Although many avenues exist for achieving MDG 1, such as food aid and bringing people to food, i.e., migration; by farthe most desirable option is assisting people to produce sufficient food and income. Two factors in particular are causingAfrica to lag behind other regions in the achievement of MDG 1: low and declining soil fertility and low fertilizer use.The authors argue: “Fertilizer can play a major role in the realization of MDG 1” and “targeting application to soilconditions and plant needs will lead to substantial yield increases at high fertilizer use efficiency or recovery rates.”

On the other hand, the authors argue, fertilizers also have an important role in achieving environmental sustainability.They help achieve the “provisioning ecosystem services,” such as production of food, fodder, and raw materials. In thatcontext, loss of nutrients from agriculturalecosystems can be high and cause environ-mental problems. On the other hand,fertilizer use can help increase productivity,which relieves pressure from the naturallands, saving lands for the provision ofother ecosystem services.

The authors identify two types of scenariosfor the fertilizer-environment interface:“too much” and “too little.” The firstinvolves nutrient overloading caused byhigh fertilizer rates and low fertilizer useefficiency. This can result in nutrientloading in river systems, greenhouse gases,and acidification. On the other hand, thesecond scenario—the one that is common inAfrica—involves nutrient outputs that arehigher than nutrient inputs (Table 3). Thiscauses nutrient depletion and eventually lowyields (Figure 9).

The authors state that “the myth thatfertilizers are always bad for the environ-ment is hard to eradicate in some circles”and outline avenues to an environmentallybenign, increased use of fertilizers in Africathrough changes in international policies,national policies and institutions, and in thetechnical sphere. The authors conclude that“fertilizers have been, still are, and will beindispensable in the future to feed the worldpopulation.”

Table 3. District-Level Nutrient Balances (kg/ha per year),Singling Out Cash Crops (FAO, 2004)

Figure 9.Model of Soil N and Crop Yield Dynamics in No–InputSystem (FAO, 2004)

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Improving Water and Fertilizer Use in Africa: Challenges, Opportunities,and Policy Recommendationsby Dennis WichelnsWichelns sees soil moisture and nutrients as complementary inputs: “the incremental productivity of soil moisture is afunction of the amount of nutrients available, just as the incremental productivity of nutrients is a function of soil mois-ture.” High fertilizer cost and unreliable rainfall in sub-Saharan Africa create a conundrum where farmers cannot affordinputs needed for high yields. Current use of fertilizer and water in the continent is inefficient, each partly explaining theother. Use of irrigation in many parts of Africa is minimal (Table 4).

Wichelns argues that in future efforts to improve soil moisture on the continent, water harvesting will be more importantthan irrigation. Rainfall in much of the continent is unreliable; global climate change will further increase this uncertainty.There are also already numerous agricultural practices available, such as organic matter addition, erosion prevention, andbunds, tied ridges, and terraces, which can enhance interactions between soil moisture and nutrients.

Wichelns identifies essential elements for effective policies that would improve the productivity of land and water inAfrica: need for region-specific programs that acknowledge the heterogeneity of production conditions; leadership bypublic officials, technical specialists, and farmer representatives; and recognition of the differences between Asia andAfrica. Closing the yield gap alone holds significant promise in Africa. As appropriate near-term policies, the authorrecommends input subsidies”to get agriculture moving,” implementation of fair produce prices, and investments ineducation, research, and training. Africa’s heterogeneity precludes specific policy recommendations to improve soilmoisture for the whole continent and in some places, investments in irrigation may be sensible, whereas in others,investments should be made in research, education, and training to improve production in rainfed areas.

Table 4. Estimated Areas Under Water Management in Seven Regions of Africa

Source: Frenken, Karen (Ed.), 2005. Irrigation in Africa in Figures: AQUASTAT Survey,2005. FAO Water Reports 29. Food and Agriculture Organization of the UnitedNations, Rome.

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Diverse Approaches to Promoting Fertilizer Use on the Continent

Alternative Approaches for Promoting Fertilizer Use in Africaby Eric W. Crawford, T. S. Jayne, and Valerie A. Kelly.The authors differentiate between six types of fertilizer promotion programs, each with their own strengths and shortcom-ings, which have been popular in sub-Saharan Africa:

• Controlled state input distribution programs: Short run success in broadly raising food production, but difficult tosustain due to budgetary costs and input sales to other markets.

• Targeted government input distribution programs in an open market: More financially sustainable than the former, buttypically unable to channel subsidies to the low-income farmers and with little positive impact on food production.

• Sasakawa-Global 2000 programs: These demonstration plots with supplied inputs increase yields but sustainedadoption and spread to less favored areas have been hard to achieve.

• Outgrower or cooperative programs with interlinked input–credit–output market transactions: Can be more sustain-able than the government model above, but performance has been variable, with poor performance linked to poorrepresentation of farmer interest by the firm and government extracting rents from firm.

• Public sector facilitation of private sector fertilizer supply: This has had variable results, with poor results linked withinadequate public investments to support private sector or subsidized fertilizer competing against private companies.

• Starter pack programs in Malawi: A free pack of fertilizer and improved maize and legume seed has reached poorfarmers through existing trader networks, but for some, is an expensive approach that does not meet safety net or long-term development objectives.

The authors do an extensive review of the financial, economic, and non-economic arguments for and against fertilizersubsidies and compare subsidies to alternative interventions, such as food aid, output price support, credit subsidies, andinput delivery programs. The authors remind that fertilizer use per se should not be considered a goal in isolation, instead“the broader goal is to ensure adequate soil fertility in order to support increased agricultural productivity, food security,and incomes. Inorganic fertilizer is one of many inputs needed to accomplish these broader goals, hence the systematicevaluation of private and social costs … must also include analyses of technologies and practices that complement and/orsubstitute for inorganic fertilizers.”

Increasing Fertilizer Use in Africa: What Have We Learned?by Colin Poulton, Jonathan Kydd, and Andrew DorwardThis background paper, also published as World Bank Agriculture and Rural Development Discussion Paper 25, summa-rizes the proceedings of an e-forum organized by Imperial College London and NR International on behalf of the WorldBank and DFID in February–March, 2005. Although the e-forum was meant to elicit lessons learned regarding theenabling environment and specific interventions for fertilizer sector development, the debate was more focused ongeneral lessons learned from efforts to promote fertilizer use in Africa.

The paper reviews contributions to the e-forum regarding (1) supply–side constraints, (2) demand–side constraints,(3) soil health and organic matter, (4) efforts to kick start markets, and (5) diverse interventions discussed.

Some key points raised by the e-forum participants include:• Importance of seeing increased fertilizer use in its broader context.• Emergence of a viable commercial industry takes time, and until then, there is a need for the public sector to create

enabling conditions.• The role of stockists is important, but they should not be considered as primary “drivers” of increased fertilizer use but

as important partners.• Enhancing affordability of fertilizer for cash-constrained households may be important even when fertilizer use is

profitable.• Fertilizer subsidies are not a recommended policy option; instead, fertilizer vouchers should be used for food insecure

households.• Blanket fertilizer recommendations are not useful; instead, recommendations should be tailored to locations and

farmers should be taught principles of soil fertility management.

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Input Subsidies and Agricultural Development: Issues and Options for Developing and TransitionalEconomiesby Balu L. Bumb, S. Kofi Debrah, and Luc MaeneThe authors review the history of agricultural subsidies, as well as arguments for and against subsidies, concluding thatarguments in favor of them are no longer as strong as those against them. They then recount four IFDC experiences onfertilizer subsidies—from Bangladesh, Albania, Afghanistan, and actions plans in different African countries—that weregeared toward building private sector-based competitive fertilizer markets. The authors argue that there are other ways toachieve the objectives of fertilizer subsidy, i.e., minimize the risk and increase the profitability of input use by reducinginput cost. On the supply side, the supply curve can be shifted to the right through a conducive policy environment,human capital development, improved access to finance and market information, and better regulatory framework.Governments can also invest in public goods, such as better roads, ports, and financial infrastructure, to reduce fertilizercost. Finally, investments in soil fertility restoration and improvement can minimize risk and increase profitability offertilizer use to the farmer.

The authors argue that in specific circumstances, direct subsidies could be used, provided that precautions are taken toprevent negative impact on the private sector input market. They include: transition from emergency relief to development;encouraging the use of modern inputs in the early stage of agricultural development; using subsidies to create positiveexternalities, such as saving forests due to agricultural intensification; and poverty alleviation through vouchers. Landlockedfood–deficit countries likely require subsidies on transportation costs of fertilizer. Finally, the authors list necessary safe-guards for a successful administration of subsidies, including clear political decisions and commitment that ensure goodunderstanding by all parties and clear rules of operation; institutional capacity to deliver the program; appropriate logisticalarrangements; and a registry of beneficiaries. As a final ingredient, the authors argue that “a clear exit strategy should bedesigned and disseminated so that all stakeholders are aware of the transient nature of subsidy and are prepared to cope withthe situation developing after the removal of subsidy.”

Promoting Increased Fertilizer Use in Africa: LessonsLearned and Good Practice GuidelinesAfrica Region, World BankThis paper, prepared by a team from the Africa Region of the World Bank, reviews low fertilizer use and the problem ofsoil fertility in Africa, as well as past programs and approaches to increasing fertilizer use on the continent. Both demand-and supply-side factors constrain fertilizer use on the continent. In considering future programs, the authors call forclearer thinking about how fertilizer policy fits into a country’s overall development strategy. They argue for the need toadopt a long-term perspective that can help not only farmers, but also all key actors on the supply side and to implementpolicies that affect market prices, costs incurred, or benefits received by consumers or producers of fertilizer over themedium to long run.

The authors identify numerous ways to strengthen demand for and supply of fertilizer through public interventions, butwarn that none is likely to be effective if implemented in isolation. Instead, combinations of the measures are needed toensure a parallel growth of supply and demand, a prerequisite for the emergence of a viable private sector-led fertilizermarket.

A sustainable growth in fertilizer use in Africa is unlikely to happen, the authors argue, unless public resources are used toaddress many of the structural problems affecting incentives to supply and use fertilizer, through policy and institutionalreforms, investment in infrastructure, strengthening of agricultural research and extension, capacity building of farmersand commercial actors, and improvements in agricultural soil and water resources.

Finally, the authors identify ten guiding principles for the design and implementation of market-smart subsidies as:• Promote fertilizer as part of a wider strategy.• Favor market-based solutions.• Promote competition.• Pay attention to demand.• Insist on economic efficiency.• Empower farmers.• Devise an exit strategy.• Pursue regional integration.• Ensure sustainability.• Promote pro-poor growth.

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The Role of Input Vouchers in Pro-Poor Growthby Ian GregoryThe author first briefly reviews supply- and demand-side constraints limiting greater fertilizer use in Africa, and thendefines attributes of pro–poor growth, which would create opportunities for the poor to increase productivity and diver-sity of cropping and fully participate in markets.

Input vouchers can be a flexible development tool, the author argues, for jump-starting participation of the poor inagricultural development. IFDC’s experiences with input vouchers in three countries for the attainment of differentobjectives—Malawi (food security), Afghanistan (post-emergency crop credit provision), and Nigeria (implementation ofdirect subsidies)—have demonstrated this. Implementation costs of these projects were relatively low, and the authorestimates that if implemented at large scale, implementation costs could be as low as $3–$4/farmer. An effective exitstrategy would consist of sustainable increases in farm productivity and rural incomes, including improvements in outputmarketing and a gradual reduction of voucher value to zero or transposing it to crop production credit or revolving funds.Gregory concludes:

“Early indications are that vouchers provide pro-poor flexible interventions that reduce risk in developing markets for themost food-insecure and small nascent input dealers. Sustainable development can be achieved only when vouchers areused in conjunction with other necessary market development initiatives and the impacts are monitored.”

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Appendix IProgram

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ProgramAfrica Fertilizer Summit

Technical Session: High-Level DialogueJune 9-10, 2006

Friday, June 90800 Registration

Venue: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER

0845 Prelude: An African Green Revolution (Video)Venue: AFRICA HALL

Session 1: Opening SessionVenue: AFRICA HALL

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Ahmadu Babagana, Director of Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission, EthiopiaChief (Mrs.) Chinyere Asika, Head, New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)/Nigeria

RapporteursDr. Mohamed El-Fouly, Professor, National Research Centre, EgyptDr. Monica Ifeyinwa, University Lecturer, University of Nigeria-Nsukka, Nigeria

Opening AddressHonorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Republic of Nigeria

0900 Welcome RemarksMs. Ama Pepple, Permanent Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Republic ofNigeria

0905 Goodwill MessageHonorable Rosebud Kurwijila, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African UnionCommission, Ethiopia

0910 Goodwill MessageDr. Gary H. Toenniessen, Director, Food Security, The Rockefeller Foundation, U.S.A.

0930 The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the Africa Fertilizer SummitProfessor Firmino Mucavele, Chief Executive, New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)Secretariat, South Africa

0945 Africa Fertilizer Crisis: Summit Background and ProcessDr. Amit Roy, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Fertilizer Development Center(IFDC), U.S.A.

0955 Keynote Address “Achieving an African Green Revolution”Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and President, Sasakawa Africa Association,Mexico

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Session 1: Opening Session (Continued)

1020 Vote of ThanksMr. Sule Bello, Director, Fertilizer Department, Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, Federal Republic of Nigeria

1025 Coffee BreakVenue: THE GALLERY

1045 Remarks on the African Green Revolution: Panel of Eminent ScientistsDr. Pedro Sanchez, Director of Tropical Agriculture and Millennium Villages Project, The EarthInstitute at Columbia University, New York; World Food Prize Laureate

1055 Remarks on the African Green Revolution: Panel of Eminent ScientistsDr. Gary H. Toenniessen, Director, Food Security, The Rockefeller Foundation, U.S.A.

1105 Remarks on the African Green Revolution: Panel of Eminent ScientistsDr. Florence Wambugu, Chief Executive Officer, A Harvest Biotechnology Foundation, Kenya

1115 It Is Farmers That Will Nourish the SoilsMr. Ndiogou Fall, Chairman, The West African Network of Farmers and Producers Organizations(ROPPA), Senegal

Session 2: Perspectives on Fertilizer Sector DevelopmentVenue: AFRICA HALL

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Gary Toenniessen, Director of Food Security, The Rockefeller Foundation, U.S.A.Dr. Mpoko Bokanga, Executive Director, Africa Agricultural Technology Foundation, Kenya

RapporteursDr. Nteranye Sanginga, Director, Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute (TSBF) of the InternationalCenter for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), KenyaDr. M. M. Jibrin, Associate Professor, Ado Bayero University, Nigeria

1130 Policies for Stimulating Rapid Growth in Fertilizer Use in AfricaDr. Karen Brooks, Sector Manager, The World Bank, U.S.A.

1145 Fertilizers and the Environment: Friends or Foes?Dr. Eric Smaling, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture, International Institute of Geo-InformationScience and Earth-Observation, The Netherlands

1200 Successful Interventions for Fertilizer Sector DevelopmentBuilding Input Supply Systems to Improve Access for FarmersDr. Akin Adesina, Associate Director, Food Security, The Rockefeller Foundation, Kenya

1220 Successful Interventions for Fertilizer Sector DevelopmentDeveloping Fertilizer Interventions for Semi-Arid AreasDr. William D. Dar, Director General, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics(ICRISAT), India

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Session 2: Perspectives on Fertilizer Sector Development (Continued)

1235 Successful Interventions for Fertilizer Sector DevelopmentIntegrated Soil Fertility Management/Competitive Agricultural Systems and EnterprisesDr. Victor Clottey, Agricultural Intensification in Sub-Saharan Africa (AISSA), Ghana

1250 Successful Interventions for Fertilizer Sector DevelopmentBuilding Africa’s Institutional Capacity for Fertilizer Sector DevelopmentDr. Samuel C. Muchena, Managing Director, African Center for Fertilizer Development (ACFD),Zimbabwe

Session 3: Parallel Dialogue Sessions“Solutions to Africa’s Fertilizer Crisis”

Venue: AFRICA HALL

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Moise Mensah, Former Minister of Finance, BeninMr. Baba Dioum, General Coordinator, Conference of West and Central African Ministers of Agriculture (CMA/WCA), Senegal

RapporteursDr. Andre Bationo, Soil Scientist, Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute (TSBF) of CIAT (InternationalCenter for Tropical Agriculture)Dr. M. M. Jibrin, Associate Professor, Ado Bayero University, Nigeria

1305 Session Organization and InstructionsDr. Maria Wanzala, Africa Fertilizer Summit Adviser, New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), South Africa

1310 LunchVenue: BANQUET HALL

1500 Parallel Sessions

Parallel Session 1: Reducing Fertilizer ProcurementCost at the National and Regional Levels

Venue: PRESIDENTIAL HALL

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Uzo Mokwunye, Consultant and Past Chair, International Crops Research nstitute for the Semi-AridTropics (ICRISAT) Board of Trustees, GhanaMr. Jan Poulisse, Senior Economist, Land and Water Development Division, Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations (FAO), Italy

RapporteursDr. Cris Muyunda, Senior Agricultural Adviser, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa(COMESA), ZambiaProfessor Enwerem Dike, Professor of Economics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria

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Parallel Session 2: Improving Access to Finance forFertilizer Market Development

Venue: BENUE HALL

Co-ChairpersonsDr. William Kalema, Chairman, Uganda Investment Authority, UgandaMr. Lance Crist, Division Manager, Oil, Gas, Mining and Chemicals Department, International FinanceCorporation (IFC), U.S.A.

RapporteursDr. Simeon Ehui, Lead Economist, The World Bank, NigeriaProfessor A. O. Ogungbile, Professor of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Ahmadu BelloUniversity, Nigeria

Parallel Session 3: Improving Access ViaDevelopment of Input Dealer Networks

Venue: EXECUTIVE HALL

Co-ChairpersonsMr. Eben Makonese, Chief Executive Officer, Chemplex Corporation Ltd., ZimbabweDr. Rita Laker-Ojok, Executive Director, AT-Uganda, Uganda

RapporteursDr. Roy Steiner, Senior Program Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, U.S.A.Mr. Augustine Nnameka, Former Commercial Manager, Federal Superphosphate Company, Nigeria

Parallel Session 4: Developing Regional FinancingMechanism for Fertilizer Sector Development

Venue: NIGER HALL

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Josue Dione, Director of Sustainable Development Division, United Nations Economic Commission forAfrica (ECA), EthiopiaDr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonyo-Iweala, Minister of Finance, Federal Republic of Nigeria

RapporteursDr. Michael Morris, Senior Economist, The World Bank, U.S.A.Professor M. T. Adetunji, Professor of Soil Science, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria

Parallel Session 5: Improving Access for PoorFarmers by Smart Public Policies

Venue: AFRICA HALL

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Karen Brooks, Sector Manager, The World Bank, U.S.A.Professor Francis Idachaba, Vice Chancellor, Kogi State University, Nigeria

RapporteursMr. Edward Heinemann, Regional Economist, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), ItalyProfessor E. C. Nwagbo, Professor of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, University of Nigeria,Nigeria

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Session 3: Parallel Dialogue Sessions (Continued)“Solutions to Africa’s Fertilizer Crisis”

Parallel Session 5: Improving Access for PoorFarmers by Smart Public Policies (Continued)

1645 Coffee Break

1700 Parallel Sessions (continued)

1930 Close of Parallel Sessions

2000 Welcome Reception: COCKTAIL NIGHTVenue: CONGRESS HALL, TRANSCORP HOTEL

Saturday June 10

PlenaryVenue: AFRICA HALL

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Moise Mensah, Former Minister of Finance, BeninMr. Baba Dioum, General Coordinator, Conference of West and Central African Ministers of Agriculture(CMA/WCA), Senegal

RapporteursDr. Andre Bationo, Soil Scientist, Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute (TSBF) of CIAT (InternationalCenter for Tropical Agriculture)Professor A. Agbede, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Nasarawa State University, Nigeria

0830 Wrap-Up of Parallel Discussion Sessions

SpeakersPresentations by Rapporteurs of each Parallel Session (10 minutes) followed by Discussions (5 minutes)

0945 Africa’s Green Revolution and the Millenium Development Goals: The Importance of the Fertilizer SummitDr. Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University, U.S.A.

1000 Sustainable Land Management and Fertilizers: Responding to Challenges of Sustainable Land Management—the TerrAfrica InitiativeProfessor Richard Mkandawire, Agricultural AdviserDr. Remi Cole, Lead Specialist on Sustainable Land Management (SLM), The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)

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Session 4: Country StrategiesVenue: AFRICA HALL

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Cris Muyunda, Senior Agricultural Adviser, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa(COMESA), ZambiaDr. N. P. Sicilima, Director, Department of Crop Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Tanzania

RapporteurProfessor A. Agbede, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Nasarawa State University, Nigeria

1020 Session Organization and InstructionsProfessor Victor Chude, Annex Leader, Soil Fertility Initiative, National Special Program for Food Security, Nigeria

1030 Coffee BreakVenue: THE GALLERY

1100 Parallel Sessions (Grouping of Countries by Regional Economic Community)

Parallel Session 1: Economic Community ofWest African States Country Members

Venue: EXECUTIVE HALL

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Timothy Williams, Adviser and Head, Special Advisory Services Division, Enterprise and AgricultureSection, Commonwealth Secretariat, United KingdomDr. Daniel Eklu, Director, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nigeria

RapporteursDr. Saidou Koala, Director for West and Central Africa, International Crops Research Institute for theSemi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), NigerDr. I. Y. Amapu, Associate Professor, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria

Parallel Session 2: Economic Community ofCentral African States Country Members

Venue: BENUE HALL

Co-ChairpersonsMr. Mohamed Beavogui, Director, West and Central Africa Division, Program ManagementDepartment, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), ItalyDr. Haile Gabriel Abeba, Director for the African Union Specialized Technical Office on Semi AridAgriculture Research and Development, Burkina Faso

RapporteursMr. Joel Beassem, Secretariat, Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), GabonProfessor P. D. Ngoddy, Professor of Food Science and Technology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

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Session 4: Country Strategies (Continued)

Parallel Session 3: Union of Arab Maghreb Country MembersVenue: PRESIDENTIAL HALL

Co-ChairpersonsMr. Abdelmajid Slama, Former Director, Near East, North Africa and Europe Division, International Fundfor Agricultural Development (IFAD), Tunisia; IFDC Board of DirectorsMr. Mohamed Fathi El-Sayed, Assistant Secretary General, Arab Fertilizer Association, Egypt

RapporteursDr. Mohamed El-Fouly, Professor, National Research Center, EgyptProfessor G. B. Ayoola, Policy Analyst, IFDC (MIR) Project, Nigeria

Parallel Session 4: Southern African Development Community CountryMembers and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Country Members

Venue: NIGER HALL

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Wilberforce Kisamba-Mugerwa, Director of International Service for National Agricultural Research ofthe International Food Policy Research Institute (ISNAR/IFPRI), EthiopiaDr. Harris Mule, Chancellor, Kenyatta University, Kenya

RapporteursDr. James Nyoro, Executive Director, Tegemeo Institute, Egerton University, KenyaProfessor E. A. Aduayi, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Bowen University, Nigeria

1430 LunchVenue: BANQUET HALL

Session 5: Regional StrategiesVenue: AFRICA HALL

Co-ChairpersonsDr. Richard Mkandawire, Agriculture Adviser, New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), SouthAfricaDr. Hafez Ghanem, Country Director, The World Bank, Nigeria

RapporteursDr. Lawrence Chidi Anukam, New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), NigeriaDr. Tijani Onota, Head of Farm Mechanization, Federal College of Soil Research Technology, Nigeria

1530 Plenary Panel with Regional Economic Communities

1615 Coffee BreakVenue: THE GALLERY

1630 Plenary Panel with Private Sector ParticipantsVenue: AFRICA HALL

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Session 5: Regional Strategies (Continued)

Discussion LeaderMr. Luc Maene, Director General, International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA), France

PanelistsMr. Arne Cartridge, Senior Vice President, Yara International, NorwayMr. Onajite Okolodo, Director, Notore, NigeriaMr. Saidre G.B. Zakari, National Sales Manager, Golden Fertilizer Company, NigeriaMr. Tony Elumelu, Managing Director, United Bank of Africa

Session 6: The Way ForwardVenue: AFRICA HALL

ChairpersonDr. Cyril Enweze, Vice President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Italy

RapporteursDr. Marjatta Eilittä, Senior Soil Fertility Specialist, International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC),U.S.A.Professor M. T. Adetunji, Professor of Soil Science, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria

1745 AddressHis Excellency Joaquim Chissano, Former President of Mozambique

1755 AddressMr. Peter McPherson, Co-Chair, Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa, U.S.A.

1805 AddressDr. Rudy Rabbinge, Dean, Graduate Schools, Wageningen University, The Netherlands

1815 SynthesisDr. Cyril Enweze, Vice President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

1915 Closure of High-Level Dialogue Session

2000 Dinner: Gala NightVenue: CONGRESS HALL, TRANSCORP HOTEL

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Ministerial SessionMonday, June 12, 2006

Venue: AFRICA HALL

Session 1: Opening Session

Co-ChairpersonsHonorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Republic of NigeriaHonorable Rosebud Kurwijila, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African UnionCommission, Ethiopia

RapporteurDr. Maria Wanzala, Africa Fertilizer Summit Adviser, New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD),South Africa

0900 WelcomeHonorable Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Federal Republic ofNigeria

0910 Goodwill MessageHonorable Rosebud Kurwijila, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African UnionCommission, Ethiopia

0920 Goodwill MessageProfessor Firmino Mucavele, Chief Executive, New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)Secretariat, South Africa

0930 Ministerial AddressHonorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Republic of Nigeria

0945 Vote of ThanksHonorable Bamidele Dada, Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Republicof Nigeria

Session 2: Solutions to Africa’s Fertilizer Crisis

ChairpersonHonorable Joseph Mungai, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Cooperative, United Republic of Tanzania

RapporteurMr. Mohamed Beavogui, Director, West and Central Africa Division, Program Management Department,International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Italy

1000 Africa Fertilizer Crisis: Summit Background and ProcessDr. Amit Roy, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Fertilizer Development Center(IFDC), U.S.A.

1015 Framing of the Summit OutcomesDr. Akin Adesina, Associate Director, Food Security, The Rockefeller Foundation, Kenya

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Session 2: Solutions to Africa’s Fertilizer Crisis (Continued)

1030 Coffee BreakVenue: THE GALLERY

1045 Keynote Address “Achieving an African Green Revolution”Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and President, Sasakawa Africa Association, Mexico

1100 Report from Technical Session: High-Level DialogueDr. Josue Dione, Director of Sustainable Development Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Ethiopia

1200 Discussions of Report From Technical Session: High-Level Dialogue

1400 LunchVenue: BANQUET HALL

Session 3: Implementing the Priority Actionsfor Solving Africa’s Fertilizer Crisis

ChairpersonHonorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, The Federal Republic of Nigeria

RapporteursDr. Moise Mensah, Former Minister of Finance, BeninDr. Akin Adesina, Associate Director, Food Security, The Rockefeller Foundation, Kenya

1530 Moving to Actions: Ministerial Remarks

1700 Adoption of Report to the Heads of State

1900 Closure of Session

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Heads of State SessionJune 13, 2006

Venue: EXECUTIVE ROOM

ChairpersonHis Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Session 1: Opening Remarks and Addresses

1100 Welcome RemarksHonorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Republic of Nigeria

1110 Goodwill MessageHis Excellency Alpha Oumar Konaré, Chairman, the African Union Commission, Ethiopia

1115 Goodwill MessageHonorable Jeanne Dambendzet, Minister of Agriculture, representing His ExcellencyGeneral Denis Sassou-Nguessou, President, Republic of Congo and Chairman, the African Union

1125 Goodwill MessageProfessor Firmino Mucavele, Chief Executive, New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Secretariat, South Africa

1135 Goodwill MessageDr. Judith Rodin, President, The Rockefeller Foundation, U.S.A.

1145 An African Green Revolution (Video) then Video Address by President Jimmy Carter,39th President of the United States and Founder, The Carter Center, U.S.A.

1200 Presidential AddressHis Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

1215 Report on the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Ministerial SessionHonorable Adamu Bello, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Republic of Nigeria

1230 RemarksDr. Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank (AfDB), TunisiaMr. Lennart Båge, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), ItalyMr. Pat Fleuret, Mission Director, United States Agency for International Development (USAID),NigeriaDr. Hafez Ghanem, Country Director, The World Bank, Nigeria representing Mr. Paul Wolfowitz,President, The World Bank, U.S.A.Mr. Jan Vlaar, DGIS, representing the Minister for Development Cooperation, The NetherlandsDr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and President, Sasakawa Africa Association,Mexico

1400 Summit Resolution

1430 Closure of Session

1500 LuncheonVenue: PRESIDENTIAL VILLA

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165

Appendix IISummit Background Papers

166

167

Achieving an African Green Revolution: A Vision forSustainable Agricultural Growth in Africa

byMarjatta Eilittä1

Fertilizer will have to be a crucial component of any strategy to improve agricultural productivity in Africa. Nocountry in modern history has made great strides in agricultural production without first increasing the use offertilizer. At 20 kg NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) per hectare and only 8 kg NPK per hectare in sub-

Saharan Africa, fertilizer use rates in Africa are the lowest in the world. As a consequence, crop yields have stagnated inthe past 45 years, causing food insecurity and, with increased area in cultivation, deforestation. Due to the increasedpopulation, farmers have had to abandon fallows, which has led to a crisis of soil nutrient depletion in the continent. With65% of the labor force in agriculture, the widespread impacts of Africa’s low agricultural productivity include continuedpoverty, reliance on food imports, low levels of investment, and, finally, political instability.

The Africa Fertilizer Summit is part of an effort to initiate a “uniquely African Green Revolution” called for by theUnited Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. It emerges from the new dynamism in the continent, with strongerhomegrown organizations, renewed emphasis placed on agriculture, new policies fostering the private sector, and greaterinterest in utilizing the continent’s fertilizer resources. It will strongly contribute to the goals of the ComprehensiveAfrica Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) of the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development(NEPAD), which has established a goal of increasing agricultural production by 6% annually as a necessary step towardachieving the first Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty by 2015.

This is an African-led initiative with leadership by the African Union and its NEPAD program, and enjoys the strongcollaboration of the Summit chair, H.E. President Olusegun Obasanjo, and of the Federal Government of Nigeria, theSummit host. IFDC (an International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development) is implementing the Summitwhile numerous donors, notably the Rockefeller Foundation, have provided support for this initiative.

This initiative has five main components:• Mobilizing African governments, organizations, and civil society and raising awareness worldwide of the potential of

fertilizer in improving the conditions of African smallholder farmers.• Development of Country and Regional Fertilizer Strategies.• Development of Africa Fertilizer Action Plan.• Securing human and financial resources to implement the Action Plan.• Implementation of the Action Plan and Strategies.

As an important step in this initiative, the Africa Fertilizer Summit will bring together African heads of state andministers, leaders of international donor organizations, private-sector firms, farmers’ organizations and seniorpolicymakers to improve access of millions of poor African farmers to fertilizer and other complementary inputs, in orderto help them raise their farm production and achieve food security. The Summit will consist of Technical, Ministerial,and Heads of State sessions. The Technical Session, to be held June 9-10, will emphasize breakout and panel sessionsfocusing on generating detailed actions needed. The Ministerial Session, to be held June 12, will discuss these actionsand will submit its conclusion for the deliberation of the Heads of State on June 13.

The Africa Fertilizer Summit will be about action, not about talk. The horrendous human toll of underdevelopment inAfrica is a constant reminder to ensure that the Africa Fertilizer Summit will not be another “talk shop.” Instead, itsinitiators, organizers, and implementers are determined to ensure that it will result in bold actionable programs that willmake fertilizer available to millions of farmers in a timely manner and at an affordable price. Achieving this and the“prosperous and peaceful Africa” as a result is not only in all of our interests, but it is also our responsibility.

1IFDC—An International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development.

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Fertilizer Raw Materials Resources of Africaby

Steven J. Van Kauwenbergh1

Africa is endowed with many natural resources. Among these resources are deposits of phosphate rock, accumula-tions of hydrocarbons, and deposits of coal, which can be used to produce nitrogen, and potash deposits. Datafrom the United States Geological Survey (USGS) indicates six countries in Africa control approximately 41.5%

of the world’s currently producible phosphate rock reserves and approximately 50.2% of the total global phosphate rockreserve base, which may be producible in the future.

In order to promote rational, logical, economically and environmentally responsible growth in the fertilizer sector inAfrica, the development of a resource and reference document, “Fertilizer Raw Material Resources of Africa,” wascommissioned for the Africa Fertilizer Summit. IFDC geologists and engineers have conducted numerous characteriza-tion studies of phosphate rock samples; evaluations of deposits, mines, and mining; and fertilizer production plantfeasibility studies in Africa. This volume attempts to synthesize this information with other currently available data andprovide a resource document on the subject of fertilizer raw material resources and development of fertilizer productionfor all of Africa. As such, it offers no continent-wide, regional, or country-specific solutions to particular fertilizerdevelopment issues.

The document attempts to provide (1) a useful overview of fertilizer products, raw materials, and project development,and (2) information on resource availability and a historical and current overview of fertilizer raw material and fertilizerproject development within specific countries of Africa. The site-specific data and examples contained within thisdocument should prove useful in analyzing similar projects in other countries.

The volume is arranged in two sections. Section I includes chapters on: Introduction to Fertilizers and the FertilizerIndustry; Overview of Fertilizer Production Alternatives and the Fertilizer Industry; Fertilizer Raw Material Characteris-tics and Production; and Assessment of Fertilizer Projects. Section II contains Country Descriptions arranged in alpha-betical order.

1IFDC—An International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development.

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Agricultural Production and Soil Nutrient Mining in Africa:Implications for Resource Conservation and Policy Development

byJulio Henao and Carlos Baanante1

In this paper, we assess the status of food production associated with land degradation and estimate indicators of soilnutrient mining by country and region. We examine factors and circumstances that affect nutrient mining by predomi-nant crop production systems in key agro-ecological zones and regions, and we review policy measures and invest-

ment strategies that can reverse current trends in nutrient mining and increase land productivity in a sustainable way. Wealso evaluate evolving trends in crop productivity in different regions, and in land degradation caused by nutrient mining.

Estimates by country show that nutrient mining is highest (more than 60 kg NPK/ha yearly) in agricultural lands ofGuinea, Congo, Angola, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. Nutrient mining across Africa ranges from 9 kg NPK/ha per yearin Egypt to 88 kg in Somalia in East Africa. Nitrogen losses range from 4.1 kg/ha yearly in South Africa to 52.3 kg inSomalia in the Sudano-Sahelian of East Africa. Losses of phosphorus range from none or minor losses in the Mediterra-nean and arid North Africa to 9.2 kg/ha per year in Burundi and Somalia in East Africa. Potassium losses range from 6.5kg/ha per year in Algeria to 30.4 kg in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon in humid Central Africa.

During the 2002–2004 cropping season, about 85% of African farmland (185 million ha) had nutrient mining rates ofmore than 30 kg/ha of nutrients yearly, and 40% (95 million ha) had rates greater than 60 kg/ha yearly. These 95 millionhectares are reaching such a state of degradation that to make them productive again would frequently require invest-ments so large that it will not be economically feasible to implement.

The main factors contributing to nutrient depletion are loss of nitrogen and phosphorus through soil erosion by windand water, and leaching of nitrogen and potassium. Nutrient losses due only to erosion in African soils range from of 10to 45 kg of NPK/ha per year. If erosion continues unabated, yield reductions by 2020 could be from 17% to 30%, with anexpected decrease of about 10 million t of cereals, 15 million t of roots and tubers, and 1 million t of pulses.

The evidence leaves no doubt that the very resources on which African farmers and their families depend for welfareand survival are being undermined by soil degradation caused by nutrient mining and associated factors such as defores-tation, use of marginal lands, and poor agricultural practices. Land is being degraded, and soil fertility is declining tolevels unsuitable to sustain economic production. The influence of nutrient mining on the land’s capacity to sustainpopulation and production has long-term impacts besides loss of soil productivity and the consequent exodus of farmers.

The information, methodologies, databases, and procedures described in this report should be viewed as componentsof an evolving process of continuous improvement and refinement.

1IFDC—An International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development.

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Overview of the Fertilizer Situation in Africaby

Oumou Camara1 and Ed Heinemann2

With more than 70% of African people living in rural areas and 75% of them living on less than a $1 per day, itis clear that sustainable increases in agricultural productivity and rural incomes are the basis for broad-basedeconomic growth. That is why a call for action has been sent by Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United

Nations—the time has come for a uniquely African Green Revolution. The central challenge remains how best to createconditions under which farmers can intensify their production systems and increasingly link them to markets.

Governments, donor agencies, and NGOs have tried many different strategies, including direct subsidies on fertilizerprices, distribution of vouchers that can be redeemed for fertilizer, distribution of starter packs for farmers to experimentwith fertilizer, fertilizer-for-work programs, etc. While many of these approaches have achieved some short-term suc-cesses, many often collapsed once external funding ended, making them unsustainable over the longer term. The failuresof many past interventions to have long-lasting effects on the fertilizer sector can be explained by the many constraintsthat affect fertilizer supply and use in both commercial and food crop sectors.

To help understand the fertilizer situation in Africa, this paper (1) describes trends in fertilizer demand and supply,focusing on cross-country differences in fertilizer intensity use and supply levels; (2) examines the evolution of pastpolicies and interventions, their impacts on the fertilizer sector and the constraints affecting fertilizer demand and supplyin Africa; and (3) discusses future needs and the implications for policy.

1IFDC—An International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development.2International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

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African Soils: Their Productivity andProfitability of Fertilizer Use

byAndre Bationo,1 Alfred Hartemink,2 Obed Lungu,3 Mustapha Naimi,4 Peter Okoth,1

Eric Smaling5 and Lamourdia Thiombiano6

Africa covers an area of about 3,010 × 106 hectares (ha), of which about 230 × 106 ha is water. The continent has awide range of soils and climatic conditions. Soils range from stony and shallow with poor life-sustainingcapabilities to deeply weathered soils that recycle and support large amounts of biomass. African soils have an

inherently poor fertility because they are very old and lack volcanic rejuvenation. Inappropriate land use, poor manage-ment and lack of inputs have led to a decline in productivity, soil erosion, salinization, and loss of vegetation. More thanhalf of all African people are affected by land degradation, making it one of the continent’s urgent development issueswith significant costs—Africa is burdened with a US $9.3 billion annual cost of desertification. An estimated US $42billion in income and 6 million ha of productive land are lost every year due to land degradation and declining agricul-tural productivity. Globally, Africa suffered a net loss of forests exceeding 4 million ha/year between 2000 and 2005. Thiswas mainly due to conversion of forest lands to agriculture. Forest cover declined from 656 million ha to 635 million habetween 2000 and 2005.

About 16% of Africa’s land is considered high quality, 13% as medium quality, 16% of low potential, whereas 55% ofthe land is unsuitable for cultivated agriculture but supports nomadic grazing. About 900 million ha of high and mediumquality soils support 400 million people or about 45% of the African population; about 30% of the population (or about250 million) are living or are dependent on the low potential land resources. Numerous studies have shown that soilnutrient balances of most African soils are negative indicating that farmers continue to mine the soil.

Large yield increases can be obtained when inorganic fertilizers are used as demonstrated in many field experiments.Maize yield increase due to NPK fertilizer application can be as high as 150%, but when the soil is amended with limeand manure, yield responses of 184% are obtained. Higher yield improvements have been observed in east and southernAfrican countries. Despite the documented response to fertilizer application, there are great on-farm soil fertility gradi-ents and variations can be large.

Despite the costs of inorganic fertilizers, there is ample evidence that the use of fertilizers can be highly profitable.Whereas in the developed world, excess applications of fertilizer and manure have damaged the environment, the low useof inorganic fertilizer is one of the main causes for environmental degradation in Africa. In addition to increased produc-tivity, increased inorganic fertilizer use benefits the environment by reducing the pressure to convert forests and otherfragile lands to agricultural uses and, by increasing biomass production, helps increase soil organic carbon content.

1Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility institute of CIAT.2ISRIC - World Soil Information.3University of Zambia.4IFDC—An International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development.5International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC).6FAO Regional Office in Accra, Ghana.

172

Fertilizer Use and the Environmentin Africa: Friends or Foes?

byEric Smaling,1,2 Moctar Toure,3 Nico de Ridder,2 Nteranya Sanginga,4 Henk Breman5

This background paper for the Africa Fertilizer Summit addresses the interface between fertilizer use and theenvironment. The context is set by confronting Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 1 and 7, with targets ofhalving hunger as well as increasing environmental sustainability by 2015. Future projections by the Food and

Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the recently completed Millenium Ecosystem Assessment(MEA) show that neither target is likely to be met in Africa. The different “ecosystem services” as depicted by MEA areuseful with regard to fertilizers and the environment. “Provisioning” services are used in agriculture for private gains andare supplemented by fertilizers; “regulating” and “supporting” services are used for public, or global environmentalbenefits.

It is now well known that agricultural activities affect and are affected by the quality of the environment. Stigmatizedbecause of overutilization in intensive agricultural systems elsewhere in the world, fertilizer use in Africa is extremelylow, particularly south of the Sahara. The paper argues that in Africa, the non-use of fertilizer has a greater negative effecton the environment than does its use. Soils are poor due to old age, and are further stripped of vegetation and native soilfertility as area expansion rather than intensification continues to be the main mechanism to increase production in ruralareas.

Non-use of fertilizers in Africa adds to different forms of land degradation (removal of natural vegetation, soil physicaldegradation, soil fertility depletion, wind, and water erosion), but it also negatively affects biodiversity and actual andpotential carbon sequestration. Also, in old African soils, fertility is almost tantamount to its organic matter content.Hence, fertilizer use is linked to at least three focal areas of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF): climate change,biodiversity, and land degradation. As such, it may help in realizing synergies between the post-Rio conventions ad-dressed by GEF and its focal area programs.

Avenues towards increased, environmentally benign use of fertilizers are advocated at the international level, in a seriesof national policy and institutional improvements, and in technological and people-centered innovations, making betteruse of and sharing scientific and indigenous knowledge. Particularly relevant are the raising of international awarenessconcerning Africa’s poor soils and, therefore, the unlevel playing field when it comes to international trade and strategybuilding at the level of the African Union (AU) and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) on future foodneeds given the impact of urbanization and ongoing area expansion for cultivation. Room for improvement lies in theunderstanding and valuation of trade offs between economic and ecological goals; in quantifying and realizing synergiesat the country, landscape, and village scales; and in rewarding land users for maintaining non-market ecosystem services.Efficiency gains in fertilizer use, i.e., by using them on the best soils and with the best management, may render them farmore profitable. Fertilizer use in Africa has to be increased significantly, preferably in a context of integrated nutrientmanagement aimed at interlinkages between crops and livestock, between cash and food crops, and between landscapeplots and time (residual effects of fertilizers and manure).

1International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC).2Plant Production Systems Group, Wageningen University.3The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Secretariat.4Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute of CIAT.5An International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC).

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Improving Water and Fertilizer Use in Africa:Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Recommendations

byDennis Wichelns1

The increases in agricultural productivity that are needed to enhance rural incomes and achieve household foodsecurity throughout Africa will require substantial improvements in water and fertilizer use in both rainfed andirrigated areas. We also need to expand the use of irrigation by smallholders and develop small- and medium-

scale irrigation schemes in locations where incremental benefits exceed incremental costs. The potential gains in agricul-tural production and farm incomes are substantial in areas where both water management and soil fertility can be im-proved. Complementary inputs including high-quality seeds, pesticides, energy, technical knowledge, farm implements,and financial credit must also be made available at affordable prices, and farmers must have access to reliable marketingopportunities.

The initial conditions for improving agricultural production in Africa are substantially different than those that existedin Asia at the time of the Green Revolution. Agroecological conditions are more challenging in Africa, the rural popula-tion is more disperse, and there are fewer opportunities for developing large-scale irrigation schemes. Greater effort willbe required to disseminate new production technologies and ensure that all farmers have access to fertilizer and comple-mentary inputs. The extensive poverty in rural areas and the risk aversion that comes with low incomes will limit farm-level expenditures on yield-improving inputs.

Appropriate near-term policies include subsidies on agricultural inputs and fair prices for agricultural products, tostimulate increases in agricultural production. Over time, direct subsidies might be replaced or complemented by croploss insurance programs that provide downside risk protection. Public investments in education, research, and trainingwill have greater long-term impact on agricultural production and rural livelihoods than input subsidies, but subsidiesmight be needed in many areas to “get agriculture moving” in a positive direction soon. Subsidies can be combined withagricultural training and extension programs to increase the likelihood that inputs will be used correctly and that measuresof water and nutrient efficiencies will be optimized.

Public officials should assess the current state of agricultural production and marketing in their countries, with the goalof identifying primary constraints, risks, and opportunities. The analysis should be conducted from both public andprivate perspectives, because public officials often have different views of constraints and risks than small-scale farmerswho make decisions regarding inputs and outputs. Engaging farmers and representatives of farmer organizations in theevaluation process will enhance the value of the exercise. Donor agencies and international research centers can assistpublic officials by supporting studies that enhance understanding of farm-level production and marketing constraints,while also supporting policies and subsidies that reduce farm-level risks of applying fertilizer and investing in improve-ments in water management.

1Rivers Institute at Hanover College, Hanover, Indiana.

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The Role of Input Vouchers in Pro-Poor Growthby

Ian Gregory1

Approximately three-quarters of the 230 million hectares of farmed land in sub-Saharan Africa is degraded andabout 70 million smallholder farm families are caught in a poverty trap of declining agricultural productivity,degrading soils, food insecurity, limited market participation, and off-farm employment opportunities. An

estimated 80% of these smallholder families struggle to survive below the poverty line on less than a dollar a day. Amajor cause is low farm productivity. Soil nutrient depletion is a significant factor in low agricultural productivity. As aresult, grain yield in Africa has stagnated at 1 ton per hectare for two decades and grain imports will need to be over 60million tons per annum by 2010. Soil nutrient depletion has reached more than 60 kg/ha in 21 countries and between 30and 60 kg/ha in another 22 countries in SSA. The declining fertility of African soils because of nutrient mining is one ofthe main causes of stagnating crop yields and declining per capita food production. In the longer term it is a key source ofland degradation and environmental damage.

This paper briefly reviews some of the supply- and demand-side constraints to increased fertilizer use and definesattributes of pro-poor growth. This is defined as growth that benefits the poor. Current agricultural development programsbased on identified markets for value chain development benefit the smallholder participants through new technologyadoption and access to remunerative markets. The paucity of evidence that these programs create a trickle-down effect tothe millions of non-participatory smallholder families demands a fresh examination of how rural development can beimplemented that will create opportunities for these millions to increase productivity, diversify cropping, and fullyparticipate in markets.

Holistic development programs are required that are pro-poor. The use of input vouchers is presented as a flexibledevelopment tool for jump starting this participation for the poor. IFDC’s experience with input vouchers in Malawi,Afghanistan, and Nigeria (each program with different objectives) illustrates how both smallholder farmers and smallinput dealers can benefit. Vouchers, however, are only “smart subsidies” and must be matched by holistic developmentassistance for the targeted poor. The cost and medium- to long-term horizons to reach sustainability are substantial andrequire that considerable analysis, objective setting, and implementation planning be performed prior to embracing thisuseful policy tool.

1IFDC—An International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development.

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World Bank Papers

Concerned by the low use of fertilizer in Sub-Saharan Africa compared to other developing regions, in 2004the World Bank and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) jointlyundertook an Africa Fertilizer Strategy Assessment, the objectives of which included:

• Identifying factors that have undermined demand for fertilizer in sub-Saharan Africa.• Identifying factors that have restricted the supply of fertilizer in sub-Saharan Africa.• Assessing lessons learned from past attempts to promote increased use of fertilizer in sub-Saharan Africa.• Identifying entry points for supporting successful uptake of fertilizer by African farmers, particularly smallholders.

The assessment generated a number of outputs. In addition to the “Africa Fertilizer Policy Toolkit,” a CD-basedresource designed for use by policymakers and development agency staff, these included four ARD Discussion Papers—three that address specific fertilizer-related themes and one that summarizes the contributions made by participants in ane-forum about increasing fertilizer use in Africa that was conducted as part of the Assessment. The four ARD DiscussionPapers include:

1. Alternative Approaches for Promoting Fertilizer Use in AfricaEric W. Crawford, T. S. Jayne, and Valerie A. KellyThis paper examines a number of financial, economic, social, and political arguments that have been made in favor ofpromoting increased fertilizer use in Africa. The cases for and against fertilizer subsidies are discussed in some detail.

2. Factors Affecting Demand for Fertilizer in Sub-Saharan AfricaValerie A. KellyThis paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge about the factors affecting farm-leveldemand for fertilizer in sub-Saharan Africa. Technical, economic, and policy options for strengthening demand arereviewed.

3. Factors Affecting Supply of Fertilizer in Sub-Saharan AfricaD. I. Gregory and B. L. BumbThis paper evaluates different strategies to make significant improvements in fertilizer supply to smallholder farmersin sub-Saharan African. Use of supply chain analysis is advocated as a means of identifying entry points wheretargeted interventions can shift the fertilizer supply curve to the right.

4. Increasing Fertilizer Use in Africa: What Have We Learned?Colin Poulton, Jonathan Kydd, and Andrew Dorward

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Promoting Increased Fertilizer Use in Africa:Lessons Learned and Good Practice Guidelines

byWorld Bank

This report summarizes lessons learned from past efforts to promote fertilizer in Africa, provides an overview ofthe current state of knowledge concerning technical aspects of fertilizer use in Africa, and presents good practiceguidelines for promoting sustainable increases in fertilizer use.

Fertilizer is not a panacea for all of the many problems that afflict African agriculture, and promoting fertilizer inisolation from other needed actions will have little lasting impact. At the same time, it is clear that fertilizer use in Africamust increase if the region is to meet its agricultural growth targets and poverty reduction goals. Policies and programstherefore are needed to encourage fertilizer use in ways that are technically efficient, economically rational, and marketfriendly.

In considering possible entry points for public interventions to increase fertilizer use, it is important to adopt a long-term perspective. Efforts to promote fertilizer in Africa have all too often focused narrowly on stimulating immediateincreases in fertilizer use with the help of budgetary payments made by governments or development partners to reducethe cost of fertilizer at the farm level. This approach is very limited. Policymakers and development partners must work toidentify and implement interventions aimed at addressing the underlying structural problems that undermine incentivesfor farmers to use fertilizer and for firms to supply fertilizer. Appropriate combinations of these interventions must beselected to ensure that demand and supply can grow in parallel, paving the way for the emergence of private sector-ledcommercial fertilizer markets.

While the long-term policy objective should be to support the emergence of viable private sector-led fertilizer markets,use of subsidies may be justifiable on a temporary basis to stimulate increased fertilizer use in the short run. If fertilizersubsidies are to be used, however, they should be designed and implemented in ways that encourage the efficient uptakeof fertilizer as part of an integrated package of improved crop production technologies, and they should not distort therelative price of fertilizer so as to encourage economically inefficient use. This report describes a number of “market-smart subsidies”—measures that have been used with varying degrees of success in Africa to promote increased use offertilizer along with complementary inputs in ways that stimulate input market development without crowding out privateinvestment. Examples include demonstration packs, vouchers, matching grants, and loan guarantees.

Market-smart subsidies can be useful in the short-run to address some of the problems that contribute to low fertilizeruse, but unless public resources (including donor assistance) are available to support indefinitely the high fiscal andadministrative costs associated with fertilizer subsidies, they do not represent a long-term solution to the problem ofmissing fertilizer markets. Sustainable growth in fertilizer use in Africa is unlikely to happen unless public resources canbe shifted to support measures that address the many underlying structural problems affecting incentives to supply and touse fertilizer. These measures may include policy and institutional reforms, as well as public investment in infrastructure,knowledge generation and dissemination, capacity building, and improving the resource base on which African agricul-ture depends.

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Alternative Approaches for Promoting Fertilizer Usein Africa, With Emphasis on the Role of Subsidies

byEric W. Crawford,1 T. S. Jayne,2 and Valerie A. Kelly2

Promoting sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will require massive increases in the amounts offertilizers used in agriculture. Beyond Africa, history has shown that increases in fertilizer adoption are the startingblocks to long-term structural transformation and growth of the economy, and there is a widely held view that

farmers’ failure to intensify agricultural production in a manner that maintains soil productivity is a key feature of SSA’sland degradation problems. This commissioned paper reviews the substantial body of fertilizer literature and attempts toprovide a balanced view to the policy options available regarding fertilizer subsidies for smallholder agriculture in SSA.

Although there are some differences, the paper reports that most of the literature agrees that enabling conditions forrapid fertilizer adoption include:• Increased investment in transportation and marketing.• Better extension services and extension messages.• Cost- effective means to reduce the risks of using fertilizer and producing for the market.• Facilitation of rural financial markets for the financing of fertilizer purchases.

Researchers and practitioners increasingly appreciate that complementary interventions must accompany fertilizerpromotion programs, and that these must explicitly regard improvements in land husbandry practices, the type of fertilizerrecommended, and methods of application. SSA boasts an extremely wide variety of specific circumstances, and thepaper emphasizes disaggregated research, extension, and market development, and takes into consideration issues ofinstitutional capacity, agro-ecology, and population densities. General lessons for better program design should only bedrawn where the scale of the synthesis and generalization is at the national level or below.

Fertilizer subsidies remain an attractive option; they are politically appealing and seem easy to implement, despite pastnegative externalities. The current debate on subsidies focuses on ways to improve targeting, and that fertilizer promotionprograms are considered explicitly in relation to a range of alternative investments and policy tools. Soil fertility declinecan only be combated with increased donor resources, which will lead to local benefits as well as supra-national benefits,such as increased carbon sequestration.

Despite the substantial literature available, significant gaps remain in our knowledge of soil fertility, fertilizer responseand profitability, and social costs and benefits, among others. This appears partly attributable to a lack of consensus dueto the variety of studies undertaken in different location-specific contexts, so the authors recommend more adaptiveresearch to test the relevance of initial findings under a variety of circumstances.

1Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University.2World Bank.

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Input Subsidies and Agricultural Development: Issues andOptions for Developing and Transitional Economies

byB. L. Bumb,1 S. K. Debrah,1 and L. Maene2

World population is projected to reach over 8 billion in 2025 and over 9 billion in 2050. Over 90% of theprojected increase will occur in the developing and transitional economies where food insecurity and environ-mental degradation are serious challenges. In confronting these challenges, the use of mineral fertilizer and

associated inputs will continue to play a critical role, as it has done in the past.

Environmentally sound use of modern inputs depends on technology, agronomy, and policy-related factors. Once theagronomic practices are known and suitably engineered products are available in the market, it is the policy-relatedfactors that carry the burden of moving the cart forward. Through a conducive and stable policy environment, manycountries, especially in Asia, have recorded high growth in fertilizer use and other inputs, and input subsidies played acentral role in such policy environments. Nevertheless, driven by policy and market reforms, many countries have phasedout input subsidies during the 1990s.

In the context of market reforms and the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (URAA), this paper provides anassessment of arguments for and against input subsidies, especially fertilizer subsidies, and discusses various alternativesto subsidies and IFDC experiences in dealing with fertilizer subsidies. The assessment of various arguments and experi-ences indicates that arguments in favor of fertilizer subsidy are no longer as strong as those that are against it; and thesustainable alternatives to subsidy are even stronger, given the universal moves toward market-based developments. Thealternatives include efforts to reduce the cost of fertilizers through a number of strategies that will shift the supply curveto the right and promote public investment in marketing infrastructures, improve profitability of fertilizer use throughinvestment in soil fertility restoration, and provide support under the Green Box measures of the URAA. Situations arealso identified in which direct subsidies could be considered, but even in those cases, accompanying measures should betaken to avoid misuse of resources and the distortionary impact on the market. However, national governments shouldcontinue to take the lead in investing in public goods through public-private partnerships, in internalizing the externality(leading to market failure), and in providing necessary support for soil fertility and natural resource management in amarket-friendly way. Where the concern is poverty alleviation, a voucher system of support is preferred because itaddresses the twin objectives of poverty alleviation and market development.

1IFDC—An International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development.2Director General, International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) and Member, IFDC Board of Directors.

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Appendix IIISummit Committees

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Summit Committees

National Steering Committee 1. Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Chairman 2. Honorable Minister of Industry 3. Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs 4. Honorable Minister of Commerce 5. Honorable Minister of Solid Minerals 6. Honorable Minister of Finance 7. Special Adviser to President of Economic Matters 8. Honorable Minister of State, Federal Ministry of

Agriculture & Rural Development (FMA&RD) 9. Rockefeller Foundation10. Senior Special Assistant (SSA) (NEPAD) – Nigeria11. NEPAD Continental12. SSA (Food – Security)13. IFDC – Nigeria14. Chairman, Senate Committee of Agriculture15. Chairman, House Committee of Agriculture16. Executive Secretary – National Investment

Promotion Council (NIPC)17. Economic Community of West African States

(ECOWAS) – Director, Agriculture Sector18. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) – Nigeria19. Permanent Secretary, FMA&RD20. Director, Legal Department FMA&RD21. Director, Federal Fertilizer Department, Secretary

Local Organizing Committee 1. Permanent Secretary, FMA&RD, Chairman 2. Director, Federal Fertilizer Department

(Chairman, Technical Subcommittee) 3. Director, Federal Department of Agriculture 4. Director, Project Coordinator Unit/Special Program

on Food Security (SPFS) 5. Director, Fisheries 6. Director, Planning, Research and Statistics

Department (PRSD) (Chairman, Accommodationand Logistics Subcommittee)

7. Director, Finance and Accounts 8. Director, Agricultural Land Resources 9. Director, Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research

(NIFOR) (Chairman, National Fertilizer TechnicalCommittee (NFTC)

10. Director, Agricultural Sciences11. Director, Administration and Supplies12. Representative, Federal Ministry of industry13. Representative, Federal Ministry of Commerce14. Representative, Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals15. Representative, Federal Ministry of Finance16. Representative, Federal Ministry of Information

17. Representative, Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs18. Representative, Federal Ministry of Environment19. Representative, National Planning Commission20. Representative, Federal Ministry of Water Resource21. Representative, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs22. Representative, Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs23. Representative, Police Assistant Inspector-General

(AIG) – Abuja Zone24. Representative, State House/Protocol25. Representative, Nigerian National Petroleum

Corporation (NNPC)26. Cooperative Federation of Nigeria27. Representative, NEPAD – Nigeria28. Representative, Director of State Security Service

(SSS)29. Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of

Nigeria (FEPSAN) to be represented by threemembers (Golden Fertilizer, Fertilizer and Chemical,and Agro Nutrients and Chemicals Company Ltd.[ANCC])

30. Apex Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFN)31. NEPAD Business Group32. Cooperative Federation of Nigeria33. IFDC – Nigeria34. Deputy Director, Federal Fertilizer Department,

Secretary

Composition of Subcommittees(a) Technical/Professional Subcommittee 1. Director, Federal Fertilizer Department, Chairman 2. Dr. U. Alkaleri, IFDC – Nigeria 3. Prof. V. O. Chude, Special Program on Food

Security/Soil Fertility Initiative (SPFS/SFI) 4. Prof. G. O. Ayoola, IFDC/Marketing Inputs

Regionally (MIR) Project 5. Deputy Director, Federal Fertilizer Department 6. Representative, Federal Department of Agriculture 7. Representative, Department of Agricultural Land

Resources 8. Representative, Planning Research and Statistics

Department 9. Director, Project Coordination Unit10. Representative, Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals11. Representative, Federal Ministry of Industries12. Representative, Federal Ministry of Commerce13. Representative, Federal Ministry of Environment14. Representative, Raw Material Research and

Development Council15. Representative, National Fertilizer Technical Com

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16. Representative, FEPSAN, (Golden, Fertilizer andChemical, and ANCC)

17. NEPAD – Nigeria18. All Farmers Association of Nigeria (ALFAN)19. Federal Fertilizer Department, Secretary

(b) Accommodation/Venue and Logistics Subcommittee 1. Director, PRSD, Chairman 2. Representative, Federal Ministry of Works 3. Representative, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs 4. Representative, Federal Capital Development

Authority (FCDA) 5. Deputy Director, Fisheries Department 6. Representative, Protocol/State House 7. Representative, Project Coordination Unit 8. Representative, NEPAD – Nigeria 9. Representative, Federal Fertilizer Department10. Assistant Director, MTB, FMA&RD

(c) Publicity Subcommittee 1. Director, Federal Ministry of Information 2. Representative, Nigerian Television Authority 3. Representative, Federal Radio Corporation of

Nigeria (FRCN) 4. Representative, Federal Fertilizer Department 5. Representative, PRSD 6. Representative, Finance and Account 7. Representative, Federal Ministry of Industries 8. Representative, Nigerian Union of Journalists 9. Voice of Nigeria10. News Agency of Nigeria11. Chief Press Secretary, FMA&RD

(d) Security and Protocol Subcommittee 1. Director, Administration and Suppliers (FMA&RD) 2. Representative, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs 3. Representative, Presidency (Protocol) 4. Representative, SSS 5. Representative, National Intelligence Agency (NIA) 6. Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) – Abuja Zone 7. Director, PRSD 8. National Planning Commission 9. NEPAD – Nigeria10. Federal Fertilizer Department11. Assistant Director, PRSD12. Representative, Federal Road Safety Committee13. Head of Protocol, FMA&RD

(e) Finance Subcommittee1. Permanent Secretary, FMA&RD2. Director, Finance and Accounts3. Director, Federal Fertilizer Department4. DG (Budget) Office5. Director, Administration and Supplies, FMA&RD6. Director, Legal, FMA&RD7. IFDC – Nigeria8. NEPAD – Nigeria9. Deputy Director, Federal Fertilizer Department,

Secretary

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The Africa Fertilizer SummitThe purpose of the Africa Fertilizer Summit, held 9–13 June 2006, in Abuja, Nigeria, was todevelop a strategy to make vital plant nutrients available to African farmers. Delegates builtconsensus around key issues concerning fertilizer use in Africa, and agreed on bold actions tofacilitate the access of millions of poor farmers to mineral fertilizers and complementary inputs.

Documents on this CD are:Marjatta Eilittä Achieving an African Green Revolution: A Vision for Sustainable

Agricultural Growth in AfricaSteven J. Van Kauwenbergh Fertilizer Raw Material Resources of AfricaJulio Henao and Carlos Baanante Agricultural Production and Soil Nutrient Mining in Africa: Implications for

Resource Conservation and Policy DevelopmentOumou Camara and Ed Heinemann Overview of the Fertilizer Situation in AfricaAndre Bationo, Alfred Hartemink, Obed Lungu, African Soils: Their Productivity and Profitability of Fertilizer Use Mustapha Naimi, Peter Okoth, Eric Smaling, and Lamourdia ThiombianoEric Smaling, Moctar Toure, Nico de Ridder, Fertilizer Use and the Environment in Africa: Friends or Foes? Nteranya Sanginga, and Henk BremanDennis Wichelns Improving Water and Fertilizer Use in Africa: Challenges, Opportunities, and

Policy RecommendationsIan Gregory The Role of Input Vouchers in Pro-Poor GrowthWorld Bank Papers:

Eric W. Crawford, T. S. Jayne, Alternative Approaches for Promoting Fertilizer Use in Africa and Valerie A. KellyValerie A. Kelly Factors Affecting Demand for Fertilizer in Sub-Saharan AfricaD. Ian Gregory and Balu L. Bumb Factors Affecting Supply of Fertilizer in Sub-Saharan AfricaColin Poulton, Jonathan Kydd, Increasing Fertilizer Use in Africa: What Have We Learned? and Andrew DorwardWorld Bank Promoting Increased Fertilizer Use in Africa: Lessons Learned and Good

Practice GuidelinesEric W. Crawford, T. S. Jayne, and Alternative Approaches for Promoting Fertilizer Use in Africa, With Particular Valerie A. Kelly Reference to the Role of Fertilizer SubsidiesBalu L. Bumb, S. Kofi Debrah, and Input Subsidies and Agricultural Development: Issues and Options for Luc Maene Developing and Transitional Economies

Special Publication IFDC—SP-39April 20072.5M

IFDCP.O. Box 2040Muscle Shoals, Alabama 35662 (U.S.A.)

ISBN 13: 978-0-88090-159-8

ISBN 10: 0-88090-159-4