Innovators showcase Smart Testing Tools, AI solutions at Data4Soil Summit

The two-day event convened over 400 participants—including innovators, policymakers, researchers, funders, and soil health champions from across Eastern and Southern Africa—under the banner of scaling data-driven solutions to combat one of the region’s most pressing agricultural challenges: soil degradation.

Turning Data into Action for Africa’s Soils

Kenya is at a crossroads. With 65% of its soils degraded, farmers are losing billions annually in yields due to rising acidity, nutrient depletion, and unsustainable practices. The summit provided a platform to tackle this crisis by unlocking AI-powered diagnostics, mobile advisories, decentralized testing tools, and bio-based nutrient innovations.

"Soil testing turned my farm’s fortunes from night to day. I was farming blind, wasting resources on the wrong fertilizers—a mistake too many Kenyan farmers make. We must empower our smallholders with the data and tools to unlock their land’s potential," said Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe.

On his part, Dr. Paul Kipronoh Ronoh, Principal Secretary, State Department for Agriculture, said that Kenya’s soil degradation crisis is not just an agronomic issue—it’s a matter of economic stability and food security.

“By investing in soil data systems and innovative technologies, we can equip farmers with the tools they need to boost productivity and sustainability.”

The summit builds on the Nairobi Declaration on Soil Health, signed during the 2024 Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit, and aligns with Kenya’s Fertilizer and Soil Health Implementation Plan (KFSH) and the development of a national Kenya Soil Information System (KenSIS).

Innovators Pitch Game-Changing Soil Health Solutions

At the heart of the event were the pitch sessions of the Data4SoilHealth and Soil Health Innovation Challenges.

Over 24 finalists showcased ground breaking tools—including AI diagnostics, soil carbon MRV platforms, mobile-based advisories, and fertilizer supply chain optimization models.

These solutions aim to transform fragmented soil data into actionable insights, empowering farmers to improve productivity and resilience.

Data4SoilHealth Challenge, an AI-powered, mobile-based soil testing kit offering rapid, affordable diagnostics to farmers in under 15 minutes, emerged overall winner.

The runners up featured Antugrow (Kenya)an AI platform integrating field data, sensors, and satellite imagery for soil health mapping, Varaha Climate Ag (India), an SOC monitoring through AI and remote sensing, AgWise DST (Italy) a digital decision-support for site-specific nutrient management and Earth Guard (Kenya, an Integrated system using AI and GIS for carbon sequestration and soil restoration.

The winners under the Academia category were AgriChain Kenya, Kiduka Research Hub, Kibabii University and University of Amsterdam.

Umuntu Agrobiotics (Uganda), a “Bio-blend” microbial solution boosting yields by 40% while cutting production costs by 42% won the innovation challenge.

Here, the runners up was taken by Rhea Soil Health Management (Kenya) and Mechro Limited (Malawi).

The Thryve Award for Soil Testing went to CropNuts (Kenya) and Ujuzi Kilimo (Kenya).

Winners will receive technical acceleration support from the World Bank, the British High Commission and partners to bring their solutions to scale.

Leadership Voices on Soil and Sustainability

Anne Bakilana, World Bank Manager of Operations for Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Somalia, highlighted the power of data in agricultural transformation: “We must leverage the private sector to unlock sustainable growth and improve soil fertility management. Data is the key to building smarter, more resilient food systems.”

On his part, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, emphasized the role of counties in driving farmer-centered innovation: “Counties are not spectators—we are active players in the soil agenda. The farmer must benefit. Better income, better yields, better resilience—that is the goal.”

Agriculture Secretary Collin Marangu closed the summit with a call to action: “By uniting data, innovation, and purpose, we can restore our soils and secure livelihoods for millions. Let’s keep this momentum going to ensure healthier soils for future generations.”

Ecosystem Collaboration for Scalable Impact The Summit was supported by a coalition of partners, including CGIAR, GIZ, SoilHive, Thryve Innovation CoLab, IFDC, Microsoft, AGRA, and KALRO, with contributions from numerous ecosystem actors.

Public-private partnerships were a recurring theme, with discussions centered on how to better connect data platforms, digital infrastructure, and investment to serve farmers directly.