NCF, Oxfam train farmers on climate change adaptation

Nigerian Conservation Foundation, NCF and Oxfam have formed a synergy geared towards improving the resilience of small scale farmer’s, aimed at adapting to climate change.

With the initiative tagged, Farmers Field School (FFS), the farmers are prepared on measures against climate change as well as its effects on food crops. This measure will also make small scale farmers to cope with the negative effects of climate change.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the initiative in Omo J4 Forest Reserve, the Chief Conservation Officer, NCF, Adedamola Ogunsesan said though, the menace of climate change and its numerous effects is a global issue, but each country will develop its strategy, aimed at ameliorating the impacts on human lives as well as agricultural productions to tackle issues of food security.

According to him, Ogun state like other states in the country, is faced with low food harvest due to lack of ineffective farming practices by farmers and inadequate knowledge to effectively manage the effects of climate change on food crop production.

He therefore noted that farmers in rural communities should be equipped with knowledge on how to tackle climate-induced poor yields, poor soil fertility, low nutrient retaining ability, abnormal flow of rain fall as well as spreading of common and uncommon diseases.

“Adaptation strategies are short and long-term changes to human activities that respond to the effects of changes in climate. In agriculture, adaptation will require cost-effective investments in water infrastructure, emergency preparation for and response to extreme weather events, development of resilient crop varieties that tolerate temperature and precipitation stresses, and new or improved land use and management practices”.

The initiatives are also interested in the use of indigenous knowledge as adaptation strategies. According to the NCF Field Officer in OMO Forest Reserve, Clifford Omonu, the initiative requires grassroots experiments, regular field observations and group analysis among others.

The knowledge gained from these activities would enable participants to make their own locally-specific decisions about crop practices and management as it affects them.

This approach represents a shift from earlier agricultural programmes; in which farmers were compelled to adopt generalized recommendations for a better outcome.

The purpose of this initiative is to establish a regular Farmers Field School (FFS) in nine communities in Omo Forest as well as train and build farmers capacities for climate change adaptation while reducing human pressure on forest resources in the forest.

“We will train some farmers in these nine selected communities of Area J4, Aberu, Mile 1 village, Osoko, Olooji, Aba kurudu, Abeku 1, Eleyele London and Abeku Temidere” Omonu said.