Agriculture is essential to the economies of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, but low fertiliser use and heavy land cultivation is leading to nutrient mining and contributing to a decline in crop production. The rising cost of chemical fertiliser makes it prohibitively expensive for many and this, along with supply disruption, limited access to credit and lack of agronomic knowledge, means that chemical fertiliser is out of reach for many. Organic fertiliser is an affordable, accessible and sustainable alternative which can break the vicious cycle of poverty and land degradation. However, without evidence of its impact on crop productivity and consequent poverty reduction, adoption is likely to be limited. Amir Mohammed Yimer plans to study household panel data in both Ethiopia and Tanzania, looking for a correlation between the use of organic fertiliser and poverty reduction. If this link can be proved it will provide evidence that could support government investment in organic fertilizer in both countries.