As climate change, land degradation, and declining soil fertility continue to threaten agricultural productivity across Africa, a major international initiative is transforming how governments and scientists understand the continent’s soils. The Soil Mapping for Resilient Agrifood Systems (SoilFER) program is emerging as one of the continent’s most ambitious soil intelligence projects, using advanced technologies such as mid-infrared spectroscopy to strengthen soil fertility monitoring and sustainable agriculture.
Led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations through its Global Soil Partnership, SoilFER was launched in May 2023 with funding support from the United States Department of State. The four-year initiative, running until May 2027, carries a budget of approximately USD 30 million and currently supports countries including Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Mozambique, and Tunisia, alongside partners in Central America.
The program aims to provide governments, laboratories, and farmers with reliable soil data that can guide fertilizer recommendations, crop selection, and climate-smart agricultural planning. According to FAO, SoilFER seeks to “improve understanding, databases and maps of soil resources at national and field scale.”
At the center of the initiative is the growing use of mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIR), a scientific technique that rapidly analyzes soil properties using reflected infrared light instead of relying entirely on traditional laboratory chemistry tests. Researchers say the technology significantly lowers the cost and time required to assess soil nutrients, carbon content, pH levels, and mineral composition.
Scientists involved in African soil research describe MIR spectroscopy as a breakthrough for large-scale soil monitoring systems. A major study published in Geoderma analyzed 2,845 soil samples from 42 study sites across 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and found that infrared spectroscopy produced accurate predictions for several key soil fertility properties.
Another research initiative, the Central African Soil Spectral Library, has already compiled more than 1,800 soil samples from regions across the Congo Basin and the Albertine Rift using mid-infrared scanning technology. Researchers noted that the approach allows future soil assessments to be conducted with “minimal need for expensive and time-consuming wet chemistry.”
The SoilFER initiative is building on earlier continental efforts such as the Africa Soil Information Service (AfSIS), which pioneered continent-wide digital soil mapping and infrared spectroscopy-based soil diagnostics. AfSIS researchers previously demonstrated that digital soil mapping and spectroscopy could drastically reduce the costs of soil surveillance while improving agricultural decision-making across Africa.
Experts say the importance of such technologies is growing as African countries confront declining soil quality caused by over-cultivation, erosion, and unsustainable fertilizer practices. Many smallholder farmers continue to apply fertilizers without precise knowledge of their soil nutrient deficiencies, resulting in low productivity and unnecessary financial losses.
SoilFER addresses this challenge by developing national soil information systems, decision-support platforms, and farmer advisory tools. The project also modernizes national soil laboratories and introduces Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) to improve soil data storage and accessibility.
One of the program’s key goals is to translate scientific soil data into practical solutions farmers can use. Through web-based applications and geospatial platforms, farmers can access recommendations on crop suitability, fertilizer management, and sustainable soil practices tailored to local conditions.
The initiative aligns with the broader Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) framework, which promotes climate-resilient agricultural systems capable of improving food security while preserving ecosystems. SoilFER’s crop suitability platform already provides open-access geographic information to help identify the best crops for specific soil and climate conditions.
FAO officials say the program is designed not only to generate data but also to strengthen long-term institutional capacity in participating countries. “Governments, farmers, and laboratories” are all central stakeholders in the framework, according to project documentation.
In November 2025, FAO reported that SoilFER had rapidly expanded beyond its initial launch countries due to increasing global demand for reliable soil information and sustainable soil management systems. The organization described the initiative as evolving “from a project into the foundation of a global program dedicated to harmonized soil information systems.”
Agricultural experts believe the program could play a major role in supporting Africa’s food systems at a time when the continent faces rising fertilizer prices, climate variability, and growing pressure to increase food production sustainably.
By combining digital mapping, spectroscopy, geospatial analytics, and farmer-focused advisory systems, SoilFER is positioning soil science as a critical tool for Africa’s agricultural transformation. Researchers argue that better understanding what lies beneath the soil surface may ultimately determine the continent’s ability to build resilient agrifood systems for future generations.