IFDC

We're pleased to share that Dr. Zachary Stewart, IFDC's Vice President of Research and Chief Scientist, will be joining the Tension Table panel at the launch of the 2026 GAP Report™ — Restarting Growth: The Role of Regenerative Agriculture in Productivity Growth and Profitability!

This year's report examines where global agricultural productivity growth stands and what the evidence says about regenerative agriculture’s role in restarting it.

🗓️ This Friday, October 2nd
⏰️ 8:30 a.m. ET

Register now if you haven't already: https://buff.ly/nIOrusG

During this year's UNGA81, we saw commitments on food security and hunger turn into action.

Several developments stood out:

1️⃣ The Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty showed how it is moving from political commitment to country-level implementation with 21 programs in 19 countries, some of which are in the most advanced stages of support.

2️⃣ The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) said it has committed U.S. $25 billion between 2025 and 2030 to programs aligned with the Global Alliance.

3️⃣ The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) reported that it has a portfolio of about U.S. $600 million across seven countries aligned with Global Alliance priorities.

4️⃣ Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe announced increased contributions to IFAD’s 14th replenishment, together pledging nearly U.S. $9 million for 2028–2030.

Read more about the commitments and initiatives moving into implementation: https://buff.ly/sMk7xhj



United Nations | AfricaFertilizer | Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty | Inter-American Development Bank | International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) | UNICEF | World Food Programme

On 27-28 August 2026, the Transform program held a consultative workshop and field visit in Halaba to harmonize how restoration sites are selected and assessed across program regions. The team reviewed the restoration intervention guideline, learned from the South Wollo baseline biophysical assessment, and agreed on the socioeconomic data and tools that will be used to keep baseline collection consistent across the program.

At the Aba Bora watershed, the team saw these ideas in action. Good site selection, community mobilization, biological restoration practices, and protection of productive land from gully erosion are what turn rehabilitated land into lasting results.

Farmers using Participatory Integrated Planning showed how this translates into livelihoods. As Haji Jemal of Weira Woreda put it, he once lacked the knowledge and capacity to restore his degraded land. Today, his livelihood is more diverse and his farm more productive.

The workshop and field visit demonstrated that restoration works when planning, evidence, community ownership, and livelihood benefits move together. The Transform program is grateful to every partner who made this possible.

IFDC et Îles de Paix explorent de nouvelles opportunités de collaboration pour accélérer la transition agroécologique.

IFDC Bénin a reçu une délégation d'Îles de Paix pour une séance de travail riche en échanges sur les défis et opportunités du développement agricole durable au Bénin. Les discussions ont souligné de nombreuses complémentarités entre leurs approches : agroécologie, restauration de la fertilité des sols, accès aux intrants, nutrition, renforcement des chaînes de valeur et accompagnement des organisations paysannes et des jeunes entrepreneurs.

Plusieurs pistes de collaboration concrètes ont été identifiées. IFDC a présenté sa nouvelle stratégie, ainsi que FeSerWARM, sa plateforme régionale de recommandations d'engrais et de semences, et ses solutions numériques aidant producteurs et conseillers à obtenir des recommandations adaptées à leur contexte agroécologique.

Face aux enjeux climatiques et à la durabilité des systèmes alimentaires, cette rencontre confirme l'importance des partenariats pour co-construire des solutions innovantes au service des communautés rurales.

🌱 Ensemble pour des systèmes agricoles plus résilients et durables.

𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱-𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲.

A new article co-authored by IFDC scientists shows the importance of matching fertilizer technologies to local soil and crop needs.

The study evaluated 11 enhanced-efficiency nitrogen fertilizers, two conventional fertilizers, deep-placed urea supergranules, and an unfertilized control in greenhouse trials using soils from Iowa and Minnesota.

Results showed that product performance varied substantially by soil type. Across the two soils, urea deep placement and two nitrification inhibitors consistently provided the most reliable yield and nitrogen uptake benefits compared with conventional and other enhanced-efficiency nitrogen fertilizers.

Find out more: https://buff.ly/FD4BVqq

Farmer Nishan Mulugeta, from Borara Chirao Kebele in Ethiopia's Oromia Region, is showing what's possible when training meets action.

Through the TRANSFORM Program's Participatory Integrated Planning (PIP) and Small-Scale Enterprise (SSE) support, Nishan built a vermicompost enterprise with 19 production boxes, producing 40 quintals of compost.

Instead of selling it, he chose to reinvest it directly into his land and his future:
🌾 20 quintals → Farmer-Led Action Research activities
🥬 2 quintals → his household kitchen garden
🌍 18 quintals → rehabilitating degraded, low-fertility land

"Through PIP, I developed a clear vision for my family's future. Vermicompost production has become an important part of that journey," Nishan says.

It's a family effort too: his wife, Serkalem Teshome, independently manages 5 of the boxes, generating her own income while the couple runs the remaining 14 together.

Nishan and Serkalem's journey shows what's possible when planning, training, and local resources come together: healthier soil, restored land, and a more resilient family livelihood.

Wageningen University & Research | ISRIC - World Soil Information | ECFF - Environment and Coffee Forest Forum | SOS SAHEL Ethiopia

L'Ambassadeur des Pays-Bas près le Bénin sur le terrain avec le programme ACMA3 !

En une même journée, Son Excellence Joris Jurriëns, Ambassadeur du Royaume des Pays-Bas près le Bénin, a parcouru différentes zones du département de la Donga pour rencontrer les acteurs et bénéficiaires du projet ACMA3.

Première étape — Bassila : sur le site hydro-agricole de Bodi, l'Ambassadeur a apprécié l'état d'avancement des travaux et a échangé avec la coopérative Suru de Bodi au sujet de la production maraîchère, des circuits de commercialisation et du renforcement des compétences. « Il est facile pour un diplomate de rester à Cotonou, mais venir vous voir est tellement important », a-t-il souligné. Le maire de Bassila, Zackarie TASSOU, lui a réservé un accueil chaleureux.

Deuxième étape — Ouaké : la coopérative Esso-Sam et l'Union Départementale des Producteurs de la Donga ont partagé leurs difficultés pour écouler la production, malgré les gains en volumes obtenus grâce à le programme ACMA3. L'Ambassadeur s'est engagé à échnager avec les autorités pour identifier des solutions durables.

Cette tournée illustre l'appui constant du Royaume des Pays-Bas aux populations béninoises via le Programme ACMA3 mis en oeuvre par IFDC en consortium avec CARE Bénin-Togo et KIT, en faveur d'une agriculture plus résiliente et inclusive.

On September 22, the Centre For Dryland Agriculture, Bayero University, Kano, convened 66 farmers from the Shanono, Bagwai, and Tsanyawa local government areas in the Jauleri Community to demonstrate the impressive outcomes of the Zainer technology.

Centered on a machine for digging zai pits that concentrate water and nutrients to reclaim degraded land—complemented by cereal-legume cropping, fertilizer deep placement, and compost application—the technology showed clear superiority over conventional farming practices.

Facing a mild drought this season, participants, the majority of whom were young farmers, observed remarkable gains in sorghum growth, increased cowpea pod counts, and enhanced soil moisture retention.

As highlighted by the attending farmers, this practical innovation offers a vital tool to minimize yield loss, restore degraded soils, and build long-term drought resilience across local communities.