ActionAid, SSDO Task Gov’t On Massive Food Production By Nnamdi Mbawike

The ActionAid Nigeria and the South Sahara Social Development Organisation (SSDO) have tasked the federal, state and local governments on supporting sustainable agroecology models for result-oriented food system and massive food production.

Programme Advisor of ActionAid Nigeria, Blessing Ifemenam, gave the charge at the Enugu Youth Summit on Agroecology and Food Systems organised by ActionAid in partnership with SSDO in Enugu at the weekend.

Ifemenam stated that agroecology was a climate resilient sustainable approach that incorporated ecological principles into farming practices, adding that it emphasised 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 greenhouse 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 marginalisation including in disaster and protracted content in Nigeria,” she said.

The Executive Director of SSDO, Dr Stanley Ilechukwu, said that agroecology presented a holistic practical pathway for transforming agriculture in Enugu State and the entire country.

Ilechukwu said that agroecology offered solution that not only increase yields but also ensure long term environmental sustainability, bio-diversity preservation and climate resilient.

ActionAid Researcher, Prof. Dickson Achimugu, 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.

Special Adviser on Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation to Governor 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.