Policy Fact Sheet

West Africa Fertilizer Program

Contact: Venancious N. Tuor Communications Specialist Accra, Ghana Email: vtuor@ifdc.org Tel: +233 (0) 244759898

USAID West Africa Fertilizer Program Improving the Fertilizer Policy Environment in West Africa Prior to the African Fertilizer Summit in 2006, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission adopted a regional fertilizer strategy with the general objective to promote increased and efficient use of fertilizers while sustainably improving agricultural productivity. This strategy hinges on four pillars: • • • •

Improve the physical environment for the optimal use of fertilizers.

Improve the institutional, regulatory and business environments of the regional fertilizer market.

Stimulate effective demand.

Stimulate supply.

Through its activities, the USAID West Africa Fertilizer Program contributes to the realization of the aforementioned pillars by facilitating the creation of favorable physical, policy and socioeconomic environments for the development of the fertilizer sector. The policy work under the second pillar focuses primarily on the harmonization of national legal frameworks governing the production and trade of fertilizers as well as the restructuring of existing fertilizer subsidy programs in the target countries.

This harmonization seeks to make fertilizer trade more attractive to private investment by expanding markets beyond national borders and by stimulating fair competition with quality products. Key planned activities include: • Support the adoption by the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions of a regional legal framework for fertilizer quality control in West Africa. This is composed of a complete set of five legal instruments (one primary regulation and four supporting regulations) that are directly, immediately and simultaneously applicable to all 15 Member States when adopted.

• Support ECOWAS’ establishment of the West African Committee for Fertilizer Control.

• Support the adoption by national governments of necessary complementary countryspecific legal instruments that have been outlined in the regional regulations.

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Support the development and implementation of all activities required for sustainable quality control enforcement at the national level (establishment of national regulatory bodies/committees, financing mechanisms, inspection and analytical capability, awareness creation and sensitization, etc.).

Facilitate the organization of a baseline assessment of the quality of fertilizer products distributed in project focus countries as well as a subsequent review of implementation and a performance evaluation of the national regulatory systems.

Fertilizer subsidy programs have become unavoidable in the agricultural policy portfolio and policymakers are to adopt and implement ‘smart subsidy’ schemes by withdrawing from direct involvement in the importation and distribution of fertilizers while facilitating private sector stakeholders’ (importers, wholesalers and retailers/dealers) participation in the programs and promoting competition.

Fertilizer subsidies of varying design and mode of implementation are ongoing in all four of the target countries. The USAID West Africa Fertilizer Program plans to facilitate the restructuring of existing subsidy programs for greater access by the neediest farmers (especially for households headed by women) while gradually phasing out the subsidies.

Project subsidy-related activities include: • Conduct country-level assessments of fertilizer subsidy programs in each target country, with the objective to identify major issues that affect their implementation and make recommendations to improve their design and implementation for a more positive impact.

• Prepare a regional-level position paper outlining the overall findings and recommendations and proposed amendments for specific national fertilizer subsidy programs.

• Use one of the West Africa Fertilizer Forum events to dialogue with ECOWAS, national governments, private sector and farmers’ organizations to: o Reach a consensus on the recommendations and proposed revisions of fertilizer subsidy programs. o Agree on the key components of an action plan and roadmap for implementation.

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Support the creation of national subsidy working groups in each focus country and provide them with technical assistance to facilitate the restructuring of national fertilizer subsidy policies and programs.

In all USAID West Africa Fertilizer Program interventions, there is a commitment to gender equity and to mitigating adverse environmental effects. ###