The International Institute for Soil Fertility Management (IFDC-Africa) is the African Division of IFDC. Fifteen years of presence in the field has caused IFDC-Africa to become a significant development stakeholder in sub-Saharan Africa. New orientations have been defined and new programs established to strengthen our capacity to tackle the constraints and develop the potential of African agriculture.

The Context

African agriculture is characterized by poor fragile soils and low use of productivity-enhancing inputs and practices. The low quality of the natural resource base for agriculture causes low agricultural inputs efficiency. This factor and the increasing demographic pressure create a downward spiral of low yields, low income, and low input with a most insidious impact, which is soil degradation. Therefore, soil fertility improvement and maintenance stands as a central component of all agricultural development strategy in Africa.

The Mission

IFDC-Africa’s mission is to assist countries of Sub-Saharan Africa to enhance agricultural productivity and increase farmers' income while preserving the soil capital. IFDC-Africa is carrying out its mission by making accessible to farmers, the private sector, and the public sector the knowledge, technologies and policy frameworks necessary for ensuring a productive, profitable and environmentally sustainable agriculture in the region.

The Strategy

Considering the scope and complexity of the struggle against soil degradation, IFDC-Africa develops and encourages the adoption of Integrated Soil Fertility Management Strategies (ISFM) that require articulated programs and coherent efforts at the different levels of intervention. These strategies mainly consist of:

• Combining the use of soil amendments (organic matter, PR, lime, etc.) and inorganic fertilizers;
   
• Linking soil fertility management to the development of markets for agricultural inputs and outputs;
   
• Strengthening the capacities of the weakest links of the food chain and promoting dialogue between stakeholders;
   
• Integrating all stakeholders' efforts through sensitization, training, mutual learning and participatory approaches;

A Holistic Approach

The uniqueness of IFDC-Africa lies in its holistic approach, which implies the mobilization of efforts and resources at both ends—the public sector and the private sector—while encouraging the emergence of well-informed farmer organizations capable of influencing decisions in the context of the globalization of the world market. IFDC-Africa also encourages governments to take the lead in creating favorable socioeconomic conditions and enabling policy environments so that all stakeholders can perform fully and efficiently toward the common goals of food security, economic development, and social progress. IFDC-Africa is especially oriented toward improving farmers’ access to production inputs, while considering equity issues.

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