Researchers and lecturers, together with technical partners, policymakers and development stakeholders, gathered on 24 May in Abidjan to launch the Sol AfricaO research network, supported by INRAE through the TSARA initiative, CIRAD and IRD.
Initiated by a consortium of African and international partners*, the aim of this network is to strengthen scientific research on soils, through the sharing of resources, expertise and data, and the co-construction of sustainable solutions for managing West African agroecosystems.
In response to the threats facing soils (salinization, acidification, loss of organic carbon, contamination) and the urgent need to ensure sufficient, high-quality plant-based food production in West Africa, Sol AfricaO aims to serve as a regional catalyst, fostering synergies and providing scientific leadership.
Supporting the agroecological transition and climate resilience
The Sol AfricaO network will work to address several major challenges:
- Improving knowledge of tropical soils by mapping the health of agricultural soils and proposing agroecological practices to preserve them,
- Sharing and pooling capacities for analysing and monitoring soil health,
- Fostering capacity building within national research institutions,
- Supporting public policies for the sustainable management of soils, while also enhancing local knowledge and know-how.
Five key areas will be addressed: managing soil fertility; managing organic resources from the local to the territorial level; protecting and restoring soils; exploring the role of crop diversification in soil fertility and health; and examining the link between soil health and plant health.
The network takes a regional and inclusive approach, bringing together scientists from Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, France and Senegal, all working towards the agroecological transition and climate resilience. It is open to other institutions in the region that are interested in contributing to its scientific coordination, sharing expertise, providing training, learning from field actors, disseminating solutions and engaging with policymakers.
A network based on open research dynamics
Sol AfricaO builds on the outcomes of several research projects conducted in the region, including the FiSeLAE programme (Functioning of Soil Infrastructures and Ecosystem Services in West Africa), as well as collaborative platforms such as La Fabrique des Sols Vivants.
The network aims to develop digital mapping tools, open-access databases, joint training initiatives and co-authored scientific publications. The goal is clear: to establish soil as a shared scientific and strategic resource at the heart of rural transitions in West Africa.
*Sol AfricaO involves 14 partners, founding members of the network who take part in its governance:
- Benin
Institut national des recherches agricoles du Bénin (Inrab)
Abomey Calavi University - Burkina Faso
Institut de l’environnement et de recherches agricoles (Inera)
Joseph Ki Zerbo University - Ivory Coast
Centre national de recherche agronomique (CNRA)
Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët Boigny
Félix Houphouët Boigny University
Nangui Abrogoua University - Senegal
Institut national de pédologie (INP)
Institut sénégalais de recherches agricoles (Isra)
Cheikh Anta Diop University- France
French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD)
French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE)
Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD)
- France
The network is open to other members.