Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
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Item FARA's Strategic Plan - 2024 - 2028(2024-01-01) FARAFounded in July 2002 in Maputo, Mozambique, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) is a non-profit international organization with a profound vision. FARA envisions the transformation of agriculture in Africa, aspiring to turn it into a productive and sustainable sector, driven by the goal to strengthen food security, promote sustainable livelihoods, and contribute to overall continental development. The organization achieves these objectives through the establishment of research partnerships that effectively bridge the gap between science and agriculture. FARA’s evolution places strategic focus on coordinating agricultural research and development initiatives, involving fostering partnerships, incubating solutions, advocating for policies, mobilizing resources, promoting foresight, facilitating capacity building, and encouraging information exchange at the Pan-African level. The renewed commitment centers on creating a dynamic ecosystem contributing to the advancement and sustainability of agriculture throughout the African continent. In 2017, an exhaustive process initiated the development of the current Strategic Plan (SP), spanning a decade from 2019 to 2028. Concurrently, a theory of change was devised, complemented with a fiveyear Business Plan (BP) detailing activities from 2019 to 2023. The ten-year SP delineated strategic objectives to enhance partnerships, promote access to knowledge, strengthen AR4D institutions, and promote research management.Item Coordination Mechanisms for the Implementation of the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan (AFSH-AP) and Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA)(African Union Development Agency–NEPAD, 2025-07) African Union Development Agency–NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD)This publication presents the institutional coordination mechanisms for implementing the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan (AFSH-AP) and the Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA). It establishes a multilevel framework for aligning leadership, technical assistance, partnerships, financing and implementation across continental, regional, national and sub-national structures. The document defines the respective responsibilities of the African Union Commission (AUC), African Union Development Agency–NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), and Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), which is designated as the Technical Support Organization (TSO). It also outlines the functions of the AFSH-AP/SIA Steering Committee, Joint Development Partners Group, Regional Economic Communities, Sub-Regional Research Organizations, regional fertilizer and soil health hubs, national actors and thematic implementation-support coalitions. Particular attention is given to the domestication of continental commitments through Country Action Plans, coordinated resource mobilization, institutional capacity strengthening, knowledge exchange, soil information systems, monitoring and reporting, and alignment with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). The framework seeks to promote coherent, African-led implementation, reduce duplication of institutional efforts and strengthen collaboration toward sustainable soil health and fertilizer management across Africa.Item Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan: 2024–2034(AUC, 2024-06) African Union CommissionThe Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan: 2024–2034 provides a continental framework for improving soil health, fertilizer access, affordability and efficiency, and sustainable agricultural productivity across Africa. Developed in the context of the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya, in May 2024, the Action Plan builds on previous continental commitments, including the 2006 Abuja Declaration, and responds to persistent challenges of soil degradation, nutrient depletion, low agricultural productivity, food insecurity, climate change and vulnerability to external fertilizer market shocks. The Action Plan adopts an integrated soil fertility management perspective that combines efficient mineral and organic fertilizers with improved seeds, water-use efficiency, sustainable soil management and other complementary interventions. Its overall goal is for African soils to become healthier and sustainably contribute to agricultural growth and environmental resilience. The framework is organised around four principal outcomes: strengthened policies, investment, finance and markets; improved access to and affordability of fertilizers; greater efficiency, resilience and sustainable use of fertilizer inputs alongside enhanced soil health interventions; and strengthened institutional and human capacity for sustainable soil health and fertilizer management.Item Toolkit for Supporting National Implementation of the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan (2024–2034) & the Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA)(FARA, 2025-09) FARAThe Toolkit for Supporting National Implementation of the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan (2024–2034) & the Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA) provides practical guidance for translating Africa's continental commitments on soil health, soil fertility and fertilizer management into coordinated action at continental, regional, national, local and farm levels. The Toolkit complements the Nairobi Declaration, the ten-year Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan (AFSH-AP), and the Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA) Framework, providing implementers and partners with a practical roadmap for domestication and implementation. The Toolkit contains six principal tools covering stakeholder mapping; country engagement and domestication processes; summaries of the AFSH-AP and SIA Companion Document; coordination mechanisms; monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL); and financing mechanisms. It addresses key systemic constraints to soil health in Africa, including soil degradation, inadequate soil information, limited human capital in soil science, weak extension capacity, low and imbalanced fertilizer use, insufficient financing, and fragmented implementation. It proposes multi-level institutional arrangements, digital data systems, capacity development, knowledge management, farmer-centred extension, sustainable financing and coordinated monitoring to support achievement of the AFSH-AP and SIA objectives.Item Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan (2024–2034) & the Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA): Companion Document(FARA, 2025-09) FARA, Soil Initiative for AfricaThe Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan (2024–2034) & the Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA): Companion Document provides detailed technical and analytical guidance supporting implementation of Africa's continental soil-health agenda. It expands the strategic provisions of the SIA Framework and the AFSH-AP by examining the technical, institutional, financial and knowledge requirements for improving soil health, soil fertility, fertilizer efficiency and agricultural productivity across Africa. The document comprises eleven chapters covering soil information systems; economics of soil degradation and restoration; scaling soil health and integrated fertilizer management; agricultural extension and advisory services; human capital for soil science; soil health and climate change; soil and water management; fertilizer production, marketing and use; monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning; and financing mechanisms. The Companion Document identifies widespread soil degradation, limited accessible soil information, insufficient soil-science capacity, weak extension systems, low fertilizer use and inadequate investment as interconnected barriers to sustainable agricultural productivity. It provides evidence, implementation options and institutional recommendations for addressing these constraints through coordinated action at continental, regional, national and local levels.Item Regional Consultation on Opportunity Crops in Africa: Book of Extended Abstracts(FAO, FARA, 2026-08) FAO, FARAThe Regional Consultation on Opportunity Crops in Africa: Book of Extended Abstracts brings together scientific, technical, policy, institutional, and market-oriented contributions presented during the Regional Consultation on Opportunity Crops in Africa, convened by FAO and FARA in Accra, Ghana, from 9 to 11 June 2026. The consultation focused on repositioning indigenous, traditional, neglected, and underutilized crops as strategic assets for Africa's agrifood systems transformation. The volume examines practical pathways for integrating opportunity crops into research, breeding, seed systems, production, mechanization, markets, nutrition, education, policy, and public investment. It highlights the potential of these crops to contribute to dietary diversity, nutrition security, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods, cultural preservation, and inclusive economic development. Organized into four thematic sections, the publication presents evidence and perspectives on strategic framing and institutional transformation; conservation, genetic resources, seed systems and breeding; production systems, agronomy and mechanization; and nutrition, markets, value addition and consumer uptake. Collectively, the contributions provide a multidisciplinary evidence base for translating continental commitments on opportunity crops into coordinated research, policy, investment, and scaling actions.Item Reimagining Agricultural Research in Africa: Demand, Innovation and Transformation(FARA, 2026-07) Fatunbi A. O., Odeke M., Njukwe E., Munoko K., Mabuza M.Reimagining Agricultural Research in Africa: Demand, Innovation and Transformation examines the current state, challenges, opportunities, and future trajectory of agricultural research systems across Africa. The publication argues that strong, well-funded, and competitive agricultural research systems are fundamental to achieving food security, economic growth, climate resilience, environmental sustainability, and agricultural transformation across the continent. The book situates agricultural research at the center of Africa’s development agenda and explores how investments in science, innovation, education, and technology can drive the transformation of agrifood systems. It reviews the evolution of National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), regional research organizations, universities, innovation platforms, and continental initiatives such as CAADP, Agenda 2063, STISA-2034, the Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa, the Soil Initiative for Africa, and the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan. The publication introduces forward-looking concepts including Agricultural Research Sovereignty, the Agricultural Research Transformation Index, and the Africa Agricultural Research Transformation Framework, offering practical pathways for strengthening African-led research systems that are globally competitive, digitally enabled, and capable of accelerating innovation and development outcomes.Item 2026–2030 Knowledge Management Partnership Framework for Agricultural Research for Development in Africa(FARA, 2026-07) CAADP-XP4 Consortium, CGIAR, KM4AgD CoP, & African Union CommissionThe Knowledge Management Partnership Framework for AR4D in Africa (2026–2030) provides a continental strategic framework for strengthening collaboration on knowledge management among the African Union Commission, CAADP-XP4 consortium institutions, CGIAR, and related African agricultural research and innovation partners. The framework repositions knowledge management from a narrow focus on repositories and dissemination toward a broader system of adaptive learning, implementation intelligence, institutional change, and impact-oriented knowledge ecosystems that support the transformation of Africa’s agrifood systems. FARA African Union Building on the 2023–2025 framework, the document responds to evolving continental priorities under the Kampala CAADP Declaration and the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan 2026–2035, which emphasize science, technology, innovation, learning, foresight, and implementation. It establishes a shared vision of an African agricultural research and innovation ecosystem in which knowledge is intentionally governed, shared, co-created, and applied to accelerate resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agrifood transformation. FARA African Union The framework defines strategic objectives covering KM governance, adaptive learning, digital knowledge infrastructure, AI readiness, indigenous knowledge integration, coordinated dissemination, and evidence of KM contribution to transformation outcomes. It outlines governance arrangements, implementation mechanisms, monitoring and learning processes, and expected results by 2030, including stronger institutionalization of KM, more coherent continental collaboration, enhanced African agricultural knowledge infrastructure, improved capacity sharing, and greater recognition of indigenous knowledge systems.Item AUSO Newsletter - Issue 001(FARA, 2026-07-01) AUSOThe inaugural issue of the AUSO Newsletter provides an overview of progress made during the first year of implementation of the African Union Soil Observatory (AUSO) project. It highlights key milestones achieved in strengthening soil health monitoring, developing soil information systems, promoting sustainable land management, and building a continent-wide soil information ecosystem that supports evidence-based decision-making for agriculture, food security, and climate resilience. The newsletter introduces the objectives of AUSO, emphasizing its role in establishing a user-friendly Soil Observatory comprising a Soil Data Centre and Soil Health Dashboard to address soil data gaps across Africa. It also showcases major project activities, including the project launch, data management training programmes, continental surveys, strategic partnerships, stakeholder engagement, and preparations for upcoming scientific and policy events. Designed as a periodic communication publication, the newsletter serves as an outreach and knowledge-sharing platform for partners, policymakers, researchers, development practitioners, and other stakeholders interested in advancing harmonized soil information systems and sustainable soil management across Africa.Item Diversity and consumer perception of Neglected and Underutilise Crop Species (NUS) in the North West Region of Cameroon(2026-06) Ethelyn Echep Forschibe, Glenn-Neuville Akwenui, Akwa Nerine Kecha, Ignatius AzetehThis Presentation explores the study of the diversity of Neglected and Underutilized Crop Species in Bamenda, Cameroon, and how consumer perception influences their consumption.