Participants’ resolution on organic farming in Nigeria

About 300 participants across the globe had on the 7th edition of National Organic Agriculture Business Summit have taken the under listed resolutions as remedy to practising proactive organic farming, and nutritional food productivity in Nigeria. The conference held at the University of Ibadan between November 29-Dececember 1 2022 had the followings as part of the decisions taken in the communiqué issued and made available to Food Farm News

 

The need for MDAs to financially support funding of the annual National Organic Agriculture Business Summit, in order to extend its benefits to more stakeholders, thereby contributing to national development;

The need to increase efforts on mainstreaming organic and agro ecology into existing curricula for agricultural training at all levels of education in Nigeria with pilot projects in secondary and primary schools.

The inclusion of School Competition on organic and agro ecology in the annual National Organic Agriculture Business Summit, in order to create more awareness and knowledge on organic and agro ecology in the country.

Encourage more participatory research activities in various aspect of Organic and Agro ecology.

Put more emphasis on local production of organic and agro-ecology produce and products.

The Government to enact appropriate agricultural policies on organic and agro-ecology and make subsidies available for farmers in the sector.

Organic and agro-ecology organizations in Nigeria to collaborate with NAFDAC in the area of food safety.

Federal Ministry of Health should replicate the success story of University Health Services of the University of Ibadan on integration of organic market outlet into medical services in other private and public hospitals in the country.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should encourage Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) approach for smallholder farmers of organic and agroecology in the country.

Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) should do more in assisting organic and agroecology farmers to access third party certification for export.

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) should encourage Home Organic and Agroecology awareness in the country, in order to boost food security in the country.

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) should encourage public institutions in the country to have organic sales points.

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) should promote application of indigenous knowledge in organic and agroecology

The Federal Ministry of Environment and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should discourage bush burning in order to mitigate negative effects on soil health which reduces productivity of agricultural lands.

The National Biosafety Management Agency should ensure appropriate biosafety regulations to avoid coming of agricultural produce/products into the country with Genetically Modified.

 

That meals for NOABS should continue to source available food stuff from organic and agro-ecology produce/products in its preparation.

ECOWAS Commission to ensure establishment of a regional Organic and Agroecology Trade fair in West Africa.

Organic and Agroecology Initiative (ORAIN) in Nigeria (a coalition of organic and agroecology organizations in the country) should coordinate networking of agroecology organizations in the country with Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The Farm Inputs Support Services (FISS) Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should put in more efforts in awareness on organic inputs available in the country.

Journalist should be train in organic agriculture production system for proper reportage

All umbrella bodies of organizations related to inputs, production, equipment and services of organic and agroecology in Nigeria should work with Organic and Agroecology Initiative (ORAIN) to handle exhibition of their sectors in NOABS, starting from 2023 NOABS

That while appreciating the current MDAs’ investment in organic and agroecology related issues and addressing the outputs of the last NOABS;, the level of investment is still low.;

That the issue of agricultural extension services to facilitate organic and agroecology in the country needs to be addressed;

That the understanding of most stakeholders in Nigeria of the required procedures for certification of organic produce and products for both domestic and export trade is still low;

That there is the need to put in motion the necessary apparatus that can lead to an increase in the market share of organic and agroecology (in terms of produce, products, and services) from Nigeria in the global market and participation in BioFach (which holds yearly in mid-February at Nuremberg, Germany)

The communiqué also recalled on the list points below

 

That Nigeria subscribes to the Sustainable Development Goals; specifically Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and the Malabo Declaration that are relevant to Organic Agriculture;

That the value in Organic and Agro ecology sector of the country is much lower, compared to some countries in Africa that are smaller in land size and population;

That available facts reveal paucity of scientific evidence to support Organic and Agroecology in Nigeria, especially for policy, exportable produce and products;

That Organic Agriculture is yet to be reflected in the existing curricula relating to agriculture in academic programmes at all levels in Nigeria;

That agricultural funding policy of the government is yet to give adequate attention to the Organic and agro-ecological sub-sector.

 

And urged that...

All tiers of Government in Nigeria to fully explore opportunities in the decision of the African Heads of States and Governments on Organic Farming [EX.CL/Dec.621 (XVII), 2010];

ECOWAS Commission as well as relevant international development organizations to support the annual National Organic Agriculture Business Summit morally and financially in order to enable more entrepreneurs in the Organic Agriculture sector of Nigeria to tap into ECOWAS open doors for exports and other international opportunities, including participation in the biggest annual organic exhibition - BioFach at Nuremberg, Germany;

Nigeria as a country to have a robust multi-ministerial/sectoral policy on organic and agroecology to be led by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in order to provide enabling environment for the development of the sector in the country;

All relevant or appropriate governmental and private stakeholders to put in place consistent and proper monitoring of organic and agroecological enterprises in the country to uphold the integrity of the sectors;

The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture should have a Desk within the Ministry (apart from the operation of the National Orientation Agencies) to ensure proper dissemination/public

awareness of the benefits, principles, and protocols of Organic and Agroecology in the country;All MDAs relevant to the organic and agroecology sector like Federal Ministries of Industry, Trade, and Investments, Federal Ministries of Agriculture & Rural Development, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and financial institutions like Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bank of Agriculture, Bank of Industry and others, support the processes of improving quality of organic and agroecological produce and products from Nigeria with respect to the development and organic certification for the export market;

All MDAs relevant to organic and agroecology in Nigeria to include organic agriculture activities in their annual budgets;

All appropriate bodies involved in the capacity development of stakeholders of organic and agroecology in the country, like Organic and Agroecology Initiative (ORAIN), the ‘Nigeria Go Organic Project’, NICERT Limited, and others to step up efforts of training stakeholders in having a good understanding of the principles and practices of the sectors;

Organic Agriculture Innovation Platforms in Nigeria (comprising Directors of Agricultural Extension, Desk Officers for organic and agroecology at the State level and technical experts in the field of organic agriculture) to be strengthened to support activities of stakeholders and regularly provide solutions to their operational challenges and contribute the development of the sectors in the country;

Organic and Agroecology (ORAIN) as a Coalition of organic and agroecology organizations in Nigeria should up-scale her activities and appropriate stakeholders sensitized to join the Coalition for better promotion of the organic and agro-ecology sectors in the country;

Appropriate committees of the Senate, House of Representatives, and State Houses of Assembly to ensure appropriate policies are put in place to provide enabling environment for practicing organic and agro-ecology in the country, using internationally acceptable guidelines;

Appropriate support to be given to the work in-progress proposed “NigeriaOrganic Agriculture Bill’ championed by the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development

All organizations involved on organic and agro-ecology in Nigeria should be encouraged with incentives to ensure better delivery of their mandates

Ministry of Agriculture at State and Local Government levels to allocate lands for organic and agroecology production on group/cooperative basis;

Each State of the country to have a Desk Officer for organic and agro ecology.