Stakeholders have tasked the Federal Government and the National Assembly to develop National Policy Framework on Agroecology to promote a more sustainable path to food sovereignty and ecological resilience in the Country.
The stakeholders made the call in an interview with newsmen on the sideline of a National Stakeholders’ Conference, tagged “Advancing Agroecology Principles and Practice in Nigeria” held in Abuja, on Monday.
They said that agroecology had long been practiced across Nigerian communities before being displaced by modern, chemical-intensive agriculture.
The stakeholders called for an outright ban of Genetically- Modified Organisms (GMOs), describing it as a threat to human and environmental health.
The Nigeria’s Government is yet to implement a comprehensive policy on GMOs, despite growing concerns. The stakeholders, who included experts, farmers and Civil Society Organizations emphasised the need for a strict regulatory framework, public awareness, and protection of indigenous seeds and traditional farming practices.
Marrianne Bassey-Orovwuje, Nigerian Food Sovereignty Advocate, said “Nigeria’s food sovereignty is under threat from genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), which are being pushed into the country’s food system without adequate regulation or public awareness.
She said GMOs could lead to corporate control of seeds, erosion of indigenous seed systems, and dependency on multinationals for seeds and agrochemicals.
Other concerns she raised, included loss of farmers’ rights, erosion of indigenous seeds, dependency on multinationals, health and environmental risks and weak regulatory framework..
The activist urged the Government to impose an immediate ban on GMOs
Also speaking, a leading Agroecology Advocate, Ifeanyi Casmir, said foreign agribusiness interests, driven by profit and large-scale chemical input sales, had overshadowed local knowledge systems.
According to him, this shift has led to environmental degradation, health risks, and food insecurity.
Casimir said “Agroecology and organic crop production is the way for us to redeem ourselves from the EU ban placed on food and crops produced from this country.
“So this call cuts cross; we need to have a policy and framework to drive the policy, that is where we will require the intervention of the National Assembly.”
He called on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to put together a draft Executive Bill to give a semblance of policy, or to establish the framework for a semblance of policy for agroecology.
“We need it urgently if we are going to stem the tide of the interest of corporate interest in agriculture that is undermining the contribution of small holder farmers to food production in Nigeria,” he said.
Also speaking, Ado Garba, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Federal University Dutse, Jigawa State, urged farmers to adopt agroecology to avert food crisis.
He urged farmers to completely stop use of synthetic fertiliser and agrochemicals, saying its alarming cost would lead to food crisis in the near future.
Earlier, Nnimmo Bassey, Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), stressed that agroecology is a core solution to interconnected challenges of food.
Speaking on the many benefits of agroecology, he said, “agroecology is a sustainable farming system that promotes ecological balance, biodiversity, and farmer empowerment, unlike genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that foster dependence on corporate entities.
“Agroecology ensures food sovereignty, builds ecological balance, promotes biodiversity, and empowers farmers, providing a unifying force, medicine, and dignity for those dependent on agriculture.”
While noting that the shift toward agroecology and organic agriculture is gaining momentum in Nigeria, he stressed that integrated efforts are needed to ensure adoption of agroecological practices, an enabling policy environment, and relevant research to anchor agroecology as the cornerstone of food security, food sovereignty, and climate change resilience.
