MATI and IITA launch five-year rock dust trials in Africa

MATI and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture have signed a five-year deal to test crushed basalt in Kenya and Nigeria and measure effects on soil health, yields, fertiliser use and climate resilience. The work could help determine whether enhanced rock weathering can scale as a farm intervention across African soils.

Why it matters: - Smallholder farmers across Africa face hotter seasons, longer dry spells and rising input costs. - The partnership aims to test whether rock dust can improve soil health, crop performance and resilience in real farm conditions. - The results could shape advisory services, research priorities and policy decisions on enhanced rock weathering.

What happened: - MATI and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture signed a five-year memorandum of understanding at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye. - The agreement sets up joint field trials in Kenya and Nigeria. - The signing took place at the Food and Agriculture Pavilion hosted by CGIAR and FAO. - Shantanu Agarwal, founder and CEO of MATI, signed for MATI. - John Choptiany, Resilience and Climate Adaptation Program Lead at IITA, signed for IITA. - Todd Rosenstock, Director of Climate Action at CGIAR, also signed the memorandum.

The details: - The trials will test crushed basalt, a form of rock dust, on soil health and crop growth. - The collaboration will compare rock dust use with reduced use of synthetic fertiliser. - Researchers will examine which soil types and farming systems respond best. - The agreement includes data sharing and analysis, scientific publication, capacity building with national research institutions and joint fundraising. - The partnership connects to two CGIAR Science Programs: the Sustainable Farming Program and the Climate Action Program. - The Sustainable Farming Program will help link the findings to advisory services that reach farmers. - The Climate Action Program will use the evidence in work on heat, drought, emissions and climate policy and finance. - MATI says it applies natural rock dust to smallholder fields at no cost to farmers. - MATI says the material can help address soil acidity and supply nutrients. - As rock weathers, it can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through enhanced rock weathering. - MATI reports a 2025 kharif-season rice comparison across 235 farmer fields in four Indian states found a median 25% yield increase in treated fields versus control plots. - MATI says more than 35,000 farmers are working with the company and more than 350,000 tons of rock dust have been applied across seven countries. - MATI says its work in India has been under way for about five years. - MATI began work in Zambia in 2023 and has already generated initial results in Africa. - The new collaboration is meant to build on that experience with structured testing under African conditions. - The trials will assess rock dust across different soils, crops and application rates. - The partners will also study how rock dust performs alongside synthetic fertiliser and what that means for soil health, crop performance and farmer resilience.

Between the lines: - The collaboration is trying to move rock dust from a promising concept to an evidence base that farmers, scientists and governments can use. - The Africa trials matter because results from India do not automatically translate to different soils, crops and climate conditions. - The CGIAR link gives the work a path to broader advisory networks and climate-policy discussions if the findings hold up. - The agreement also signals that enhanced rock weathering is being tested not just as a yield tool, but as a potential climate solution.

What's next: - Field trials will begin or expand in Kenya and Nigeria under the five-year framework. - The partners will share data, analyze results and publish findings. - National research institutions will be involved in capacity building. - The work will also support future fundraising for the program. - If the results are positive, the partners aim to identify where rock dust is agronomically suitable and how it should be applied.

The bottom line: - MATI and IITA want African field evidence before rock dust is promoted more broadly as a farm and climate intervention.