Abeokuta:The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has called for greater investment in agro-ecology to enhance food security, climate resilience, and sustainable agricultural practices across Africa. This appeal was made by Dr. Hussein Gadain, FAO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, during his address at the Agricultural Fund for Sustainable Agriculture (AGRECOFARM) final conference held at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Gadain, represented by Dr. Nifesimi Ogunkua, FAO Nigeria Climate Change Specialist, highlighted that agro-ecology provides effective solutions to the continent’s pressing food, environmental, and socioeconomic issues. He noted the alarming fact that approximately 307 million Africans faced hunger in 2024, emphasizing the urgency of transforming Africa’s agrifood systems.
Dr. Gadain explained that agroecology should be viewed as a systems approach tailored to local ecological, economic, and cultural circumstances rather than a fixed set of technologies. He outlined the FAO’s ten elements of agroecology, including diversity, synergies, and resilience, and stressed the importance of education in agricultural transformation.
He urged universities to enhance agroecology education by equipping students with practical skills for designing interventions, analyzing landscapes, and translating scientific research into policy. Highlighting Nigeria’s shift towards broader agrifood systems, he pointed out FAO’s role in training over 30,000 smallholder farmers and supporting restoration efforts in Ondo and Cross River.
However, Dr. Gadain identified several challenges to agroecological transition, such as weak land tenure, limited finance, and inadequate extension services. He advocated for digital transformation to bolster agroecology through better access to climate information, finance, and markets.
He also emphasized the need for stronger connections between farmers, policymakers, and scientists, improved extension services, and increased investment. He called for making agroecology investable through various financial mechanisms and improving value chains to create income opportunities for farmers.
Prof. Pietro Picuno, Coordinator of the AGRECOFARM project, stressed the importance of African-European university collaboration in promoting sustainable agriculture, noting the project’s success in developing academic programs that combine theory with practical agroecological knowledge.
Prof. Olusola Kehinde, Vice Chancellor of FUNAAB, advocated for more investment in agroecology education and research, highlighting the pressures on traditional agricultural systems in sub-Saharan Africa. He encouraged researchers and students to leverage the conference’s opportunities for partnerships and practical solutions.