From Soil Data to Decisions: Building Stronger Soil Information Systems for Agricultural Transformation in Africa
By Kelvin Okumu
Participants of the “Building a Soil Information Systems (SIS) Workshop” pose for a group photo at the ICRAF Campus in Nairobi, following two days of dialogue, knowledge exchange and collaboration on strengthening soil information
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, rising food insecurity and declining soil health are placing increasing pressure on agricultural systems. While governments collectively invest billions of dollars annually to support agriculture, questions remain about whether these investments are delivering the intended results for farmers, productivity, and long-term sustainability.
Against this backdrop, experts, policymakers, researchers and development partners gathered at the CIFOR-ICRAF Campus in Nairobi for the Building a Soil Information Systems (SIS) Workshop, convened under the Repurposing Agricultural Support for Soil Health Impact Programme.
During the workshop, participants explored how countries can move beyond fragmented soil data toward operational, decision-ready Soil Information Systems capable of transforming agricultural investments and improving outcomes for farmers.
Drawing representatives from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Senegal the workshop became a platform for reflection, peer learning and action planning around one central question:
“How can countries use better soil information to make public agricultural spending more effective?”
Why this conversation matters
Food insecurity remains one of the region’s most pressing challenges. At the same time, significant public funding continues to flow into agricultural support programmes, particularly fertilizer subsidies without always delivering proportional improvements in productivity.
Participants heard that globally, public support to agrifood systems amounts to approximately USD 650 billion annually, yet a large proportion remains inefficient or creates unintended environmental and market distortions.
In many countries, fertilizer support programmes have improved access but have not consistently translated into healthier soils or stronger agricultural performance.
A major reason identified during the workshop: decisions are still too often made without reliable, accessible and actionable soil information.
Reimagining Soil Information Systems
One of the strongest messages throughout the workshop was that a Soil Information System is far more than a database or a map.
Presentations and discussions emphasized that effective SISs are shared national infrastructures; bringing together data, institutions, standards, analytical methods and governance frameworks to transform information into action.
The goal is clear:
Support smarter fertilizer policies
Improve targeting of agricultural investments
Strengthen advisory services for farmers
Enable climate resilience and restoration planning
Generate evidence for decision-making across government and private sectors
Participants reflected on a broader continental shift that has elevated soil health from a technical issue to a strategic policy priority through regional commitments and investment agendas.
From evidence to action: Two days of collaborative learning
The workshop was structured to move deliberately from understanding to implementation.
Day One: Understanding the current landscape
Dr. Éliane Ubalijoro delivers opening remarks during the Building a Soil Information Systems (SIS) Workshop.
The opening sessions framed Soil Information Systems as a practical pathway to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural support.
Participants reviewed findings from a cross-country assessment of Soil Information Systems conducted across six African countries. The review examined national coordination mechanisms, protocols, data management approaches, analytics capacity and use of soil information for decision-making.
Discussions explored:
What defines a functional SIS
Existing national strengths and gaps
Governance and interoperability challenges
Practical lessons from implementation experiences
Trade-offs countries face when strengthening their systems
Interactive table discussions encouraged countries to validate findings against their own realities and identify immediate priorities for strengthening.
The day concluded with a guided tour of the Soil and Land Health Laboratory and the Spatial Data Science and Applied Learning (SPACIAL) Lab at CIFOR-ICRAF, giving participants a closer look at technologies and approaches supporting soil intelligence and decision-making.
Workshop participants tour the Soil and Land Health Laboratory and the Spatial Data Science and Applied Learning (SPACIAL) Lab at CIFOR-ICRAF.
Day Two: Turning ideas into country action plans
Building on insights from Day One, participants shifted focus toward implementation.
Country teams worked through practical use cases to answer questions such as:
What decisions should an SIS support?
What is the minimum viable system needed?
Which investments should come first?
How should countries sequence implementation over the next 12–24 months?
Discussions cantered on creating realistic pathways that align with national institutions, technical capacity and policy environments.
Rather than designing ideal systems, countries focused on building usable and sustainable systems that support real decisions.
What participants said: A workshop grounded in collaboration
Workshop evaluation results reflected strong engagement and optimism.
When participants were asked to describe the workshop in one word, the most common responses included:
Great. Excellent. Insightful. Informative. Interactive. Valuable. Eye-opening.
Many highlighted the opportunity to learn from neighbouring countries and exchange practical experiences.
Some of the key reflections included:
“Learning about what other countries are doing to build a working SIS. The learning exchange has been really good.”
“The discussions on open data sharing and strengthening of SOPs, as well as the strong need for public–private partnerships in strengthening policy frameworks.”
“It moved the discussion beyond simply building soil data platforms and exposed deeper governance, interoperability and institutional sustainability questions.”
“Discussion topic, perfect organization and representation from different countries. Next steps per country were well articulated.”
Participants also emphasized collaboration as essential:
“My main takeaway is the importance of collaboration and data sharing in strengthening the use of Soil Information Systems for advisory services.”
Another participant noted encouraging momentum across the continent:
“We are making progress toward having a viable SIS, and the AU added Soil Organic Carbon as an indicator under the CAADP framework.”
Emerging priorities for the road ahead
Several themes emerged as priorities for continued engagement:
Strengthening implementation
Countries expressed interest in moving from planning to implementation, including harmonizing datasets and operationalizing national systems.
Governance and institutional alignment
Participants emphasized the need to clarify roles across ministries, research institutions and technical agencies.
Data sharing and interoperability
Open standards and stronger protocols were repeatedly identified as critical for scaling impact.
Country-led follow-up
Participants proposed continued country engagement and stronger national dialogues.
Kenya, as host country, was highlighted as a potential opportunity for deeper national-level discussions and advancing work through existing initiatives and platforms.
Sustaining momentum through continued engagement
The workshop closed with a strong call to maintain collaboration beyond Nairobi.
Participants overwhelmingly indicated a preference for monthly engagement to continue exchanging updates, technical insights and lessons.
The shared message was clear:
Building operational Soil Information Systems is not a one-time technical exercise - it is an ongoing process of collaboration, learning and institutional transformation.
As countries continue investing in soil health and agricultural resilience, Soil Information Systems are increasingly being recognized not simply as data tools, but as strategic infrastructure for delivering better decisions, healthier soils and stronger food systems.
The conversations started in Nairobi now move into the next phase: turning plans into action.
Related Stories
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, rising food insecurity and declining soil health are placing increasing pressure on agricultural systems. While governments collectively invest billions of dollars annually to support agriculture, questions remain about whether these investments are delivering the intended results for farmers, productivity, and long-term sustainability.
Against this backdrop, experts, policymakers, researchers and development partners gathered at the CIFOR-ICRAF Campus in Nairobi for the Building a Soil Information Systems (SIS) Workshop, convened under the Repurposing Agricultural Support for Soil Health Impact Programme.