Objectives of the ORM4Soil Project

The overall goal of ORM4Soil is to contribute to improve soil fertility levels by increasing adoption and scale up of appropriate soil fertility management (SFM) techniques. To achieve this goal the specific objectives are to:

• Identify the challenges and opportunities associated with the poor adoption of SFM practices,
• Understand the societal and institutional framework regarding soil fertility improvement,
• Assess the effects of new organic resource management techniques that will be designed by the concerted 
efforts of farmers and researchers,
• Improve communication strategies both to and between farmers,
• Evaluate the impact of new 
techniques, communication strategies and different socio-economic settings for the adoption of SFM, and
• Provide recommendations to advisory services and farmer organizations, private sector actors, community 
representatives and policy makers for a better adoption of SFM practices.

The intended impact of the project is that the observed trend of soil degradation and decline in soil fertility in Mali, Ghana, Kenya and Zambia is reversed by implementing soil fertility management techniques that have been developed in a participatory and trans-disciplinary way by farmers, universities, agricultural research institutes, rural advisory services, NGOs, policy makers and media professionals. The investment in improving the limited soil resource is enhancing crop yield, farmer income, and food security and will help to adapt farming systems in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) to future challenges. Last but not least the project may contribute to improve the quality and lasting impact of agricultural development programs.