The below is attributable to Spokesperson Jessica Jennings:
Today, Administrator Samantha Power met with the Board of Directors of the International Fertilizer Association (IFA), whose membership includes representatives from across the global fertilizer value chain.
Administrator Power and the Board of Directors of the IFA discussed the contributions the fertilizer industry has already made alongside USAID to mitigate the impacts of the global food security crisis. They also discussed promising forward-looking collaboration opportunities to more efficiently and expansively provide smallholder farmers with access to fertilizer and empower them to use fertilizer more efficiently. In particular, the conversation focused on ways fertilizer companies could contribute more to providing reduced-price fertilizers to smallholders while minimizing market disruptions, and how USAID leverages investments in last-mile delivery to help agriculture inputs, including fertilizer, reach farmers. It was reaffirmed that increasing profitable and productive fertilizer use is essential to agricultural-led growth and development in Africa.