More than 90 percent of the chemical fertilizer used in sub-Saharan Africa is imported, leaving smallholder farmers exposed to international price shocks and disruptions in global supply chains. Against the backdrop of tensions affecting trade through the Strait of Hormuz, Hugh Locke examines whether regenerative agriculture, locally produced bioinputs and other alternatives could reduce this dependence. The article draws on experience from the Smallholder Farmers Alliance in Haiti and examples from Africa, including green ammonia and biofertilizer initiatives in Kenya.

The author contrasts two approaches to restoring severely depleted soils. One advocates closed-loop regenerative systems based on compost, green manures, nitrogen-fixing trees, cover crops and farm-made biopesticides, supported through a transition period. The other allows targeted synthetic fertilizers and commercial bioinputs as transitional measures while soil fertility is rebuilt. Rather than resolving this debate, the article stresses the need to account for farmers’ immediate production needs and the costs and duration of transition. It also distinguishes farm-made biological inputs from commercial bioinputs, warning that reliance on purchased products could create new forms of dependency.

Particular attention is given to community-managed seed banks, agroforestry nurseries and seed multiplication for nitrogen-fixing species. The article calls for patient financing, stronger extension services, more coherent regulation of bioinputs and support for farmer-managed resources. It presents outcome-based frameworks, including Regen10, as one way to assess whether farming systems are improving soil health, biodiversity, livelihoods and autonomy from external inputs.