The 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8) hosted by the Japanese government was held on August 27 and 28.

The report Sub-Saharan Africa: The State of Smallholders in Agriculture published by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in 2011, shows that despite its growing agricultural sector, Sub-Saharan Africa is still dependent on food imports. This situation continues today.

According to the report, one of the constraints to African food production is the high percentage of low-fertility soils due to geological stability. In Africa, years of weathering with little volcanic activity have resulted in low fertility and a wide variety of soil types. Each soil type differs in its ability to hold nutrients available to crops and in the depth to which roots can grow. This complexity has sometimes limited the applicability of certain technologies.

Overcoming the soil constraints faced by small-scale farmers in Africa will require a solid understanding of soil properties and the development of technologies that can improve fertility for each soil type and improve both crop productivity and soil conservation. It is also necessary to share research results not only with researchers but also with the private sector and NGOs to promote social implementation.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, the online event "Managing African Soil for Food Security and Environmental Sustainability" will finally be held. Registration for the viewing ends today at 16:00 (JST). Please click on the link below to register.

Managing African Soil for Food Security and Environmental Sustainability: Opportunities and Challenges of Agronomy to Solve Low Fertility/Nutrient Bottlenecks
Date: Tuesday, August 30, 2022, 17:00-19:00 (JST)
Organizer : Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences
Supported by: Japan Science and Technology Agency, Japan International Cooperation Agency
Registration deadline is Aug 29 at 16:00 (JST).
Japanese：　https://www.jircas.go.jp/ja/event/2022/e20220830
English：　https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/event/2022/e20220830
 

Contributors: NAKASHIMA Kazuo (Director, Food Program), TSUJIMOTO Yasuhiro and NAGUMO Fujio (Crop, Livestock and Environment Division)