West Africa Fertilizer Watch

Due to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), governments all over the globe have placed restrictions on various forms of travel and trade. In many nations in Africa, where rates of food insecurity and malnutrition remain high, a prolonged restriction on the import and distribution of agricultural inputs could have profound negative impact on food production, which could cause a hunger crisis in addition to a sanitary one.

IFDC, WAFA, and AfricaFertilizer.org are working to ensure that fertilizers and other agricultural inputs are not limited, but rather supported, by governments’ decisions, so that they can continue to reach farmers in time for the growing season. This initiative is supported by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), the Permanent Interstate Committee for drought control in the Sahel (CILSS), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Fertilizer Watch is designed to provide weekly updates to stakeholders throughout ECOWAS countries, including Chad and Mauritania, using data collected around 10 indicators. These indicators are related to a variety of information such as the spread of COVID-19, measures taken by country governments, and logistical constraints that affect fertilizer flows.