AS IF the threat of famine wasn鈥檛 bad enough, the outlook just got worse for Africa with news that farming is sucking the goodness out of the soil without putting anything back.
A comprehensive survey of soils released last week reported that three-quarters of Africa鈥檚 soil is now severely depleted. The only answer, the report says, is to renourish the earth with fertilisers.
Africa currently applies only 10 per cent of the world鈥檚 fertiliser. 鈥淏angladesh uses as much fertiliser as the entire region of sub-Saharan Africa,鈥� says Amit Roy, director of the International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development, in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, which conducted the survey.
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The report will provide the foundation for action at the Africa Fertilizer Summit this June in Abuja, Nigeria. Heads of state hope to thrash out schemes to target priority regions and to negotiate deals to buy fertiliser in bulk at concessionary rates.
The report found that Africa is losing $4 billion worth of soil nutrients each year.
