Your calculations are good on paper, but reality on the ground is very different

These were the words of Pauli Chelangati, a maize farmer on the slopes of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda, when a land management scientist tried to convince him to add fertilizer to his farm plot.

Despite calculations showing that doing so would triple Mr. Chelangati’s profit, the farmer stood his ground, not wanting to risk the up-front expense on fertilizer. What could allay his worries? Researchers concluded that improved access to cash and markets, and greater capacity among government advisors could reduce the risk of investment enough for the farmer to take the leap.

WLE has found that land restoration efforts must start with the communities who occupy, use and know the land. That’s why WLE scientists collaborate with farmers, extension workers and other partners to develop solutions that actually work.

In India, for example, researchers have revised government-issued soil health cards to make them more helpful to farmers. In Ethiopia, other researchers made sure to recommend that land rehabilitation initiatives include immediate benefits for local communities to gain their buy-in and support.

One step up from the community level, WLE is developing a growing suite of tools that can support national planners, investors, farmers and others to pinpoint where to prioritize and focus soil health rehabilitation. Soil nutrient deficiency maps piloted in western Kenya is one example, and similar efforts are ongoing in the Ethiopian Highlands, where scientists are recommending even more precise targeting of fertilization.

On an even larger scale, the Africa Soil Information Service continues to expand its database, recently adding soil nutrient maps for all of sub-Saharan Africa. Decision makers are already using them, including in the Ethiopian government, which used them to improve their fertilizer recommendations.

Finally, soils could also be turned into carbon sinks, helping to meet climate targets: up to 6.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide could be removed from the atmosphere each year for several decades through better soil management on farm land.

The health and prosperity of future generations depend on the success of current efforts to restore degraded lands. With proper incentives, knowledge, investments and policies, soils can be restored and thriving landscapes can continue to underpin global agricultural systems.

WLE’s partners in this work include IFPRI, IWMI, CIAT, ICRISAT and ICRAF.