Report – Evaluation of Netherlands' fertiliser aid 1975-1993

In this report the results are presented of an evaluation of Netherlands' fertiliser aid in the period 1975-1993, with special emphesis on the post-1985 period. The share of fertiliser aid in total programme aid has been substantial, particilarly for Asian countries. The annual fertiliser-aid allocations peaked in 1981 when Dfl. 352 million was disbursed for the purpose, and remained important throughout the 1980s at annual levels above Dfl. 200 million. Since 1990, fertiliser aid has declined rapidly to just over Df. 20 million in 1993. This evaluation therefore has an ex post character.

In the course of the 1980s, more and more questions were asked about the effectiveness of this important aid instrument in reaching the poor, about its ecological consequences and about its apropriateness in the face of structural adjustments. These questions constituted the main reason for undertaking this study.

The report consists of four main parts. Firstly, background information is provided regarding matters of soil fertility: the role of various fertiliser types in sustainable agricultural production, and trends in fertiliser use over the years. Secondly, fertiliser-aid policy and its implementation are analysed, with particular attention given to matters of aid efficiency. The effectiveness of fertiliser aid is subsequently discussed at the macro- and micro-levels in two chapters based on field studies in three countries: Bangladesh, Mali and Zambia. Particular attention is given to the effects of fertiliser aid on the economic self-reliance of the recipient country as well as to poverty alleviation and sustainable development. The findings and conclusions are presented in the final chapter.