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Online Dialogue Highlights Challenges, Opportunities for Fertilizer Use

Dec 16th, 2015 • by Sara Gustafson

Africa’s fertilizer markets face significant constraints on both the supply and the demand side, including a lack of infrastructure, high costs to both produce and use, and low public-private investment. However, the challenges of climate change and population growth are now encouraging many governments to tackle much-needed market reforms.

These were some of the takeaway messages from last week’s virtual dialogue on fertilizer use in Africa, held on December 10.

The dialogue addressed four questions:

Ethiopia’s 2015 Drought: No Reason for a Famine

Dec 15th, 2015 • by Sara Gustafson

This blog was originally posted on IFPRI.org . Written by Shahidur Rashid of the Markets, Trade and Institutions Division and Paul Dorosh of the Development Strategy and Governance Division .

Agricultural Production and Changing Prices: The Case of Teff

Dec 2nd, 2015 • by Sara Gustafson

Smallholder farmers make up over 90 percent of Ethiopia’s agricultural output and thus play a pivotal role in the country’s food production and availability. However, little research has been done regarding how farmers’ production and supply decisions respond to changes in agricultural prices. These supply responses can have significant implications for overall food security.

Virtual Dialogue: Constraints and Opportunities for Fertilizer Use

Nov 25th, 2015 • by Sara Gustafson

In 2006, the African Union Special Summit of the Heads of State and Government, adopted the 12-Resolution “ Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer for the African Green Revolution” , which aimed to increase Africa’s fertilizer use from the then-average 8kg per hectare to 50kg per hectare by 2015.  According to the International Fertilizer Industry Association, however, average fertilizer use in the region today is still only 12kg of fertilizer per hectare, compared to 150kg per hectare average in Asia.