AU/NEPAD Proposal to G20 to Concretize Commitments Towards African Smallholder Producers by Boosting Their Access to Fertilizers

The present proposal aims at providing an input to the G20 deliberations in order to engage in a common dialogue on the issue of agricultural intensification on the African continent and concretize the G20’s commitment to increasing access by smallholder farmers in Africa to input (fertilizer) markets. “In developing countries the productivity of many smallscale farming systems is often constrained by limited access to inputs and modern varieties and poor management practices”. ”With reduced land availability for fallows, low use of mineral fertilizers and soil amendments, and (in some circumstances) high rates of erosion, many soils in sub-Saharan Africa are highly degraded with respect to nutrient supply capacity. Methods for restoring soil fertility range from increased fertilizer use to application of organic amendments like compost or manure. Modern best practice guidelines for conventional production systems advise the full use of all indigenous fertility sources (composts, crop residues, and animal manures), with mineral fertilizers employed to bridge deficits between crop needs and indigenous supplies”.