Soil Amendments• Africa’s low adoption rate of

inorganic fertilizer use decreases agriculture productivity (yield/ha).

• Currently, the US experiences negative environmental effects from over fertilization

• The negative environmental effects from low fertilizer use are greater than the negative effects from high fertilizer use in Africa.

• Currently fertilizers are 2 to 4 times more expensive in Africa than in developed nations.

• US Aid in fertilizer would avert much of the so called “crisis.”

Zimbabwe Soil Fertility StudyFarmer Perception of Loss % of

RespondentsSoil nutrient depletion due to Deforestation

70

Recurrent Drought 3Gully Development 5Poor Farming Practice 22

• Studies may incorrectly link soil nutrient depletion to deforestation

• Gully development and deforestation easily linked

• Nutrient depletion has numerous causes, more likely poor farming practices.

• Farmers did not know that the pH level was extremely low.

• Low pH will decrease availability of macronutrients and increase the availability of micronutrients to that of toxic levels.

http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/ae938e/ae938e06.htm

What is needed

• Mineral Fertilizer Market• Particularly need Lime• Technology which makes

use of Human Capital

Can it be done?

http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/reports/country_proc4.htm

Sesbania sesbanMaize flourishes in the rainy season and the sesbania tree grows in the dry season fixing nitrogen in the soil and providing fuelwood for the household.

With one agroforestry technique both hunger and deforestation can be addressed. This is but one of the many appropriate technology solutions which we propose will alleviate current deforestation issues.

The tailored nature of this technological advancement reinforces the benefits of dispelling the current degradation narrative for the empirical, local land use research.

http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/Sesbania_sesban.htm