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Soil values for healthy soils & food security
The latest in Soil Values programming: a project that seeks to enable 1.5M smallholder farmers to collaboratively manage land and water resources for greater food security.
Abstract
Over 41 million people in West Africa and the Sahel face acute food insecurity, while increasing land degradation threatens the sustainability of agricultural livelihoods. While 80–90% of the population is engaged in agriculture, increasing land degradation is making farming unviable. Restoring soil fertility can help address these challenges. Since healthy ecosystems are a prerequisite for fertile soils, an integrated approach encompassing land, water, and biodiversity is essential. Supportive institutions, markets, and financial incentives are equally important to create an enabling environment for long-term adherence to sustainable agricultural practices.
This fact sheet offers a snapshot of the programme's latest contributions and its immediate focus, going forward.
Last update
20 August 2026
For more information
Visit the Soil Values project page.