Subject: Monthly Newsletter: Invest in the Planet, Invest in the Soil.

IFDC Celebrates Earth Month • April Project Feature • Gearing Up for IFDC's 50th Anniversary • and more!

April 2023 Newsletter

Invest in Our Planet, Invest in Our Soil

A female farmer in a field in Ethiopia

Celebrated annually since 1970, Earth Day holds all sectors accountable for their role in our environmental crisis while also calling for bold, creative, and innovative solutions. At IFDC, we celebrate Earth Day and the larger Earth Month to drive energy, enthusiasm, and commitment toward sustainable action in the food and agriculture sectors.


For our 2023 celebration, IFDC has elected to highlight soil health and its larger implications for improving human health, alleviating poverty, and elevating equity while also mitigating climate change.


Read Dr. Jean Ekwé Dossa's article at the link below to learn how we can each play a role in managing soil fertility and protecting the planet.

April Project Feature: EnGRAIS

Attendees at an EnGRAIS validation workshop in West Africa

The Feed the Future Enhancing Growth through Regional Agricultural Input Systems (EnGRAIS) Project for West Africa aims to increase the availability and use of fertilizers that are appropriate and affordable for smallholder farmers in West Africa. The project seeks to ensure that regional inputs are effective for sustainable improvements in agricultural productivity.

Three women and a man display peppers

Good Agricultural Practices Benefit Malian Producers and the Planet

Diakaridia Sanogo is an agricultural producer and extension worker in the village of Lofin in Sikasso, Mali. He is one of 230 local agricultural extension workers that received training on good agricultural practices that benefit both people and the planet.


Men load fertilizer briquettes into a seed and fertilizer drill

Innovations in the Mechanization of Fertilizer Deep Placement (FDP)

Nutrient use efficiency (NUE) in India is less than 30%, which means 70% of the fertilizer applied is lost, resulting in environmental pollution, climate change, and high economic losses. To address these issues, the ASPEN project developed an innovative drill for fertilizer deep placement.


Two hands holding a blend of pink and brown fertilizer

Improving the Quality of Blended Fertilizers in West Africa

To address fertilizer quality issues and present opportunities for farmers to increase their productivity, the Feed the Future EnGRAIS Project for West Africa worked to develop the innovative West Africa Fertilizer Bulk Blending Guide, which serves to harmonize fertilizer bulk blending practices across the region.


A man in a pink shirt and orange hat holds a hand full of okra

Meet Sadio Ba, an Okra Producer from Senegal

Sadio Ba is an okra producer from Orkadiéré, Senegal. He was selected to learn about microdosing from the Feed the Future Senegal Dundël Suuf project, which allowed him to decrease the amount of fertilizer he uses and increase his yields. With the savings on fertilizer and the income from selling okra, Ba is realizing his dream.


A man in a white shirt holds a red clip board in a field

Studying Soil Fertility and Farming Systems in South Sudan

Soil regulates and supports ecosystem functions. However, for soil to sustainably perform its functions, it is crucial to understand its potential and limitations. In this article, IFDC experts, Yuga Mario Enock and John Wani Gonda, discuss farming systems and soil fertility in South Sudan.


A mulched field at the East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer learning site at Saa'datu Rimi College of Education, Kano State

Mulching: A Win-Win for the Earth, the Farmer, and the Food Consumer

The HortiNigeria program promotes mulching as an eco-efficient technology for supporting soil fertility and water management. Since mulching reduces the use of chemicals for weed management, it promotes the production of safe and nutritious food.


A group of women stand at an irrigation pump

Revitalized Market Gardens Draw Women to Mali's Agriculture Sector

Aida Koné is a member of the Benkadi Cooperative in Mali. With assistance from the Feed the Future Mali Sènè Yiriwa project, she was chosen as an agricultural extension worker. The knowledge and training she has shared with her cooperative allowed them to revitalize their market garden.


Men sit around a computer at a validation workshop

Fertilizer Data Promotes Agricultural Productivity

AfricaFertilizer leads efforts to collect, process, validate, and widely disseminate fertilizer data, ultimately leading to better access to fertilizer for agricultural productivity. The initiative's Fertilizer Technical Working Group (FTWG) sessions allow experts to gather information, review, and validate the fertilizer data.


IFA 2023 conference graphic, which says “PRAGUE IFA 2023, May 22-24,“ in red, white, and blue

Attend the IFA Conference: May 22-24 | Prague, Czech Republic

The International Fertilizer Association (IFA) 2023 Annual Conference will focus on the theme, "Fertilizers 2023: Where Food and Energy Markets Meet," which reflects the increasingly high profile nature of our sector and its importance to and impact upon other global industries.


A man in a pink and green shirt picks crops from his field

Strengthening Adoption of Good Agricultural Practices for the Earth

The ACMA program, during its second phase, invested in strengthening the adoption of good agricultural practices in Benin. Moïse Houndote, president of a local farmer cooperative, shares that his pepper production has improved from the good agricultural practices.


Gearing Up for IFDC's 50th Anniversary

IFDC 50th anniversary graphic

We are currently making preparations for IFDC's 50th Anniversary celebration in 2024.


Since 1974, IFDC has combined innovative research, market systems development, and strategic partnerships to spread sustainable agricultural solutions for improved soil health, food security, and livelihoods around the world.


If you have memories or photographs from our history to contribute to IFDC's 50th Anniversary celebration, share them with us by uploading them to the dropbox link below!

Share Your IFDC Memories

 

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