Group partners with FG on organic agriculture

The Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative in Nigeria has expressed its readiness to partner with the Federal Government in Organic Agriculture to accelerate its diversification programme.

Olugbenga Adeoluwa, the Country Coordinator, EOA Initiative in Nigeria made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.

“It is high time Nigeria leveraged on the decision of the African Heads of States and Governments on organic farming that led to the implementation of Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative in Africa.

“The EOA Initiative is based on the principles of organic agriculture, which are the principles of Health, Ecology, Fairness and Care.

“It is to promote healthy diets and lifestyles to reduce the global burden of food insecurity, ill health and other implications resulting from unhealthy food consumption.

“As well as contribute to the mitigation of climate change and resilience of the agricultural system,’’ he said.

Adeoluwa said that organic agriculture if properly developed would contribute to the Federal Government’s current drive for diversification of the economy through sustainable agricultural development.

“The current ban on export of legumes and other produce from the country to Europe should be a big lesson for the country.

“Emphasis must be laid on adherence to acceptable organic standards in order to prevent rejection of organic produce and products from the country.

“So stakeholders must contribute to the efforts of the government with respect to improving demand is driven commerce, capacity building within the value chain of organic agriculture, especially in job creation for the youth and women.’’

He also advised the government to pay greater attention to the provision of organic inputs, including organic fertilizers, bio-pesticides and other organic inputs.

“Though this is in the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme of the Federal Government to encourage the development of organic farming in the country, more efforts should be to get it to the grassroots.

“Nigerian organic farmers through the adherence to the internationally acceptable standards must target a big share of the world organic trade.

“The country is endowed with good agricultural lands, natural, human and intellectual resources that could make her among the leading organic producers in Africa and the entire world.

“It is high time Nigeria rose up to explore the several trades and development opportunities in organic agriculture,’’ he said.

Adeoluwa expressed hope that the collaboration of stakeholders with the Federal Government would lead to improvement in local and export business activities in the organic sector within the country.

He, therefore, urged stakeholders to be committed to the revitalization of the sector in order to make more vibrant as it used to be.