From Douglas Blessing
Farmers in Edo State are of the opinion that the solution to climate change and food crises is agroecology, kicked against the use of chemical fertilizers for farming.
The farmers campaign against the chemical fertilizers at a two day training for farmers in Benin City, the State capital, organised by Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF).
The Non Governmental Organization had organized a dialogue and practical agroecological trainings for over 50 farmers on how to improve the quality of their farm lands and have a healthy farming system.
The training noted that chemical intensive agriculture is not only harmful to the soil but contributes to climate change and endangers the health of farmers and the environment.
The programme disclosed that on the quest to increase soil fertility and boost yields with the use of chemicals, farmers unknowingly endanger their economic future and further sign into a lifetime of health problems, adding that frequent exposure to chemical pesticides can cause cancer and other neurological, immunologic, respiratory and reproductive diseases.
The programmes manager of HOMEF, Joyce Brown, stated that the essence of the training was to highlight the challenges farmers face and to train them on how to produce and use organic farming inputs.
She stated that “the use of harmful chemicals and GMOs do not solve the problems we have faced with food scarcity rather it damages the soils and beneficial organisms. Natural fertilizers do not pose any harm to the soil, rather they nourish the soil”.
Other experts at the training noted that there are some elements found on the farm which work in harmony with the crops to withstand disease
and destroy pests.
The Deputy Director of Women Environmental Programme, John Baaki, noted that “agriculture production has suffered intensive use of chemicals which is poisoning the environment,contaminating the air and water bodies as well as the health of farmers.’’
Baaki also said, ‘’by teaching farmers to go organic, we are addressing the problem of chemical pollution in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.’’
Also, the Deputy Director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the earth Nigeria, Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje, in her presentation stated that
farmers should not be excited when they receive unknown seeds or while using certain fertilizers which have proven to be harmful.
“We are encouraging the use of organic methods. Let us begin to ask some questions. Are we sick because of what we consume? Farmers help to protect nature, environment and our health.
We need to consciously grow our foods in manners that are healthy and that do not inflict harm on the soils. To our farmers in Nigeria, we plead that we go back to our roots and say no to GMOs.”
During the practical session, farmers were trained on the production of organic fertilizers and how to improve soil fertility for optimum productivity.
They also learned farming practices that would reduce erosion and leaching and increasing the nutrient holding capacity of the soil and others.
Some farmers shared stories of having short-term and chronic sicknesses arising from the use of chemicals on their farmlands.
The farmers also spoke about how they are impacted by changing climatic conditions which reduce their capacity to cater for their families. .
A cocoa farmer, Frederick Ekrebe-Thomas, who shared his experience said: “The cassavas in my farm went bad after spraying with pesticides and herbicides. When I tried it on separate farms, I noticed that the one with chemical all went bad but the one I used natural methods produced greatly.
“I have seen it from experience that a farm that is cultivated with organic inputs produces more than those using chemicals.
We farmers do not always admit that chemicals are harmful to us. I have been trained in the past on the harmful use of chemicals and I appreciate this training because it has further opened my eyes and added to my knowledge.”
Sharing her experience also, a rice farmer, Angela Victor, expressed her excitement over the training “I have been into local rice farming. The government once gave us rice which they call “sparrow 44” with fertilizers to make it grow.
“At the end instead of making profit, I lost much. At the next planting season I decided to go back to my old rice seeds and method of farming before now. I have learned a lot from this training and I will put the knowledge to use.”
The farmers urged government to support farmers by providing indigenous seeds rather than contaminating GMOs and chemicals that would destroy their soils and harm their economies.
They also asked for improvement of rural infrastructure which will enable their products get to final consumers and also improve their farm gate prices.
