FAO welcomes US funding for soil fertility mapping projects

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has welcomed a pledge from the US state department to provide $10mn to fund projects in Ghana and Kenya that will seek to promote resilient crops, efficient fertilizer use, and healthy soil.

Rodney M. Hunter, a US representative to the UN agencies in Rome, announced the funding to mark World Soil Day, saying: ‘The United States is excited to contribute an additional $10mn of funding for FAO SoilFER soil fertility mapping projects for Ghana and Kenya.’

He added that the money will ‘Strengthen smallholder agricultural production in these countries, mapping the soil needs and providing technical assistance to farmers so they will be able to improve soil fertility through more efficient use of fertilizer and water. This will support climate-smart agricultural practices, soil health, and the use of resilient crops as part of the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) Program.’

The FAO’s SoilFER program has been focusing on projects in Guatemala, Honduras, and Zambia, and had already received $20mn from the US. The organization said the new funding will significantly expedite SoilFER’s progress.