Challenges to regenerative agriculture in Africa

Transitioning Africa’s farmers to more sustainable farming systems like regenerative agriculture is proving to be challenging since the business case does not provide for the initial drop in yields.

Speaking at a webinar hosted by Bayer CropScience, Toby Webb, founder of the Innovation Forum, said that over the coming decades, smallholder farmers in Africa will play a pivotal role in supporting the continent’s economic development and enabling food security.

“However, these farmers currently face numerous constraints that hinder their productivity and profitability. Challenges include a lack of support and access to resources such as financing, technology, inputs and markets.”

Regenerative agriculture practices are believed to offer a solution to low yields and high-input costs, since healthier soil brought about by this practice will decrease reliance on fertiliser and crop protection inputs, while enhancing plant health. The system does, however, result in yield reductions during the first few seasons when switching from conventional to regenerative farming, before the benefits of the latter set in and yields pick up again. Speakers noted that this was a significant barrier in increasing adoption of regenerative agriculture. Anthony Kioko, programme manager for the Cereal Growers’ Association in Kenya, said that the yield lag deters many farmers from implementing regenerative agriculture practices because they can’t afford to go without the extra food or income. “If we can’t find ways to solve this problem, regenerative agriculture will not take hold in Africa and we will not be able to transition to more sustainable food systems.”

Since regenerative agriculture builds carbon in the soil, farmers have the opportunity to earn carbon credits and boost their income. Credible and consistent methods of measuring carbon, however, still need to be found. Alan Johnson, programme lead for smallholder supply chains at the International Finance Corporation, said that these methods also need to be cost-effective and scalable so that smallholder farmers could benefit. “Trading carbon credits could be the incentive that farmers need to transition, so figuring out how to measure carbon is a critical first step,” said Johnson.

Webb noted that technology to measure carbon is improving and there is much ground for optimism in this regard in spite of current frustrations.

Undeveloped value chains in Africa presents another hurdle. Sheila Keino, regional director of the African Fertiliser and Agribusiness Partnership in Malawi, noted that adding lime to fields was a necessary step when starting regenerative agriculture to balance the pH of the soil. “A correct pH can result in a 15% yield increase. But lime is a bulky product that is not easily transported to farmers in rural and mountainous areas. We need to work with government and private sector to improve the supply in this regard.”

Webb added that reducing the number of middlemen in the value chain will make farming more profitable, and regenerative farming more feasible. “We can’t make the business case for regenerative agriculture when input prices are high and income back on farm so low. In some cases, there are seven middlemen between the farmer and the market.”

‘TRADING CARBON COULD BE THE INCENTIVE THAT FARMERS NEED TO TRANSITION’