To tackle the rising food inflation in the country, stakeholders in the agricultural sector have called for the adoption of agro ecology to mitigate the impact of the use of chemicals on food production in the country.
According to them, the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides have greatly damaged the soil, thereby reducing crop yield per hectare, hence the need to return to nature by utilising organic fertiliser and pesticide for food production.
The Programme Manager, Strategic Partnerships for Agroecology and Climate Justice in West Africa (SPAC-West Africa), MrAzubikeNwokoye, revealed that ActionAid International in collaboration with ECOWAS is implementing a three-year project across Liberia, Nigeria and Senegal to improve knowledge on agroecology among smallholder women farmers.
Speaking at a virtual media training workshop for select journalists across the participating countries, Nwokoye maintained that the SPAC-West Africa, was funded by ActionAid International Transformative Impact Fund (TIF) to the tune of 2.4 million pounds.
He said the ActionAid Nigeria is implementing and coordinating the ECOWAS region engagements and continental engagements.
It was learnt that the impact on communities will include from non-purse of chemical inputs, improved and increased productivity and increased incomes due to diversified livelihoods. “There will also be increased access to grants, credit, land, inputs, labour saving technologies, extension services, etc. for SHWF and young people. In addition, we will be testing new approaches of getting the private sector to sign up into ethical practices that support SHWF in climate resilient agriculture.”
