By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Stakeholders have demanded that a thorough Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) be conducted to assess the potential environmental, social, and health impacts of the industrial animal project being initiated by JBS S.A, one of the world’s largest meat processing corporations in Nigeria.
JBS in November 2024 signed a five-year investment plan worth $2.5 billion with the Nigeria government.
This plan includes building six facilities in the country: three poultry plants, two beef processing plants and one port facility.
At a media engagement titled ” Implications of Industrial Animal Farming in Nigeria” in Abuja on Thursday, the need to critically examine the potential consequences of embracing industrial animal farming was stressed.
The engagement was organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and Environmental Rights Action in collaboration with Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network, YARN and HEDA Resource Centre.
In her presentation on the growth of factory farming, JBS investment plan and implications for Nigeria’s food system, Mrs Mariann Bassey-Olsson rejected the planned investment by JBS saying factory farming does not produce natural conditions animals should be kept.
Bassey-Olsson who also coordinates the Food Sovereignty Program for Nigeria and Africa, said Nigeria can feed itself given the right conditions.
“Nigeria can feed Africa, and we can actually feed the world. Because FAO has said 70% of the food that is produced in this world is actually produced by small-scale farmers
“Yes, food sovereignty can be guaranteed if our government would do what is necessary to enable our farmers to produce more food, if there were good infrastructures, if there is an enabling environment. As we know, if you live in Nigeria, there is a lot of killings, kidnappings, especially with farmers in farmer-producing countries and states. So I would want our government to guarantee the lives of our farmers.
“Make good roads, let there be infrastructures and see if these farmers will not produce and I can assure you that we not only produce enough to eat, we will produce enough to even export to other countries. Because Nigeria can feed itself, Nigeria can feed Africa, and we can actually feed the world. Because FOW has said 70% of the food that is produced in this world is actually produced by small-scale farmers.
“We are saying we don’t want factory farming because these are not the natural conditions animals should be kept. Who would want to eat food that is produced in a lab or something? Because they are laced with antibiotics. This is large scale.
“We’re not talking about this. This is large scale, and it’s an investment. So they need to make their money, and they want minimal costs.
“Nigerians’ lives matter. Yes, we are not anti-investment, but investment should not be at the cost of the lives of Nigerians or the animals or the food that we eat. Go to the hospitals now.
In an interview at the training, Mr Williams Tennison from the World Animal Protection (WAP) discouraged putting the decision making on matters food in the hands of foreigners.
He added that Nigerian farmers will also lose because they will not be able to compete.
