Published on: 2026-11-05
Source: Phosagro – Phosagro – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Moscow. November 3, 2026. Mikhail Sterkin, Deputy General Director of PhosAgro for Marketing, spoke at the panel session “From Land Degradation to Sustainable Development: Cooperation Between Russia and Africa in Land Restoration and Drought Resilience,” which took place in Moscow as part of the Third Russia–Africa Forum.
The discussion also included the Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, Special Representative of the President on Climate and Water Resources Ruslan Edelgeriyev; the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification Yasmin Fouad; Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water Resources and Land Reform of the Republic of Namibia Inge Zaamwani; Minister of Supply and Internal Trade of Egypt Sherif Farouk; Executive Secretary of the Pan-African Agency “Great Green Wall” Almustafa Garba; Director of Policy Planning and Resource Mobilization of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mike Massie; and Technical Advisor to the Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition of the Republic of Senegal Fatu Sanya. The session was moderated by Oleg Kobyakov, Director of the FAO Liaison Office (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) to the Russian Federation.
Ruslan Edelgeriev emphasized that in the fight against land degradation, it is important to move from political statements to concrete projects. According to him, at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification held in Mongolia, a business hub was created on Russia’s initiative to implement such projects. “Science can provide planting material and technology maps, business – fertilizers, plant protection products, and equipment. With the participation of interested parties, demonstration projects can be launched that clearly show Russia’s capabilities,” said Ruslan Edelgeriev.
Yasmin Fouad thanked Russia for supporting the Conference of the Parties in Ulaanbaatar. According to her, as a result of the conference, it was possible to move from discussing political decisions to practical initiatives and to attract more than 2 billion dollars, and Russia helped launch a business hub there for land restoration projects. She reminded that degradation has already affected 40% of the world’s land, and by 2050 this share may exceed 50%, which directly threatens Africa’s food security. “Land degradation increases many risks, including those related to migration. The more land we restore, the more people can stay on their land and the more jobs are created,” emphasized Yasmin Fouad. In her opinion, Russia’s experience, the involvement of the private sector, and investment in training African specialists will help accelerate projects on the ground.
Oleg Kobyakov noted that PhosAgro is a reliable partner and one of the few major business donors of FAO worldwide, as well as the only Russian company financing FAO projects aimed at soil conservation and restoration and the development of sustainable agricultural production in countries of the Global South.
Mikhail Sterkin said that PhosAgro increased shipments of mineral fertilizers to the African continent by one third last year. The total volume of PhosAgro’s exports to Africa exceeded 974 thousand tons, which is more than twice as much as in 2021.
“This year, over the course of 9 months, we have already exceeded the entire volume of shipments from last year by 1.5 times – delivering more than 1.3 million tons. By the end of 2026, we intend to almost double the shipments compared to the volume of 2025,” said the deputy general director. He also mentioned that the company’s research center is developing biofertilizers, biostimulants, and adaptogens, which help plants withstand stressful conditions, primarily drought.
PhosAgro also pays attention to personnel training and knowledge transfer. Together with the FAO, within the framework of the “Doctors for Soils” program, African farmers received more than 12,000 “soil first-aid kits” – sets for diagnosing soils in the field. PhosAgro also acted as the official partner in the launch of the regional network of soil laboratories AFRILAB, which unites about 240 laboratories in 54 African countries. Mikhail Sterkin proposed accelerating the introduction of innovative products into African markets through mutual recognition of national certificates: the registration of a new product in Russia takes about four years, and repeated tests in each country delay the market launch of innovative products.
Ruslan Edelgeriev called PhosAgro an example of responsible business that contributes to sustainable development and invited the company to continue sharing its experience on the platform of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
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