Agroecology could feed Europe without pesticides by 2050, study

The study calls for more hedges, trees and stony habitats

European agriculture could shift entirely to agroecological farming, abandoning pesticides and synthetic fertilisers while sustainably feeding 530 million Europeans by 2050 with healthy diets.

Global hunger for soybeans 'destroying Brazil's Cerrado savanna'

Global hunger for soybeans 'destroying Brazil's Cerrado savanna'

The Cerrado savanna is an area in Brazil the same size as Western Europe.It's one of the most biodiverse places in world - 40% of animal and plant species there can be found nowhere else on the planet.

UN Human Rights Council adopts peasant rights declaration

Peasant farmers are the backbone of our food systems

The UN Human Rights Council (OHCHR) has passed a resolution adopting a declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas.

Images speak at the farmers' Dialogue on Quality seeds advocacy held at the Man Power Development Institute, Dutse, Jigawa state. Sponsor by PERL-DFID.

Pictures speak at the farmers' Dialogue on Quality seeds advocacy held at the Man Power Development Institute, Dutse, Jigawa state. Sponsor by PERL-DFID.

Pictures speak at the farmers' Dialogue on Quality seeds advocacy held at the Man Power Development Institute, Dutse, Jigawa state. Sponsor by PERL-DFID.

Empowering Africa’s rural women will help fight hunger, study

Women are the backbone of rural production (Photo: CC0)

If women have the same access to skills, resources and opportunities as men, they can be powerful drivers in the fight against hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

We can feed 10 billion people by 2050 within planetary limits, study

 global shift towards healthy and more plant-based diets is needed (Photo: CC0)

Feeding a world population of 10 billion people by 2050 within planetary limits is possible if we change the way we eat and produce food, new research shows.

Scientists urge rapid and radical changes to limit global warming

Global warming will increase the intensity and frequency of droughts (Photo: CC0)

Limiting global warming to 1.5°C will require rapid and far-reaching changes in all aspects of society, including agriculture and food systems.

Accelerated progress needed to achieve zero hunger, report

Progress in the fight against hunger has been too slow (Photo: CC0)

Progress in the fight against hunger and undernutrition has been too slow and uneven. Levels of hunger are still serious or alarming in 51 countries across the globe – and forced migration is closely associated with food insecurity.

IPES report highlights successful cases of agroecological transition

Replacing machinery with oxen (Photo: CC0)

 It is possible for communities, regions and whole countries to fundamentally redesign their food and farming systems around agroecological principles and break away from industrial agriculture.

Images speak at the Ondo-State World Food Day celebration hosted at the College of Agriculture, Akure for its recognition to food security in terms of training the youths, women and all others category of farmers with best agronomics practices.

L-R: Ondo State Head of Service, Mr. Toyin Akinkuotu; the Executive Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu SAN; the Provost, Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Dr. Samson Adeola Odedina during the 2018 World Food Day Celebration held at the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Ondo State.

Images speak at the Ondo-State World Food Day celebration hosted at the College of Agriculture, Akure for its recognition to food security in terms of training the youths, women and all others category of farmers with best agronomics practices.

FG Committed to eradicating hunger – Lokpobiri

·       Decries Herdsmen/Farmers Crises

 The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri

The Federal Government has assured of its total commitment to the zero hunger goals by the year 2030 and has promised to increase the present tempo of strong agricultural activities in the country to attain this national objective. The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri gave the commitment recently in Abuja.

World Food Day: Gate Keepers Report and Food Security in Nigeria by the Executive Director of the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), Prof M.K. Othman

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh

My dear readers; permit me to digress from continuation of my last week article on recognition of 21^st Century Inventors to discuss on “World Food Day celebration, Gate Keepers Report and their implications to Food Security in Nigeria”. This topic is apt at the moment to remind my fellow citizens of the impending food insecurity threat to our dear nation, Nigeria.

EFCC charges Agric College Boss to court

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged the provost and four others from Federal College of Agriculture, Moorplantation, Ibadan to court for fund misappropriation.

Dangote, others to start tomato processing locally

·        *Minister says there increase in quantity of food  produced

Tomato

Indications have emerged that Dangote Tomato Processing Plant and three other firms may commence operations soon following the resolve by the Nigerian Customs Service to commence implementation of the New Tomato Production Policy. The Vice President of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Emmanuel Ijewere disclosed this recently in Abuja.

U.S, Kebbi Govt sign agreement to promote agribusinesses

Group image as USADF AND GOVERNOR OF KEBBI STATE IN NIGERIA ANNOUNCE $10 MILLION DOLLAR PARTNERSHIP TO SUPPORT LOCAL AGRIBUSINESS

The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) has entered a $10 million Agricultural investment agreement with Kebbi State Government to provide seed capital and technical assistance to local agribusinesses in the state. This was revealed by Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State in Abuja, recently.

images speak as ACAN summit kicks off tomorrow

  ACAN summit  kicks off tomorrow 

  ACAN summit  kicks off tomorrow  .. see more images below

Stakeholders galvanize support for agribusiness reforms

·        *commence implementation of new tomato policy soon

Stakeholders at the recently held Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and Micro Reforms for African Agribusiness (MIRA) Nigeria Project Stocktaking meeting have demanded for the sustainability of the programme so as to enhance support for quality inputs of seeds and fertilizers in Nigeria.

UN calls for interventions aimed at guaranteeing access to nutritious foods

Global hunger -UN

A call has gone out to countries to implement and scale up interventions aimed at guaranteeing access to nutritious foods and breaking the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. This was contained in The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018 released recently.

Quella birds resurface in six states

*lack of fund hampers control

REDBIILED QUELLA IN FLIGHT

About six states of the federation have been ravaged byquella birds. This is according to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) as lack of fund may have halted the control of the invaders that have destroyed over 3,000 hectares of land with food crops in the Northern part of Nigeria.

Wheat import: FG promises self-sufficiency by 2020, launches TAAT

Group image

·       Farmers, Millers promise harmony

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has officially launched Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT)in Abuja.

Images speak as USADF and governor of Kebbi state in Nigeria announces $10million partnership to support local agribusiness

Group image as USADF AND GOVERNOR OF KEBBI STATE IN NIGERIA ANNOUNCE $10 MILLION DOLLAR PARTNERSHIP TO SUPPORT LOCAL AGRIBUSINESS
see more images below

PRESS RELAESE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES THE NATIONAL GENDER ACTION PLAN (NGAP) FOR AGRICULTURE.

GENDER ACTION PLAN (NGAP) FOR AGRICULTURE.

The Federal Government has launched the National Gender Action Plan (NGAP) for Agriculture in order to build  the capacities of Nigeria’s women.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,Chief Audu Ogbeh made the remark at the launching of the document put together by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Synergos, in Abuja today.

Rice smuggling: Vision FM 92.1 chats with Food Farm News publisher

Publisher Food farm news Ayeni Oladehinde

Mr. Ayeni Oladehinde is the publisher of Food Farm News. He spoke on the economic implication of porous land borders to rice productivity in Nigeria saying Nigeria Customs Services must be up to its responsibilities not to allow smuggling while all the imports should pass through seaport. Read the excerpts of the thirty minutes live economic programme on the Vision FM 92.1 station Abuja.

FG REAFFIRMES COMMITMENT TO CREATE JOBS THROUGH E-WALLET SYSTEM

Group Picture during the World food day/ Agric Show

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to create jobs for million of Nigerian youth through E-wallet System; which will reduce unemployment, increase productivity and ensure sustainable development.

Zero Hunger: our actions today are our future tomorrow STATEMENT BY H.E SUFFYAN KOROMA, FAO REPRESENTATIVE IN NIGERIA AND ECOWAS ON BEHALF OF JOSÉ GRAZIANO DA SILVA, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS AT THE WORLD FOOD DAY 2018 CELEBRATION, ABUJA, NIGERIA, OCTOBER 16, 2018

FAO REPRESENTATIVE IN NIGERIA AND ECOWAS  SUFFYAN KOROMA,

Just three years ago, in September 2015, all United Nations Member States approved the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.The eradication of hunger and all forms of malnutrition (Sustainable Development Goal number 2) was defined by world leaders as a cardinal objective of the Agenda, a sine qua non condition for a safer, fairer and more peaceful world.

Opinion- Food abundance impossible without technology

Post harvest losses

It is sad that people go hungry in this country in spite the quantity of food produced by the various value chains.

Interview- Farmers will embrace new improved Bt cotton- National President

National President of Cotton Association of Nigeria  Mr. Anibe Achinaugu

My name is Anibe Achimugu, President, National cotton Association of Nigeria.

Agric show: things get worst in 11 yrs

• IAR, NCAM speak

Agric show venue

Visit to Tudun Wada, Keffi ,Nazarawa state, venue of the 2018 Agricultural Show and World Food Day, Nigeria shows a very low turnout of participants from both private and public sectors as many of the facilities left behind the previous year have been vandalized by hoodlums thereby making the cost of holding the event very expensive after eleven years of existence according to Food Farm News finding.

World Food Day: FG Committed to Zero Hunger – Lokpobiri

·     * Decries Herdsmen/Farmers Crises

 Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri 

The Federal Government has assured its total commitment to the zero hunger goals by the year 2030 and promised to increase the present tempo of strong agricultural activities in the country to attain this national objective.

Rice self-sufficiency strategic to Africa’s development

FAO

Self-sufficiency in rice for Africa will be strategic and consequential, not just in terms of meeting consumption requirements locally, but also through its multiplier effects.

CBN’s anchor borrower programme, just a gimmick, say Ijewere, others

NABG Representative, Dr. Emanuel Ijewere

A strong voice in Nigerian Agriculture Business Group (NABG), Dr. Emanuel Ijewere has described the Central Bank of Nigeria Incentive- Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Anchor Borrower Programme (ABP) as not matched words with action just as many have alleged it of fake inputs being given to farmers and a state in North Central has signified non-continuity with the programme and eruption of crisis in Ogun state.

Editorial- Tackling post harvest losses

post harvest losses

That Nigeria is losing ten billion naira to post harvest damages alone in this dispensation of economy diversification should be a thing of concern to all and sundry.

Castor seeds import: Stakeholders protest ‘Raw Materials’ breach of protocol

Cross section

Two research institutes and other stakeholders have protested the breach of protocol on the importation of castor seeds into the country by the Raw Materials Research & Development Council (RMRDC), and this has led to the setup of a committee to harmonize all the differing observations. All these happened at the recently-held presentation ceremony of hybrid castor seeds to farmers from Kebbi state, in Abuja.

Bt cotton: Premier seeds yet to take multiplication decision

The Managing Director (MD) Premier Seeds of Nigeria, Prof. A.A Ogungbile in red cap

The Managing Director (MD) Premier Seeds of Nigeria, Prof. A.A Ogungbile has said his organization would tread on the path of market availability before the company would fully engage in the commercial multiplication of the newly released Biotechnology genetically modified cotton (Bt cotton) for the farmers.

Seed Council bags BPSR Silver certificate management, governance practice

Dr. Philip Olusegun Ojo, Director General, National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), ...

The National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) has bagged the Silver Level certificate in management and governance practice administered by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR).

Agric Ministry,bank set up fund for rice producers

*Ogbeh promises to organize rice fair

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Bank of Agriculture have set up a fund which they intend to manage to support farmers, millers and marketers to bring down the price of rice. This information was made available by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh during a meeting he had with rice farmers, millers and processors in Abuja.

Organic foods:Stakeholders urge govts to create jobs, others

Group picture of stakeholders during the 2018 National Organic Agriculture Business Summit held in Lagos

The various governments in Nigeria have been urged to pursue the commitment to create the 700,000 jobs in the agricultural sector using the organic sub-sector and to take advantage of several market opportunities worth 90 billion dollars for organic produce and products outside Nigeria.

FACAN boss advocates Agric Bank’s recapitalization

*Adewunmi, Cassava Commodity president canvasses use of land as collateral.

FACAN), President in Middle, Dr. Victor Iyama & the President of Cassava Growers Association of Nigeria, in white native Pastor Segun Adewunmi during the AGRIKEXPO and Agro food held in Abuja

The National President, Federation of Commodities Agriculture Association of Nigeria (FACAN), Dr. Victor Iyama has resounded that the recapitalization of Bank of Agriculture (BOA) would put an end to challenges facing the financing of farmers in Nigeria while the President of Cassava Growers Association of Nigeria, Pastor Segun Adewunmi canvassed for the use of land as collateral for loan with and other properties for commercial banks for effective agricultural business.

AIMS: Inputs scheme announcement premature, say stakeholders

·    *Farmers fault GESS’ replacement.

Agricultural Input Mechanization Scheme

The announcement of the Federal Government Agricultural Inputs Mechanization Scheme (AIMS)made earlier by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has been described by the stakeholders as premature and just a mere show off when actually nothing has been put in place to justify its publicity, just as many farmers have expressed their disapproval on the replacement of Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) of inputs-distribution-through-electronic-wallet scheme with a new one.

Acute shortage of improved seeds imminent!

Seed

The lack of financial support to research institutes and agro inputs sub sector especially the seed companies may soon lead to shortage of breeder, foundation and certified seeds in the country according to a reliable source who spoke with Food Farm News on condition of anonymity.

Why vertical farming isn't a miracle solution to food security

vertical farming

Vertical farming is great for growing lots of food in a small space, but productivity comes at a cost: high energy use. We need to consider other, more sustainable, types of urban agriculture, says Andrew Jenkins

Agroecology could feed Europe without pesticides by 2050, study

The study calls for more hedges, trees and stony habitats

European agriculture could shift entirely to agroecological farming, abandoning pesticides and synthetic fertilisers while sustainably feeding 530 million Europeans by 2050 with healthy diets. This is the result of new research published on September 13th by the French policy research institute IDDRI.

World hunger continues to rise due to climate extremes, UN warns

The reports calls for the promotion of sustainable, healthy diets

The number of undernourished people in the world has increased to an estimated 821 million in 2017, or one in every nine people, warns a report released on Tuesday by five UN agencies. Climate variability and extremes,

Food waste could rise by a third by 2030, report warns

Food waste - a growing problem?

Food loss and waste could increase by a third by the year 2030 unless urgent action is taken by governments, companies and consumers. This is the warning of a new report released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Currently, 1.6 billion tons

Sustainable development requires a transformation of food systems

Healthy and sustainable food consumption patterns are needed

We need to transform our food systems if we want to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and combat climate change. This is the message of an article published in the journal “Agronomy for Sustainable Development” on August 9th. According to the authors, food systems “are at the nexus that links food security, nutrition, and human health, the viability of ecosystems, climate change, and social justice.”

GIZ spends Seventeen million Euros building farmers’ capacity in eight states

 

Images speak @ the training on Agricultural production and processing economics held in Abuja by the Green Innovation Centre for the Agriculture and Food Sector- Nigeria (GIZ)

The Green Innovation Centre for the Agriculture and Food Sector (GIZ), Nigeria is building capacities of farmers on four major value chains which include maize, rice cassava and Irish potatoes between 2015 and 2021 in eight states in Nigeria-Ogun, Oyo- cassava, Rice-Benue, maize- Kano and Kaduna, Irish potato- Plateau state. This was disclosed by Caroline Trimbom the Project Coordinator GIZ during capacity building training for journalists in Abuja.

Quarantine Service partners Africa-Pacific body to resolve EU ban

Coordinating Director of NAQS, Dr Vincent Isegbe

Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) says it is partnering with the Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee (COLEACP) to resolve the prohibition of the export of Nigeria’s agricultural produce to Europe. This was disclosed by the Coordinating Director of NAQS, Dr Vincent Isegbe, in Abuja at a workshop organized in partnership with COLEACP as reported by News Agency of Nigeria.

FG licenses 158 seed enterprises, unveils molecular diagnosis facility

the Director General NASC in black cap, Dr. Philip Olusegun Ojo. and Mrs. Tolulope Mewase handling one of the portable machines

As effort to boost agricultural activities in the area of quality seed production and distribution to the Nigerian farmers, the Federal Government (FG) has licensed 158 new seed enterprises who are to commence production, while another 75 seed companies were degraded for not meeting needed criteria to fully operate just as the agency has acquired a digital molecular diagnosis testing facilities.

Domino-effect could push Earth towards a ‘hothouse’ climate

A hothouse climate would have serious consequences for farming

Even if greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, there is a risk that global warming could trigger other processes which could push the Earth System irreversibly

We can feed 9.7 billion by growing crops for humans, not animals

Feed maize to people instead of animals, study says

The current crop production is sufficient to feed the predicted 9.7 billion world population in 2050, but only if we make radical changes to our dietary choices, new research shows.