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UNN seeks policy to encourage solutions to food insecurity

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) Resource and Environmental Policy Research Centre (REPRC) Environment for Development (EfD) Nigeria has called for a government policy that will enable farmers to embrace Climate Smart Agriculture in order to solve the current food crisis.

 

 

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Charles Igwe made the call at the 2020 Policy Day, organised by the REPRC-EfD Nigeria in collaboration with the Gender and Development Policy Centre (GENCENT) of the university.

 

Igwe, who expressed concerns for the debilitating effects of food insecurity in the nation, stated that the current high prices of food items in the country was enough reason for the government at all levels to initiate such policies. “I concede that social political factors and the COVID- 19 pandemic are undertones for the current food crises.

 

I also believe, very strongly that the major culprit is climate change,” the Vice-Chancellor said. This was as the Vice- Chancellor, who further explained that the impacts of climate change on the agricultural system could not be wished away, stressed: “It requires our concerted effort in the areas of research, policy formulations, farmers’ education and the practice of climate smart behaviour.”

 

According to him, the EfD Nigeria Policy Day had provided the platform for policymakers, farmers and other relevant stakeholders to brainstorm on policy decisions for gender-inclusive climate smart agricultural practices for the attainment of food security in Nigeria generally and the South  East geo-political zone in particular.

 

The Director of REPREfD Nigeria, Dr. Chukwuone Nnaemeka said that the Centre organised the Policy Day in order to share the findings of the Centre’s research on Climate Smart Agriculture and Food Security with stakeholders with the hope of stimulating their passion for a policy decision that would enable farmers to adopt practices that would increase food production.

 

Presenting the centre’s findings on the research, titled: “Determinants and Impact of use of Multiple Climate Change Smart Agricultural Practices: Panel Data Evidence from Nigeria,” Dr. Chukwuone said that there were evidences that farmers, who adopt climate smart agricultural technologies experienced improved crop yields and make more income.

 

He, therefore, noted that the land tenure security predisposes farmers to adopt climate smart agricultural practices, and that households who own and use a mobile telephone were more likely to embrace climate smart agricultural practices, including use of organic fertilizer, and other soil fertility management processes.

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