Background: Soil degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) poses a critical threat to food security for over one billion people. Declining soil organic carbon, accelerated erosion, and nutrient depletion have reduced agricultural productivity across the region.
Objectives: This review synthesises evidence on emerging soil health strategies applicable to SSA smallholder farming systems, evaluates their efficacy, and identifies scalability challenges.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2025. Thirty-five studies meeting the inclusion criteria were critically appraised.
Results: Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM), conservation agriculture, biochar application, and agroforestry demonstrated consistent yield benefits of 15–100%, with concurrent improvements in soil organic carbon, biological activity, and water retention. Digital soil monitoring tools showed growing adoption.
Conclusion: Scalable, context-sensitive, multi-strategy approaches combining biological, physical, and digital innovations are essential to reverse soil degradation and achieve sustainable food security in SSA by 2030.
