Organic agric summit advocates youth-driven policy
About 120 participants at the just concluded 2017 National Organic Agriculture Business summit are of the opinion that Nigerian youths have significant roles to play in organic agriculture.
A communiqué issued at the end of the summit in Akwa, Anambra State, said such roles would ensure job opportunities for the youths in order to contribute to sustainable national development as well as addressing food insecurity.
The communiqué urged all tiers of government to mainstream organic agriculture into all their agricultural activities with appropriate support.
“The stakeholders of the organic agriculture sector in Nigeria should take advantage of several market opportunities for organic produce and products, of which BioFach is a good example.
“The National Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) should mainstream organic agriculture education into their current curricula for agricultural programmes,’’ the communiqué read in part.
Earlier, the President of the Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN), Prof. Victor Olowe, said the global market of organic products stands at $80 billion with guaranteed integrity and quality organic agriculture produce.
He spoke in Awka at the just concluded National Organic Agriculture Business Summit organised by the Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) initiative in Nigeria.
He said the summit with the theme ‘Global Organic Agriculture Development: Unbundling Abundant Entrepreneurial Opportunities for Nigerian Youths’ was for Nigerians and its youths to leverage the available organic global market.
“This year’s summit is very relevant to our current situation in the country: and this is the most auspicious time to really engage our youths in organic agriculture in order to help them channel their energy into more productive and rewarding ventures.
“Organic agriculture has been adjudged the fastest growing sector in agriculture in the world and presently the global market of organic products stands at $80 billion so Nigerians must not be left out,’’ he said.