How to Solve Nigeria’s Problems of Food through Organic Farming

For a more detailed understanding of how to solve Nigeria’s problems of food through organic farming, let us for a start try to know…

What Exactly Is Organic Farming ?

In definition, organic farming is:

“An agricultural technique of naturally producing quality crops, vegetables, or animals, without harming the environment; the people; the animals as well as other micro organisms that are living around”.

In this sense and definition, organic farming rather means:

“An application of modern eco-friendly farming practices that works in agreement with nature. It does not, necessarily imply a complete going back to the ancient and traditional methods of farming”.

Admittedly, there are some olden-day agricultural practices that are still very useful today. And what organic farming does is to apply the very bests of these past techniques in combinations with modern knowledge of science and technology.

As to how to farm organically, it is entirely a matter of the farmer’s personal choice. For what makes an organic farm, is not what name it is called, but what difference the name makes to other farms around it.

So, by definition, farming organically means:

“The following of natural agricultural methods in the production of the best qualities of plants and animals in a way that is safe and harmless to the environment, to humans, to animals, and to other living organisms “.

In the simplest terms, farming organically here implies that the farmer uses real natural means rather than using petro-chemical sprays; artificial hormones; antibiotics, vaccines; pesticides and herbicides in his or her agricultural productions.

Reasons why people choose organic farming

In intensive or industrialized methods of farming; the various chemicals and artificial fertilizers that are usually used, are known to often turn unsafe to humans; to animals; to the soil and to the environment. These chemicals equally go as far as polluting the rivers and other water resources; and or carry various diseases and toxins to humans and to animals that finally consumes the produce.

Intensive farm products are also relatively very expensive, yet nutritiously tasteless and has very lower market prices. So, some of the major reasons why modern farmers prefers to grow organically are that:

• Organic growing increases and up-builds soil structure and fertility.

• It does not pollute the rivers and other water resources.

• It is safe and friendly to the environment.

• It provides long-term benefits to humans and to animals.

• It re-cycles and re-uses locally available resources.

• It provides tasteful and nutritious food crops at the best affordable prices.

• It uses natural and non-chemical means to control farm pests, diseases and weeds.

• Organic farming has real concerns and re-assurances of the natural rights and welfares of farm animals.

• It is an inexpensive modern system of farming that anyone can afford.

• It relatively brings in some higher incomes for farmers, even at local community levels. … etc, etc.

Here, and with these facts in mind, we aught to know that the modern world is already producing surplus food. That a great majority of today’s world population are still living in hunger is never a here-say.

Please know that various capacities of government agricultural projects as well as mechanized and industrialized farms, do not really solve the problems of global hunger. But, let us in this post see how to solve Nigeria’s food problems through organic farming:

1. Agric localization

One of the greatest ways to use organic farming in solving Nigeria food and agricultural problems, is by localizing agriculture, even down to the rural communities. There is a real urgent need for Nigeria’s government to attend to this particular problem. This is because almost everything that exists in modern agriculture today, is a mere state of total exploitations in the cover of agric industrialization or privatization. But, with agric localization, the rural communities and individual families can organically grow their own local foods with their own available resources.

2. Alleviation of poverty

Organic farming is a sure solution to Nigeria’s food problems because it is a very lucrative source of job provision in local communities. And as most of the organic farm jobs provides incomes, they as well provides food and poverty alleviation to individuals and to families within the country.

3. Organic agric education

Another way to use organic farming as solution to Nigeria’s food problems is by educating families and rural farmers on how and why it is best to grow food organically. By creating this kind of awareness, both the quality and quantity of Nigeria’s local foods will improve greatly.

4. Use of inexpensive farm tools & techniques

The use of inexpensive farm tools and techniques is another plus for organic farming in terms of solving Nigeria’s food problems. Anyone, anywhere can successfully grow organic food as neither expensive chemicals nor hormones nor any industrial machine is compulsorily required for you to be able do it yourself.

5. Use of renewable energy

The use of renewable non-petroleum based energy is also an additional force for organic farming as solution to Nigeria food and agricultural problems. Wind, solar and organic fertilizer such as compost; are not only renewable but also nation-wide affordable unlike petroleum; nuclear, or chemical fertilizers and hormones.

6. Non-use of petroleum-based chemicals

Organic farming can equally help in solving Nigeria’s food and agricultural problems, because of its non-use of petroleum-based chemicals like herbicides, pesticides, hormones and inorganic fertilizers.

Unlike organic products, the use of petroleum-based chemicals are known to have diverse effects on human health, on the soil, on the environment, as well as on the real tastes and quality of food.

7. Creation of jobs & income opportunities

Organic farming is such a very powerful tool that can generate jobs and income opportunities in the grass-root levels of Nigeria’s rural communities. By providing agricultural local jobs and incomes, organic farming will as well provide surplus food to feed the nation.

8. Re-use of waste products as fertilizers

The re-use of farm and house-hold waste products as organic fertilize, is a safety and protective measure to humans and to the environment, as well as to plants, to animals and to other micro organisms.

This extents of friendliness contributes a great lot for organic farming in terms of using it as solution to Nigeria’s food problems.

9. Fair distribution of food for all

As i noted earlier: the world we live in today do already have surplus food to feed everyone, everywhere. That millions of people today are really lying hungry, is because the world’s food distribution system is quite unfair.

Do you know that a great percentage of some countries’ foods are fed to animals?

Do you also know that in some countries, several large quantities of foods are being wasted daily; and in some rich nations, farmers are even paid to stop growing so as to control market food prices?

In short, the only best way to achieve a very fair and just distribution of food, even in Nigeria’s society, is through organic farming.

10. Ensuring the right and welfare of animals

Organic farming can also help as solution to
Nigeria’s food and agricultural problems as it

ensures that the actual natural rights and welfare
of farm animals are fully up-kept.
In short, the modern methods and practices of
intensive livestock farming do often give rise to
various sorts of a heartless and an unjust
abuses; sufferings and cruelties to innocent farm
animals. Organic agricultural methods of animal
husbandry, is on the other hand a complete re-
assurance to the rights and welfare of all farm
animals.