Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Programme Advisor, ActionAid, Blessing Ifemenam, has said that ActionAid was encouraging the governments at all levels, to support sustainable models for food system in Nigeria.
Ifemenam said this at the Enugu Youth Summit on Agroecology and Food Systems organised by ActionAid in partnership with the South Sahara Social Development Organisation (SSDO), in Enugu.
She said that agroecology was a climate resilient sustainable approach that incorporates ecological principles into farming practices, adding that it emphasises the sustainable management of natural resources.
“We encourage the government to support sustainable models for food systems such as agroecological production owned by local communities.
“These are alternative model for producing, processing and distributing food that reduce green house gas emission,” she advised.
According to the programme advisor, the overall objective of the ActionAid Project is to improve realisation of the fundamental human and democratic right.
“Improve sustainable livelihood resilience and protection for young people, especially young women living in marginalization including in disaster and protracted content in Nigeria,” she said.
The Executive Director, SSDO, Dr Stanley Ilechukwu, said that agroecology presented a holistic practical pathway for transforming agriculture in Enugu State and beyond.
Ilechukwu said that agroecology offered solution that not only increase yields but also ensure long term environmental sustainability, bio-diversity preservation and climate resilience.
Prof. Dickson Achimugu, ActionAid Researcher, said that people must move away from chemical pesticides, adding that most of the chemical pesticides were poisonous to humans.
“We should go back to weeding to avoid chemical, we can use bio-pesticides instead of chemical pesticides. The solution is to go back to what we used to do before,” he said.
He called on government to change its policy and put more money on organic farming, adding that the use of pesticides was dangerous to humans.
“There is need for us to take action against the use of pesticides,” he explained.
Mr Mike Ogbuekwe, Special Adviser on Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation to Gov. Peter Mbah, said that the state government had begun the establishment of farm estates to create farm clusters in every ward in the state.
Ogbuekwe urged the youths in the state to participate in the 260 wards farm clusters as it would benefit them financially.
Some participants, Mr Jude Ugwu and Ngozi Odo, thanked the organisers of the event, saying that with the knowledge they got from the summit it would be better for them to go back to the old way of farming by using organic fertilizer so as to stay healthy.
