Don Decries Poor Organic Agriculture Practice In Africa

Don Decries Poor Organic Agriculture Practice In Africa 

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja 

        AdeOluwa

An Associate Professor in the Department of Soil Resources Management, University of Ibadan, Dr Olugbenga AdeOluwa has decried the poor organic agriculture practice in Africa despite the huge landmass. 

Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system that enhances the agro-ecosystem by utilising both traditional and scientific knowledge in protecting the native entities, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity.

To this end, AdeOluwa disclosed that global organic sector was valued at $130 billion as at 2019, with 72.3 million hectares managed by over 3.1 million producers and Africa was backward. 

He stated this during his online presentation on the, 'Principles of Organic Agriculture Practices', organised by Journalists Go Organic Movement.

Journalists Go Organic is a Pan African network comprising of journalists and experts in the field of organic agriculture and environment, determined to create a healthy nation and environment. 

 AdeOluwa, who is also the Country Coordinator of Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) initiative in Nigeria stated that no country in Africa is among the ten world's largest area of organic land.

He said that low level of technical know-how among stakeholders and policy makers is one of the major limitations to the development of organic agriculture sector in Africa, adding that organic agriculture contributes to a healthy nation. 

The Don pointed out that the principles of health, ecology, fairness and care are the roots from which organic agriculture grows and develops, saying that organic agriculture would boost the living and non-living components of the ecosystem. 

According to, "This is what you don't get from the conventional agriculture, where 'you rob Peter to pay Paul' like the indiscriminate use of harmful agrochemicals without considering its negative impact on the health of people in the value chain’’.

Expantiating on organic agriculture, he added "It emphasises the use of management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, bearing in mind that regional conditions require locally adapted systems".

"This is accomplished by using, where possible, agronomic, biological, and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials to fulfill any specific function within the system’’.

AdeOluwa hinted that organic production method plays a dual societal role by meeting the consumers demands for organic products and contributing to the protection of the environment, and animal welfare as well as to rural development.

He suggested that journalists should be acquainted with the principles of organic agriculture in order to properly address issues in the sector and explore the several opportunities available for mankind within the organic agriculture system.

Responding, the founder of Journalists Go Organic, Mrs Ebere Agozie said the network was borne out of the desire to help curb strange sicknesses ravaging the world today.  

Agozie, who is a journalist with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) was optimistic that the initiative would contribute to capacity building among journalists across the African continent and provide them the opportunity to adopt organic farming. 

"This unique innovation will entail working with journalists, who are the watch dogs of the society to take the words and benefits of organic agriculture to every nook and cranny of the country".

"Since we are what we eat, we can no longer leave the business of our health and environment to farmers alone, therefore; Nigeria must be number one in the drive for organic agriculture in Africa and among the best ten in the world if we work as a team", she concluded.