No fewer than 100 rural women farmers, selected from northern states yesterday in Abuja received training in climate-smart agriculture and agro-ecology practices to foster sustainable agriculture and economic empowerment.
The International Centre for Environmental Health and Development (ICEHD), in partnership with the Rose of Sharon Foundation brought experts who provided the farmers with comprehensive training on soil improvement, organic farming techniques and business growth strategies.
The training combined theoretical instruction with hands-on practice, culminating in a field demonstration on organic compost and pesticide production where participants were also guided on post-harvest management, including produce sorting, processing, packaging, labelling and exportation.
At the two-day training, a consulting partner for ICEHD, Dr Ndudi Bowei stressed the importance of equipping women farmers with adaptive techniques to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
She said, “Climate change has severely impacted women farmers, from soil degradation and pest infestations to unpredictable weather patterns, this training equips them with practical solutions, including organic compost and pesticides, to enhance soil health and crop yield.
By equipping these women, we empower them to apply their learning immediately and provide feedback for continuous improvement.
Economic empowerment enables women to advocate for leadership roles in agricultural decision-making and with financial independence and expertise, they can influence policies that affect their livelihoods”.
National coordinator of the Rose of Sharon Foundation, Oloruntosin Taiwo highlighted the impact of the initiative on widows and vulnerable women engaged in farming.
“Many of our widows are farmers, and climate change threatens their primary source of income, this training enhances their ability to sustain productive farming despite environmental challenges,” she said.
In addition to knowledge-sharing, the NGOs distributed essential farming tools and inputs at no cost, ensuring participants could implement their new skills effectively.
Farmers received knapsack sprayers, sprinklers, gardening tools, solar-powered irrigation pumps, organic compost and bio-fertilizers.
