Regional leaders, scientists, policymakers, and development partners gathered at the ICRAF Campus in Nairobi on January 27–28, 2026 for the inception workshop of a groundbreaking initiative: Establishing an ecosystem of soil data-driven services to meet the Global Fertilizer and Soil Health Challenge. The workshop was anchored in the three‑year project titled “Establishing an Ecosystem of Soil Data-Driven Services to Meet the Global Fertilizer and Soil Health Challenge.” The initiative is implemented by CIFOR-ICRAF and the Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH) in collaboration with the Varda Foundation, with financial support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). It builds on a soil knowledge exchange pilot conducted in 2024 in Kenya and Tanzania, which identified key barriers and opportunities for strengthening collaborative soil data ecosystems 

On 27–28 January 2026, young agrifood system leaders from across Eastern and Southern Africa gathered at the CIFOR-ICRAF Campus in Nairobi for the Soil Health Knowledge Exchange Workshop.

The meeting marked the inception of a three-year initiative, Establishing an Ecosystem of Soil Data-Driven Services to Meet the Global Fertilizer and Soil Health Challenge, implemented by CIFOR-ICRAF in collaboration with the Varda Foundation and supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).

The workshop brought together researchers, policymakers, development partners, civil society, private sector actors, and farmer organizations from Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, and Tanzania to explore how soil data and knowledge can be better shared and used to advance sustainable land management, food security, and resilient agrifood systems. Within this diverse multi-stakeholder space, the YPARD played a visible and strategic role in championing youth-centered approaches to soil health action.

Across Africa, large volumes of soil data are collected every year, yet much of this information remains difficult to access, combine, or reuse. Addressing this challenge requires not only better digital tools, but stronger collaboration between the institutions that generate, manage, and use soil data. This was the focus of a two-day technical consultation workshop held in Rome in November 2025, which brought together partners working on the open-source transition of SoilHive.

With increasing droughts, initiatives to restore soil and manage water resources effectively are a necessity to ensure food security, but the clock is ticking, and they must be accompanied by investments in farmers.

By Aggrey Agumya, Sekai Mudonhi for Devex

Gladys Foliyamu is a smallholder farmer in Malawi who has increased her household food security and income opportunities through home gardening. Gladys is supported by the NEVAM project from Agri-Impact Malawi who advocate for making the most of available land through sustainable farming practices.

Learn more about the Simpson Foundation; an organisation working on the ground to transform farming practices, scale soil health and improve the livelihoods of rural people in Malawi.