Why Africa Misses Out on $130b Global Organic Farming

Why Africa Misses Out on $130b Global Organic Farming

The African agricultural landscape is yet to make a significant mark and maximally tap into the global organic farming opportunities. 

This is as farmers in Nigeria and other key African countries are hampered by low capacity, resources and weak structure to effectively play in the global organic farming space valued at over 130b USD as at 2019, with 72.3 million hectares managed by over 3.1 million producers.

This was revealed by an agricultural expert, Dr. Olugbenga AdeOluwa, Country Coordinator of Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative in Nigeria, during a presentation. 

The expert further stated that no country in Africa is among the ten largest area of organic land while speaking on the Principles of Organic Agriculture practices at a forum organised by Journalists Go Organic Movement, an organic agro advocacy group,

Dr. AdeOluwa quoted IFOAM Organics International, the global umbrella body for all non-governmental organic agriculture bodies that “Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system which enhances agro-ecosystem health, utilizing both traditional and scientific knowledge. Organic agricultural system relies on ecosystem management rather than external agricultural inputs. 

He added that low level of technical know-how among stakeholders and policy makers have been part of the major limitations to the development of the organic agriculture sector in Africa. 

AdeOluwa, an Associate Professor in the Department of Soil Resources Management, University of Ibadan said organic agriculture contributes a lot to the health of the world.

“The Principles of Health, Ecology, Fairness, and Care are the roots from which organic farming grows and develops. Ensuring healthy living of both the living and non-living components of the ecosystem is a MUST in organic agriculture.

“This is what you don’t get from conventional agriculture, where ‘you rob Peter to pay Paul’ like the indiscriminate use of harmful agrochemicals without concern for its negative impact on the health of those in the value chain’’.

According to him, `organic agriculture also contributes to agro-ecosystem balance or sustenance; protecting native entities, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity.

“It emphasises the use of management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, taking into account the fact that regional conditions require locally adapted systems.

“This is accomplished by using, where possible, agronomic, biological, and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials, to fulfill any specific function within the system’’.

He added that organic production method thus plays a dual societal role: on one hand it provides for a specific market responding to a consumer demand for organic products, and on the other hand delivers public goods contributing to the protection of the environment and animal welfare, as well as to rural development.

Health considerations, especially, is increasing the demand for organic produce and products.

Mrs. Ebere Agozie, a Journalist with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and Founder, ‘Journalists Go Organic’ a Pan African Initiative said the project was born out of the desire to help curb strange sicknesses ravaging the world today.  

“This project is to build the capacity of journalists across the African continent not only in the promotion of, and sustenance of, organic farming and agriculture, but in getting them to become organic farmers.

“The unique innovation is to work with journalists who are the watch dogs of the society to take the words and benefits of organic farming to every nook and cranny of the country.

“Since we are what we eat, we can no longer leave the business of our health and that of our environment to farmers alone.

“Nigeria must be number one in the drive for organic agriculture in Africa and among the best ten in the world; therefore, we must sit up and work as a team”.

Journalists Go Organic is a Pan African initiative that brings journalists together with organic agriculture and environment experts on how to have a healthy nation and a healthy environment.