Russia’s PhosAgro contributes $3Mn for soil-improving management practices

The funds will enable FAO to upscale national and regional capacity building in soil assessment and sustainable soil management worldwide

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) welcomed an additional $3 million contribution from PhosAgro, Russia’s leading phosphate-based fertiliser producer, to support the efforts of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) to help more farmers implement soil-improving management measures and boost the capacities of national soil laboratories in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Near East.

With this top-up, FAO plans to distribute an additional 1 200 Soil Doctor’s Testing Kits – special kits for assessing soil condition – to certified Soil Doctors and trainers. Around 5,000 farmers will then be trained and supported to adopt sustainable soil management practices by 2026.

The three-year project also envisages promoting reliable and accurate soil and fertilizer testing through the Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN) and the consolidation of the International Network on Soil Fertility and Fertilisers (INSOILFER), promoting efficient and environmentally friendly practices consistent with the International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use of Management of Fertilizers. Another major activity under the project is the application of ecosystem-based solutions to remediate on-farm soil pollution through the International Network on Soil Pollution (INSOP).

For the first time, PhosAgro funding will also support the implementation of measures for the recarbonisation of agricultural soils (RECSOIL). This initiative will allow farmers to boost productivity, enhance resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

The contribution agreement was recently signed by Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General, and Alexander Sharabaika, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of PhosAgro.

The funds will enable FAO to upscale