Expert warns rising fertilizer costs fuel Africa’s food crisis
A Purdue University researcher has warned that African farmers face worsening food shortages as fertilizer prices rise and weather patterns become more unpredictable. Ifeanyi Obinefo told the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association that subsistence farmers cannot afford the nutrients their crops need while droughts and floods arrive without warning.
Fertilizer application across sub-Saharan Africa averages 19 kilograms per hectare compared with 135 in South Asia, according to his research. Price increases in 2021 and 2022 cut imports by nearly 40 percent and reduced harvests across the continent. Obinefo said governments should replace broad subsidies with targeted programs that include soil analysis and financing options.
Climate disruptions in northern Nigeria and the Sahel region have made growing seasons unpredictable. The economist said infrastructure investments and early warning systems could help protect rural households before disasters strike. He completed undergraduate studies at the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta before joining Purdue as a Ross-Lynn Scholar.
