This review provides a stocktake of the status and maturity of SISs in six African countries: Ethiopia , Ghana , Kenya , Malawi, Rwanda , and Tanzania based on a desk review and stakeholder consultations. The assessment examined eight core dimensions:

1. Existence of an online portal;

2. Data Content and Spatial Extent/ Coverage;

3. Use of the Data;

4. Field Data Collection and Sampling Standards;

5. Sample Handling and Laboratory Quality Assurance;

6. Data Management and Infrastructure;

7. Data Analysis and Modelling Capacity;

8. Institutional Arrangements and Stakeholders

The findings reveal uneven progress across countries. Ethiopia and Rwanda have established online platforms, yet these systems are not fully leveraged for decision-making. Ghana and Tanzania made significant advances through the AfSIS Phase II project (GhaSIS and TanSIS), but progress slowed once project funding ended. Kenya and Malawi remain in the early stages of SIS development. Across all countries, the most consistent progress has been in building momentum on the importance of soil data and soil sample data collection, largely driven by externally funded projects.

In 2024, CIFOR-ICRAF and Varda Foundation piloted a soil knowledge exchange initiative in Kenya and Tanzania, funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). The pilot focused on identifying barriers and opportunities for building a collaborative soil data ecosystem and directly shaped the project's design.

Building on the pilot initiative, CIFOR-ICRAF and the Varda Foundation, with support from NORAD, are now launching a new three-year initiative to create a dynamic ecosystem of soil data-driven services across Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, and Tanzania.

From 27 - 28 January 2026, the project consortium met at the CIFOR-ICRAF office in Nairobi for a project inception meeting.

Despite the benefits, there are few policies that incentivize farmers to invest in maintaining and improving soil health. This policy brief highlights opportunities for the inclusion of soil health and soil organic carbon (SOC) into the National Determined Contributions (NDC) of Ghana.