Organic agriculture processes lack awareness – Don
Dr Jude Obi, of the Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management, University of Uyo, has identified poor awareness as one of the key challenges confronting organic agriculture processes and practices.
Obi disclosed this in his online presentation on `Organic Agriculture to the Rescue’, organised by ‘Journalists Go Organic Initiative’, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
The lecturer noted that though conventional production system and other practices had compromised the overall environmental parameters, organic agriculture practices and production systems had come to the rescue.
“The conventional system was presented as the only alternative to sustainable food production and security but did not foresee the debilitating effect it will have on both the environment and health of humanity.
“The conventional practice was packaged, popularised and widely adopted, either for the available knowledge as at then or for the selfish capitalist end, as obtained now like the GM foods.
”The previously practiced traditional system was presented as deficient, in the prerequisites to feed the geometrically growing human population.
”The developed countries made tremendous progress with intensive use of systems that led to deteriorated global climatic conditions, with which Africa currently does not have the capacity to withstand, therefore, we must go back healthy farming,” he explained.
Obi, who is also the Coordinator for the Knowledge Centre for Organic Agriculture (KCOA) in Africa reiterated, however, that organic agriculture was about the dire need to feed the world’s growing population with healthy food.
“Humans have been confronted with strange ailments that are clearly pointing at the conventional agricultural practices, hence, the need and every reason to practice agriculture with safety and health as priorities.
”Organic agriculture is the affordable way to provide quality agricultural goods and services in harmony with nature.
“Therefore, efforts should be made by all stakeholders to popularise the practice,’’ Obi stated.
