The below is attributable to Deputy Spokesperson Shejal Pulivarti:
From May 7-9, Assistant to the Administrator Dina Esposito attended the African Union-hosted Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. As part of the opening of the Summit, Esposito delivered remarks expressing U.S. support for African-led agricultural growth, and emphasizing the enormous potential that African farmers and agribusinesses hold to feed the continent and the world.
During the Summit, she opened an event with African Union Commissioner Josefa Sacko and other donors to present and endorse a joint development partner statement signed by 14 partners in support of the African Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan and post-Summit implementation. She also delivered remarks on the importance of evidence-based policies to create more resilient fertilizer markets, and highlighted USAID’s investments in Africa. She highlighted the USAID support for the Action Plan and $40 million to expand the Space to Place approach, which uses geospatial data and farmer knowledge to help farmers obtain the right kind of fertilizer in the right place, at the right time, and in the right amounts to get more nutritious foods.
While in Nairobi, AtA Esposito met with the Presidents of Malawi and Zambia and government officials from Rwanda to discuss food security programs under Feed the Future – the U.S. government’s global hunger initiative, express support for continued action to strengthen food systems and spur economic growth, and underscore the critical role of the private sector and policies that can help drive future investments. She also met with a range of global development partners and donors including Norway, AGRA, ANAPRI, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to discuss coordination of commitments to support the post-Summit implementation process.
