By Emeka Nwokocha
Warri base nongovernmental organization, Environmental and Rural Mediation Centre (ENVIRUMEDIC), in partnership with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), SHOWFAN and SWOFON, joined other organizations around the world to mark World Food Day in Delta State.
The event which took place at Freshville hotel, Okuokoko, Okpe local government area of Delta State was anchored on the theme, “Grow, Nourish and Sustain” and featured speeches from various organizations.
Mr. Lucky Enegide, Senior Programme Officer at Environmental and Rural Mediation Centre (ENVIRUMEDIC), spoke eloquently about the World Food Day, saying “it is a global event held on 16th of October every year primarily to raise awareness of the need for successful agriculture policies to be implemented by governments across the world to ensure there is ample food available for everyone.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of Initiative for Peace and stability (IPAS), Mrs. Joy Tobele, said that the cardinal objective of the event was to ensure food is available for all at a relatively low price. She called for an improved method of farming in Nigeria to increase food production, even as she advised farmers against continuous use of inorganic fertilizer to grow crops, noting the health implications of such practice.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the African Centre for Environmental and Rural Development (ACERD), Mr. Fred Nohwo, threw more light on food security, stating that it means all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs for an active and healthy life. Continuing, he stressed the need for an increase in food production to ensure it is available to everyone anytime.
In the same vein, the Executive Director of Neferok Development Initiative (NEDI), Mrs. Ayo Okotie, emphasized importance of healthy diets to the well-being of all people. She advised women to practice patio farming by cultivating crops like vegetables, pepper, tomatoes and others in small spaces or containers at home, stating that non availability of land should not be a barrier to farming.
Corroborating the earlier speakers, Mr. Richard Benin of Community Development Advocacy Foundation, (CODAF), advised against food waste, noting that proper management of food is vital in ensuring food sufficiency. He advised farmers to device means of managing and preserving farm produce.
Present at the event were Value Rebirth and Empowerment Initiative (VREI), African Centre for Environmental and Rural Development (ACERD), Community Development Advocacy Foundation, (CODAF), Initiative for Peace and stability (IPAS), Community Empowerment and Development Initiative (CEDI), Development Initiative for Community Impact (DICI), The Real Initiative for valued Empowerment (THRIVE), SHOWFAN and SWOFON. Others were representative of the Delta State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MANR): Mrs. Edukugho Menewe, Unit Head of the Mobilization of Rural women for Sustainable Agriculture (MORWSA), Mrs. Onaibe R.O., Director of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ughelli North LGA.
