African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI) > APNI Sponsors Special Session at 8th Global Sustainable Phosphorus Summit (SPS8)

Media Release: Special APNI-sponsored session on Enhancing Global Phosphorus Efficiency Along the Mining-Use-Recovery Pathway, Accra, Ghana.

For the first time, Africa will host the Sustainable Phosphorus Summit (SPS8)—a landmark moment underscoring the continent’s growing role in shaping global agricultural and environmental policy. Phosphorus (P) is a critical nutrient for food production, yet its management poses significant sustainability challenges worldwide. Africa, home to vast phosphate reserves and a rapidly expanding agricultural sector, is uniquely positioned to lead discussions on innovations associated with P management. By bringing the 8th edition of the summit to Accra, Ghana from September 30th to October 3rd, stakeholders are recognizing Africa’s potential not only as a resource hub but also as a thought leader in forging resilient and sustainable systems that support both continental and global food security.

During SPS8, the African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI) has organized a special session on Enhancing Global Phosphorus Efficiency Along the Mining-Use-Recovery Pathway. The session, held on Thursday October 2nd (Day 3), will bring together leading multi-disciplinary global experts to foster discussions amongst stakeholders in research, industry, and policy development on state-of-art knowledge in P-value chain innovations to accelerate sustainable P use in global agricultural systems and appraise the interventions to address knowledge and implementation gaps.

Special Session Agenda

Speaker Bios (TBA)

Key Facts on Phosphorus and Africa

  • The FAO has declared P to be the most agriculturally yield limiting nutrient, and its supply is crucial to food availability.1
    • Globally, cereal yields could be 22–55% higher if P limitation were addressed.2
    • Achieving SDG Target 2.3 of doubling productivity on smallholder farms requires 39% more P application (125 Mill t) in 2030 compared to 2015.3
  • The challenge of increasing food security is greatest in Sub-Saharan Africa, which is further compounded by widespread limited P use.4
  • In the face of both extensive soil deficiencies and severely constrained P use, Africa needs large increases in P application to maintain agricultural production in line with population growth and other key socioeconomic factors.
    • Balanced application of NPK fertilizer can double the average yields for rain-fed maize and rice yields to 4 t/ha.5
    • Phosphorus use in Africa agriculture need to increase by two-fold to be balanced with current N input, but over 11-fold to reach the balanced crop nutrition needed to close attainable yield gaps.6
  • The 2024 Nairobi Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Declaration and Action Plan recognize that optimizing continent-wide P use efficiency requires more site-specific fertilizer recommendations and management practices specifically aligned with 4R (4 Right) Nutrient Stewardship.7
  • APNI is leading the development and implementation of 4R science to discover the locally relevant combinations of right source, right rate, right timing, and right placement for African farmers.

Opportunities & Challenges for P in Africa

The continent presents unique prospects for leapfrogging to high-efficiency systems, enabled by cost-effective technological innovations. Increasing P fertilizer use in balanced nutrient formulations is essential for narrowing yield gaps in African crop production systems. Accelerating increased application of P and improving its management to enhance the agronomic, economic and environmental efficiency will require a combination of cost-effective P fertilizer sources, novel and adapted management practices, innovative diagnostic and decision support tools, digital advisory services, public–private partnerships, market development investments and enabling policies.

References

  1. Roy, R. et al. 2006. Plant nutrients and basics of plant nutrition. In Plant Nutrition for Food Security. A Guide for Integrated Nutrient Management. 25–42 (UNFAO Fertilizer and Plant Nutrition Bulletin).
  2. Kvakić, M. et al. 2018. Quantifying the limitation to world cereal production due to soil phosphorus status. Glob. Biogeochem. Cycles 32, 143–157.
  3. Langhans, C. et al. 2022. Phosphorus for Sustainable Development Goal target of doubling smallholder productivity. Nat Sustain 5, 57–63.
  4. Magnone, D. et al. 2022. The impact of phosphorus on projected Sub-Saharan Africa food security futures. Nat Commun 13, 6471.
  5. Zingore, S., et al. 2022. Novel insights into factors associated with yield response and nutrient use efficiency of maize and rice in sub-Saharan Africa. A review. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 42, 82. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-022-00821-4
  6. van der Velde, M. et al. 2014. African crop yield reductions due to increasingly unbalanced Nitrogen and Phosphorus consumption. Glob Change Biol, 20: 1278-1288.
  7. African Union. 2024. Nairobi Declaration – 2024 Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit. https://au.int/en/documents/20240509/nairobi-declaration-2024-africa-fertilizer-and-soil-health-summit

###

More about APNI and the SPS8 Special Session

Website: https://www.apni.net/SPS8

APNI is a not-for-profit research and development institute headquartered in Benguérir, Morocco, with the mission of enhanced plant nutrition for a resilient and food-secure Africa. The Institute works to develop and promote sustainable plant nutrition management practices and innovation through research, education, and outreach and has active programs across Africa.

More about SPS8

Venue: Alisa Hotel North Ridge, 21 Dr. Isert Road North Ridge, Accra, Ghana

Website: https://www.upcyclelakes.org/sps8africa

SPS8 is convened by The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – Ghana, The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology West Africa Office, Lancaster University, and Rothamsted Research. CSIR leads a Local Organizing Committee, with support from our International Expert Working Group.