FARA Briefs
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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 Letter of Agreement between the African Union Soil Observatory (AUSO) Horizon Europe Project and the Soil Health Monitoring and Information Systems for Sustainable Soil Management in the Mediterranean Region (SOILS4MED) PRIMA Project(FARA, 2026-05) FARA, AUSO, Soils4Med, UNISS, EUThis Letter of Agreement (LoA) formalizes collaboration between the African Union Soil Observatory (AUSO) Horizon Europe Project and the SOILS4MED PRIMA Project on knowledge exchange, soil health monitoring, soil information systems, sustainable land management, and capacity building. The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between African and Mediterranean institutions working to improve soil health governance, food security, and climate resilience. The agreement outlines areas of collaboration including joint research initiatives, exchange of scientific information, organization of conferences and training programs, strengthening National Soil Information Systems (NSIS) in Africa, policy engagement, and development of soil health indicators and monitoring methodologies. The LoA further defines mechanisms for intellectual property management, collaborative agreements, data sharing, acknowledgment procedures, confidentiality requirements, and governance arrangements supporting long-term cooperation between the two projects. Annex I provides a detailed framework governing background intellectual property, access rights, use conditions, and acknowledgment requirements for datasets, methodologies, soil information system architectures, mapping tools, and training materials exchanged under the collaboration.Item Foresight4Food Criteria to Assess High-Quality Food Systems Foresight in Africa(Foresight4Food, 2026-02-26) Foresight4Food, FARA, ECI OxfordThe Foresight4Food Criteria for High Quality Guide (February 2026) provides a structured framework outlining standards and benchmarks for defining, assessing, and ensuring high-quality outputs, processes, or initiatives under the Foresight4Food framework. The guide establishes clear criteria intended to promote consistency, rigor, transparency, and accountability. It serves as a reference tool for practitioners, reviewers, implementing partners, and institutional stakeholders seeking to align projects or interventions with recognized quality standards. The document articulates evaluative dimensions, operational guidance, and recommended indicators to support implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement.Item Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa 2025 Highlights Blog(Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), 2026-01) INTERFACES ProjectThis current blog is the annual overview of highlights from 2025 and gives an outlook to upcoming activities for 2026 of the regional projects COINS, DecLaRe, InfoRange and Minodu and the accompanying project INTERFACES from the BMFTR-funded consortium for “Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa: Improving livelihoods through local research”.Item FOSTERING GENDER-RESPONSIVE INNOVATION ADOPTION AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN AFRICA(2024-03) Asimeng E.T, Asare-Nuamah P., Anaafo D., Beuchelt T., Donelly A., Abugri B.Item The Role of an Enabling Policy Environment in Strengthening Cassava Value Chain in Kenya(FARA, 2025-08) Antwi K. D, Okonya J. S, Cheruiyot H, & Kilalo DItem Item What funders can do to strengthen transdisciplinary research for sustainable development in Africa(FARA, 2025-08) Aarnoudse, E., Fischer, B., & Terlau, W.Item The Role of an Enabling Policy Environment in Strengthening Cassava Value Chain in Kenya(FARA, 2025-08) Kwaku Dei Antwi, Joshua Sikhu Okonya, Hillary Cheruiyot, Dora KilaloIn 2023, Kenya produced 1.188 million tonnes of cassava on 76,012 hectares with average yield of 15.63 t/ha (FAO,2025). While cassava has a high potential for use as animal feed, and industrial production of ethanol and high quality starch, the low investment in the cassava value chain coupled with poor coordination of value chain actors limits its role in contributing to the country’s GDP, youth employment And attainment of the targets under Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Strategic Plan 2023 – 2027 and Kenya’s vision 2030. The current informal seed system that involves the use of poor-quality planting materials coupled with little to no collaboration among value chain actors among other challenges weakens the innovation ecosystem. Multistakeholder platforms and cassava innovation platforms help in strengthening collaboration among value chain actors and finding solutions that affect not only the seed systems but also processing and value addition. Cassava innovation platforms are networks, partnerships or forums of diverse stakeholders in the cassava value chain who cooperate, interact and learn to develop a shared vision and identify solutions to a common problem or development challenge as a group or individual members (FARA, 2007; Nederlof et al., 2011).Item Women-led Innovation, Social Inclusion and Sustainability in Africa’s Agri-Food Systems(FARA, 2025-06) Musikoyo K. M.,Maiga M.Although women play a central role in African agriculture, women’s contributions to agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship remain under-researched and under-recognised. Structural gender disparities, which are reflected in limited access to resources, infrastructure, financial services, and decision-making processes, continue to hinder their potential. This report presents fifteen case studies that highlight women-led innovations and inclusive approaches focused on sustainability and gender inclusivity, within agricultural systems across Africa (including Burkina Faso, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte dʼIvoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, South Sudan, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe). These cases highlight diverse economic, social, and institutional innovations that underscore women’s pivotal role in transforming African food systems. The study features women innovators, entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers, and leaders, who are advancing gender-responsive practices across the agricultural value chain. The report captures the experiences, challenges, and Transformative impacts of women-led innovations on local communities, Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS), and broader food systems. It explores how their initiatives contribute to improved livelihoods, enhanced community resilience, sustainable agricultural production, and environmental stewardship. The analysis further examines the enabling ecosystems, spanning institutional, economic, and social capacities, and the key factors that support the success of women-led innovations. It also delves into the support structures and networks that enable these innovations to thrive, including access to productive resources (land, labour, capital), entrepreneurship opportunities, education and skills development, and enabling policy frameworks.