In a landmark move for African agricultural advancement, USAID and OCP Group, the world leader in plant nutrition solutions and phosphate-based fertilizers, have partnered to tackle critical barriers hindering Africa’s agricultural potential.
During a visit to University Mohammed VI Polytechnic, Ms. Samantha Power – USAID Administrator – signed a collaborative agreement to pursue two sustainable and innovative initiatives designed to enhance agricultural efficiency and productivity across the continent:
- The Space to Place Project will gather accurate local soil and climate data which will provide the basis for a “Decision Support Tool” to guide farmers on the optimal use of fertilizers. These fertilizers will be customized to precisely meet the nutrient requirements of their land and crops, to simultaneously improve soil health and boost productivity sustainably.
- The Rock Phosphate Amendment Project will evaluate the impact on crop yields and soil fertility of the application of phosphate rock and innovative nutrient formulas based on it. This Project will develop a “Phosphate Rock Decisions Support System” to help farmers identify the soils and crops that will most benefit from this approach.
The agreement, set to span at least four years, includes plans to engage other stakeholders and partners to take forward these groundbreaking initiatives and to encourage the adoption of the new tools by farmers across the continent.
During her visit, Ms. Power observed ongoing research at the University and engaged with local cooperative representatives, gaining insights into their experiences and the transformative potential of these projects. She commented: “OCP Group is an important partner as we grapple with a very significant global food crisis. The agreement will use geospatial technology to provide farmers on the ground with recommendations on how to more efficiently use fertilizers. It harnesses data to provide real world predictions and solutions to improve yields.”
Mr. Mostafa Terrab, Chairman and CEO of OCP Group, said: “At OCP Group, we are delighted to deepen our partnership with USAID, collaborating closely on these cuttingedge projects to help unleash the potential of African farmers to feed not only Africa but the world, in ways that aim to enhance soil health, the environment and the climate.”
The collaboration announced consists of joining forces between USAID’s Space to Place initiative and OCP Africa’s integrated Soil Health and Customization approach to benefit millions of African farmers and enhance the continent’s food security. In this regard, OCP Group, through OCP Africa, will invest $30 million to support efficient fertilizer use across sub-Saharan Africa, complementing USAID’s $40 million investment to expand Space to Place, announced at the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit in Nairobi on May 7.
This brings the total investment envelope to $100 million for this initiative, which directly supports the continental Action Plan that was adopted by the Nairobi Summit. This establishes a basis for extended dialogue and cooperation between these two major contributors to African agricultural development, enhancing the impact and efficiency of their work to deliver measurable development outcomes across Africa.
