June 2025 (AED, IGAD): In the IGAD region, the frontlines of the climate crisis are not just marked by rising temperatures and failing rains, but also by their negative impacts on food security, exacerbated by degraded soils. One powerful response to the challenge lies just beneath our feet: healthy soil. Healthy soils contribute to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration and enhance adaptation by improving water and nutrient retention, erosion resistance, and resilience to climatic variability.
In Africa, more than 46% of land is already degraded, costing over $9.3 billion annually in lost productivity. This is a silent emergency with enormous consequences for food security, poverty, and climate resilience.
The Hidden Power of Agricultural Soils
Soils may not grab headlines, but they are crucial part of the climate puzzle. When well-managed, soils absorb carbon, conserve moisture, enabling plants to survive during droughts and supporting good harvests even in tough conditions. Healthy soils are the second-largest carbon storage on Earth, playing a crucial role in mitigating climate change. Conversely, when degraded, they release carbon, erode quickly, and magnify the impact of extreme weather, leading to crop failures, lack of pastures and water shortage for livestock. Therefore, restoring soil health is not just good for farmers, it is a frontline defense against climate change. It’s about food security today and climate stability tomorrow.
A Regional Solution Takes Root
Recognizing this potential, IGAD is taking bold steps to put soils at the center of its climate and agricultural strategies. In line with the Continental Declaration at the Fertilizers and Soil Health Summit held in May 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, IGAD is proposing the creation of a Regional Fertilizer and Soil Health Hub. The Hub will be a key mechanism to coordinate soil restoration, efficient and climate-friendly fertilizer solutions, and data-driven farming across the region.
By 2034, the Hub aims to:
- Restore 1.5 million hectares of land
- Improve yields and incomes for 3 million farmers
- Deliver a tailored fertilizer advice to 70% of the region’s farmers
- Rebuild 30% of degraded soils
- Strengthen resilience against climate shocks
The Hub will align national and regional policies to address fertilizer and soil health challenges, positioning soil as the entry point for climate-smart agriculture and building the capacity of extension agents and farmers to adopt sustainable practices.
What’s Next? Action, Not Just Advocacy
IGAD calls on governments, development partners, farmers’ organizations, the private sector, and research and academic institutions to rally behind this initiative. Delay will only deepen hunger, entrench poverty, and increase instability across the region.
Investing in fertilizer and soil health systems offers both immediate and lasting returns. In the short term, it strengthens food production and improves livelihoods. In the long term, it restores degraded soils, enhances sustainability, and builds resilience to climate change. As climate extremes become the new normal, restoring the soil beneath our feet would be one of our smartest investments.
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