African soil crisis threatens food security

Lazarus Sauti

Overlooking the health of Africa’s soil will lock the continent into a cycle of food insecurity for generations to come, warns the 2014 Montpellier report titled “No ordinary matter: Conserving, restoring and enhancing Africa’s soils.”

Published ahead of the 2015 international year of soils, the report adds that soil degradation is hindering sustainable social and economic development in the continent.

“Land degradation reduces soil fertility, leading to lower crop yields and increased greenhouse gas emissions,” it observes. “In Africa, an estimated 65 per cent of soils are degraded, and unable to nourish the crops the chronically food insecure continent requires.

“Poverty, climate change, population pressures and inadequate farming techniques are leading to a continuous decline in the health of African soils, whilst the economic loss is estimated at USD 68 billion per year.”

Sir Professor Gordon Conway, author of “One Billion Hungry: Can we Feed the World?” adds “Serious land degradation (accounts for) about a quarter of land area of sub-Saharan Africa – it is a vast area. There are about 180 million people who are living on land that is in some way or another degraded. It is really very severe.

“The problem threatens food production in a continent that is already experiencing very low crop yields,” he explains.

If left unaddressed, the cycle of poor land management will result in higher barriers to food security in a continent that is desperate to feed its growing population. The sad part is that policy decision makers in the continent overlook the health of Africa’s soil.

“They spend a lot of time talking about crops, livestock and all kinds of agriculture ignoring that it all depends on soils,” notes the report.

African politicians, researchers, scientists, environmentalists and farmers should, therefore, take immediate and necessary steps to deal with land degradation, poor yields and a growing population.

They should basically strengthen their political, research and scientific support for land management.

Further, they should increase financial support for investment in land and soil management; attribute a value to land degradation; create incentives, especially sure land rights; as well as build on existing knowledge and resources if the continent is to improve the health of its soil.

Dr Effiom Oku, Senior Research Fellow of the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa, also appends that most African countries need an all-embracing monitoring programme to establish the impact of climate change on soil fertility, soil moisture and land degradation.

“To improve the quality of soil, African researchers and institutions in natural resources management need an extensive monitoring programme to determine the impact of climate change on soil fertility, soil moisture and land degradation,” says Oku, adding that “there is a need for integrated systems of soil fertility management, where all input and output factors are manipulated in a judicious way.

“This means that research is needed to come to recommendations for integrated nutrient management systems that are specific for well-defined agro-environments.”

Oku also advices famers to invest heavily in their land to improve the quality of soils, and he adds that governments must provide incentives for farmers.

James Tembo, a Harare-based soil scientist, also instructs African countries to stick to indigenous farming practices if they are to successfully control the quality of soils.

“Adoption of indigenous farming practices – efficient use of animal manure and household waste brings about relatively lasting benefits of increased water storage and nutrient retention,” he says.

“Appropriate tillage, soil conservation and simpler farming techniques such as strip cropping, mulching, intercropping, and agro-forestry practices are effective too. Accordingly, African countries should embrace these farming practices if the continent is to effectively improve and maintain the quality of its soils”

Tembo also says that continuous application of acidifying fertilizers should be avoided, and countries in the continent need to use the appropriate level and quality of fertilisers.

“In most countries, the environment is being damaged because farmers are not using the appropriate level and quality of fertilisers; therefore, farmers should preferably apply modest amounts of the proper type of fertilizer, based on area-specific recommendations,” he asserts, adding that “African states must also introduce farmer-friendly fertilizer pricing policies.”

The time is now for Africa to care and improve the quality of her soils. This is so because the soil is the fastener of lives.

Wendell Berry, an American novelist, poet, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer, puts it this way: “The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all... Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life.”