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Rabat – OCP Africa, a subsidiary of the Moroccan phosphates giant, signed on Monday a memorandum of understanding with Fertilizer Canada and the African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI), to better support African smallholder farmers.
Signed during the Africa Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) 2022 Summit in Rwanda, OCP Africa tweeted, the agreement aims to improve food security on the continent and “design and implement impactful programs to support smallholder farmers.”
“Transforming African agriculture and improving smallholder farmers’ livelihood requires a partnership-based and inclusive approach,” said OCP Africa CEO Anouar Jamali. “We are glad to collaborate with Fertilizer Canada to design and implement high-impact initiatives to support smallholder farmers.”
The tripartite agreement is based on the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Framework, which outlines four main components to achieve increased production and profitability, as well as improved sustainability and environmental production.
The four Rs in the framework refer to using the right source, at the right rate, at the right time, and at the right place. It emphasizes that properly managing the fertilizing and cropping systems can provide huge economic, social, and environmental benefits.
The agreement comes as part of OCP’s efforts to become more involved in Africa and help the continent reach its food security goals by supporting smallholder farmers.
Read Also: Why OCP Matters for Africa’s Food Security Goals
According to OCP, a key driver of OCP Africa’s vision is the urgency of supporting independent and smallholder operations to achieve food security on the continent.
Food security continues to be among Africa’s chief concerns. The continent continues to be a net importer of food, despite agriculture contributing massively to several countries’ GDPs.
International price increases for essential agriculture nutrients and foodstuffs are another factor pushing the continent to seek more independence and bolster its agriculture sector.
OCP announced its largest-ever fertilizer program earlier this year, providing over 500 kilotons of fertilizer to farmers through a mix of donations and decreased prices.
