Group Seeks to Tackle Climate Change Via Smart Agriculture

James  Emejo

The Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) has teamed up with other stakeholders in the agricultural sector to reduce the impact of climate change on agribusiness through the adoption of the Climate -Smart Agriculture approach.

President, NABG, Mr. Emmanuel Ijewere, said farmers needed to adopt Climate-Smart Agriculture as a solution to crop cultivation, mitigating post-harvest losses, improving crop yields, restoring soil nutrients, and improving livestock farming amidst the ravaging impact of climate change on the ecosystem.

Speaking during a 2-day workshop on Developing a National Framework for Climate-Smart Agriculture, themed, “Cleaner, Safer, Rewarding Agriculture”, which was organised by the group and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ijewere pointed out that every country has a specific responsibility to adjust to climate change, especially in food production.

He said the Climate-Smart Agriculture project currently being championed by NABG seeks to ensure that a sustainable agricultural framework that is inclusive and affords Nigerian youths the opportunity to get involved in food production is established.

This, he said, will reduce massive food importation bills while using the land resources efficiently and effectively with modern farm technology.

The NABG president the innovation will bring about increased harvest and less input sustainability; improving quality soil; sustainable greenhouse gas levels; high production and falling cost, and new methods on weather and harvest forecast.

Ijerewe said, “We believe that it is high time Nigeria begins to transform its agri-food system including crops, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture, agro forestry and forestry.

“Agri-food systems must increase production in a sustainable manner in order to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs. So, the whole idea of  putting this together  is to ask ourselves these questions in advance and to put in place a framework that will enable us to address these issues.”