About the ASHCThe Africa Soil Health Consortium (ASHC) project aims to serve as an interface between researchers and change agents including policy makers. ASHC works with national stakeholders involved in on-going initiatives to develop customized extension and other communication materials that provide targeted decision makers in government agencies, NGOs and the private sector with sound evidence from the field on how the ISFM framework can contribute to increased farm productivity.

Africa Soil HealthConsortium Project

KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE

Poor soil fertility is a key constraint to improving farm productivity and farmer livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This problem could be addressed through Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM), which promotes efficient and effective use of mineral fertilizer, organic inputs and improved seed varieties combined with good agronomic practices.

Many ISFM initiatives usually lack extension information and decision support tools, and knowledge is often not in formats suitable for the target groups. Little has been done to synthesize and disseminate this knowledge in forms suitable for specific users.

The Africa Soil Health Consortium project (ASHC) seeks to improve knowledge on ISFM in public and private sectors from policy makers to university lecturers, extension workers, input suppliers and the farmers for ISFM to contribute to improved livelihoods.

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The ASHC project is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It is implemented under the guidance of a Technical Advisory Group (TAG), comprising individuals who have played a key role in research and implementation of ISFM in SSA and key expertise related to gender, evidence-based policy making and communication. Up-to-date information on ISFM is synthesized and used to produce materials in a range of formats for different target audiences:

1. Core reference materials on ISFM principles (Level 1) eg. Handbook2. Core reference materials on ISFM for cropping systems (Level 2) eg. Pocket guide3. Locally relevant extension material on site-specific ISFM for selected cropping systems (Level 3) eg.

Radio programs, posters, flyers and brochures. What is being done and whereField activities to develop and test site-specific materials for ongoing initiatives is taking place in countries where ongoing initiatives are committed to work with the ASHC project. The project is also engaging with other initiatives funded by our Sponsor and other donors.

Priority cropping systemsThe project focuses on maize-legume, lowland rice, sorghum millet-cowpea, banana-coffee and cassava cropping systems.

Project Duration and AreaJanuary 2011 to June 2014, Sub-Saharan Africa

Project TeamProject Executive, Project Manager, Technical Editor, Monitoring and Evaluation Expert, Post-doctoral fellows (Cropping systems and Policy), Gender Specialist, Communication Specialists, Web Manager, Communication Assistant, Project Support.

PartnersThe project is coordinated by CAB International. The Partners include Advanced Research Institutes, Alliance for Green Revolution Africa (AGRA), African Soil Information Service (AfSIS), National Research Institutions, Non-Governmental Organisations, CG centres, International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC), Technical Advisory Group, media service providers, among others.

The Project Manager, Africa Soil Health Consortium, CABI Africa P. O Box 633 - 0621 NairobiTel: +254-20-7224450/62 Email: africa@cabi.org Website: www.cabi.org/ashc/

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