Oil & Gas flaring: NOSDRA, SDN partnership to enhance environmental stewardship - NaijaAgroNet

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The National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency (NOSDRA) and Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), a non-governmental organization with its headquarters in the United Kingdom have expressed their firm commitment to consolidate on the gains of their ongoing partnership in the interest of clean and sustainable environmental management in Nigeria’s petroleum industry.

This assurance was given on Wednesday when the Executive Director of SDN, Adam Heal, and his team paid a courtesy visit to the Director-General/Chief Executive of NOSDRA, Engr. Chukwuemeka Woke, in the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.

WFP: Reducing the environmental footprint - NaijaAgroNet

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Can you introduce yourself? Where are you from, where are you based now and what is your role with WFP?

I’m half Italian and half Swiss, but I grew up in Italy. Currently, I am based in the Regional Bureau in Nairobi, working as a Regional Environmental Officer. In my role, I help Country Offices reduce and manage the environmental footprint of their operations for a more sustainable tomorrow. I do this through applying our Environmental Management System, which helps us to systematically and consistently identify, monitor, manage, and reduce our environmental footprint.
Tell us about your professional journey. 

Why did you decide to pursue a career in sustainability?

My journey in sustainability started with my Bachelor’s thesis – a research on how different countries are progressively recognizing the right of access to clean water in their constitutions. I then did a Master’s degree in Sustainable Development in the Netherlands and Germany, where I studied the basics of environmental governance, environmental economics, and natural resources management. At that time, in 2013, sustainability was not yet a buzzword and my choice of studies was a bit of a gamble since there weren’t that many jobs in the sector.

Environmental institute ISPRA joins FAO’s renewed partnership - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Italian Institute for Environmental Research and Protection (ISPRA) has joined FAO and three of Italy's main research institutions - the National Research Council (CNR), the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), and the National Agency for New Technologies,  Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) - in a partnership aimed at enhancing sustainable food production and nutrition in developing countries, reports NaijaAgroNet.

"The world is facing unprecedented global challenges that affect the long-term sustainability of food and agriculture systems, impacting global food security and the livelihoods of millions of family farmers worldwide," said Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General and Natural Resources Coordinator.  

With a world population expected to grow to nearly 10 billion people in 2050, , FAO estimates that agricultural output will need to increase by almost 50 percent compared to 2012 to meet projected food demand. Research is going to be crucial to help countries find the right balance between increasing agricultural productivity while sustainably managing valuable natural resources and conserving ecosystems.

"Italy's top research institutions can provide crucial expertise, information and science to move towards sustainable food systems and  the achievement of Zero Hunger by 2030," Semedo added.

"With this wide-ranging cooperation agreement Italy can better support FAO in the field of agriculture innovation for family farmers and smallholders. Together, we can  transform  agriculture and food systems to make them sustainable in innovative ways!" said Ambassador Pierfrancesco Sacco, Permanent Representative of the Italian Republic to the UN Agencies in Rome during the signing of the partnership. 

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Greening agriculture vital for environmental protection

NaijaAgroNet:

The policies governing the agricultural sectors, the use of natural resources, protection and conservation of endangered species, habitats and biodiversity have been identified as needing some alignment for the better protection of the environment and reduce the ecological footprint of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, reports NaijaAgroNet.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) at the farm level, production practices can be implement that not only safeguard biodiversity but also ensure that food producers will be able to sustainably make use of it.

This week's event at FAO,  NaijaAgroNet gathered, will examine real-world examples of how agriculture, fisheries and forestry have been successfully managed to safeguard biodiversity.

A series of working groups involving a wide range of stakeholder will focus on different avenues for advancing biodiversity mainstreaming in agriculture, including global governance; national policies and legislation; financial incentives and investments; and supply chain measures.

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Experts pursue sound chemicals management to promote human, environmental health

NaijaAgroNet:

Keeping with recent calls for commitments from all to contribute towards a pollution-free planet, experts and observers joined members of the Rotterdam (RC) and Stockholm (SC) Conventions' chemical review committees for back-to-back meetings in Rome, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The team, NaijaAgroNet gathered, reviewed a record number of chemicals for inclusion in annexes of the two Conventions, both of which aim to protect human health and the environment, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

According to NaijaAgroNet findings, recommendations cut across the Rotterdam Convention, and Stockholm Convention.

NaijaAgroNet reports that over 250 experts and observers in total, from all regions of the world, gathered at the headquarters of the FAO in Rome to conduct back-to-back meetings focused on the review of scientific information on toxic chemicals, with a view to recommending inclusion in the annexes of the two conventions, thus becoming regulated by international law.

The latest FAO data, NaijaAgroNet reports, showed that international pesticide sales are valued at up to USD 480 billion a year. UNEP estimates that as many as three percent of those working in agriculture worldwide suffer from acute pesticide poisoning, with adolescents facing a higher risk.

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Poisonous Fanta, Sprite: Health Ministry attributes saga to environmental differences

NaijaAgroNet:

… Defends NAFDAC, insists Coca Cola products safe for consumption

The Federal Ministry of Health (FMH) has offered defense on behalf of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) over the alleged poisonous Fanta and Sprite in the controversial difference environmental setting of benzoic acid limit introduced in these soft drinks in Nigeria, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The latest response arose from the recent court judgement on the case filed by Fijabi Holdings and another versus Nigeria Bottling Company and NAFDAC, in which NAFDAC was mandated to direcdt all NBC and other bottling company to imprint a notice that taking the soft drink of Fanta and Sprite with Vitamin C is poisonous.

Director, Media and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs Akinola Boade, on behalf of the Minister of Health, Dr. Isaac Adewole, after a joint meeting of NAFDAC, Standards Organisations of Nigeria (SON) and NBC, attributed the difference in standards of these additives to environmental conditions.

In a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet at the weekend, the Ministry said due to the different environmental conditions obtainable in the United Kingdom (UK) and Nigeria, the standard for benzoic acid was set at a lower limit of 150 milegrame or kilogramme (mg/kg) for UK.

While in Nigeria, the Minister said, “it was set at 250mg/kg even below than that of Codex.”

He explained that as at time of production of that batch of drinks in question, Codex limit was 600mg/kg.

The minister pointed out that NAFDAC and SON regularly monitor the manufacturing practices of food industries and conduct laboratory analysis to ascertain continuous compliance with required national standards.

NaijaAgroNet was told that there was a routine inspection conducted at Nigeria Bottling Company by NAFDAC officers, last December, 2016, which was pronounced “satisfactory.”

Food products being imported into a country, the Ministry explained, must comply with the relevant standards of the destination country.

“NAFDAC has processes in place to ensure products imported into the country are evaluated to ascertain compliance with required Nigeria industrial standards.

The claimant, FMH said, did not obtain NAFDAC certification before export, otherwise, Fijabi would have been advised on the required standard of the destination country.

The Ministry further declared Coca-Cola products manufactured in Nigeria safe for consumption; “Yes, the Coca-Cola products manufactured in Nigeria are safe for consumption.”

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‘Etisalat committed to environmental protection’

NaijaAgroNet:

Acclaimed most innovative telecommunications company, Etisalat Nigeria, has reiterated commitment to environmental conservation in Nigeria by continually doing its business responsibly in conformity with international best practices, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Head, Environmental Compliance & Public Relations, Etisalat Nigeria, Oluseyi Osunsedo, revealed this at an event organised by the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) in partnership with the United Nations Information Centre and Etisalat Nigeria to commemorate the 2016 World Environment Day in Lagos.

While underlining the importance of a healthy ecosystem to environmental sustainability and socio-economic growth, Osunsedo said Etisalat would continue to promote responsible environmental conservation in and around all its operations across Nigeria.

“At Etisalat Nigeria, we are passionate about the environment. This is why we have environment as part of our three core CSR platforms, the other two being education and health. We take environmental protection seriously because we are aware of the negative impacts that can occur from improper management of natural resources and its effect on the environment”, she said.

Osunsedo further assured the gathering that Etisalat would continue to take significant and positive steps in ensuring protection of the environment in which it operates, whilst pledging its support for initiatives such as the NES awareness program to ensure that majority of Nigerians understand the messages and call to action because everyone regardless of who they are, have a role to play in sustainable development.

Also speaking, Director, Environment Services, Lagos State Ministry of The Environment, Dr. Iyabo Philips, who represented the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, commended Etisalat Nigeria and other partners for their collaborative effort on environmental sustainability.

“Environmental conservation is our collective responsibility. Our existence depends on how well we can keep our environment because we are all connected: human, plant and the earth,” she said.

In his remarks, Chairman, Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), Dr. Eugene Itua, said that Nigeria was blessed with a very rich wildlife, however decried the harmful practices that have put wildlife into near extinction.

“We must not allow greed and personal gains push us to decimate and destroy the earth’s irreplaceable treasure. As the dominant specie, it is our responsibility to take care of the earth”, he said.

   

National Information Officer, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos, Oluseyi Soremekun, said ‘Go Wild for Life’, the theme for this year's World Environment Day, was informed by the need to raise awareness on the wider implications of increase in illegal trade in wildlife. “Individuals involved are motivated solely by short-term gains at the expense of long-term benefits to communities and habitats.”

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University don invents yam tubers growth regulators

NaijaAgroNet

A senior lecturer, Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, at the University of Ibadan (UI) Dr. Monrufat Balogun, has invented a technology for the production of Dormancy-Controlled Yam Seed Tubers reports NaijaAgroNet.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the technology is not a genetic modification and had no zero detection of plant-growth regulator, which would ensure increased availability of yam seedlings to all yam farmers to allow them, cultivate yams for more than one cycle.

"We want to see how yams can be grown anytime in the year and not necessarily only at the season.This technology would yield more income for farmers,” she said.

The expert speaking on assurance of the technology to the growth of the agricultural sector also said the research started in November 2014 and took two years to perfect it.

“We soak the tubers in some substances that are called ‘Growth Regulators’. After this, we check whether there is difference in sprouting between the ones soaked and the ones not soaked. After checking the tubers at the lab we found out that zero amounts of the substances were detected, so it is safe and people should not fear.” Balogun said.

She also said they are planning on training all stakeholders in yam production and consumption on this new technology.

The invention, NaijaAgroNet learnt, was in collaboration with Prof. Wayne Curtis of the Pennsylvania State University, under the United States National Academies-partnership for Enhanced Engagement in Research, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and would be fully out by 2016.

Daniel Nsolibe/GEE/Ed, Ops.

 
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Adopt Forest and Land-use policies to alleviate global hunger – IUFRO

NaijaAgroNet

International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), at a United Nations Forum on Forests in New York, called on countries with big forest-dependent population to adopt national policies and land-use strategies that support the planting of multi-functional trees to provide food, timber, fuel wood, medicine and a host of environmental services that could access safe nutritious food for all, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The Union, NaijaAgroNet gathered, estimates that some 805 million people – one in nine citizens of Earth – are undernourished, primarily in Africa and Asia. At the same time, between 1.2 and 1.5 billion people worldwide depend on forests for all or most of their diet and livelihood.  

Stepha Mcmullin, social scientist and member of the Union report’s Authors, also concurred that forests and tree-based farming systems such as agroforestry can complement agricultural production to ensure greater food security and better nutrition for some of the world's most vulnerable communities.

“If you're familiar with shade-grown coffee, then you have an idea of what agroforestry is all about. By planting fruit trees and other useful species, selectively weeding and otherwise managing the forests as intensively as any farmer might tend their fields and rotate their crops; people all over the world have created gardens that resemble natural forests in many ways, including providing suitable habitat for a diverse array of flora and fauna.” He said.

McMullin who, NaijaAgroNet gathered, advocated that forests and tree-based systems also benefit people indirectly, sited an instance in the Sahel region of Africa, noting that by planting trees, poor farmers have turned millions of acres of what had become semi-desert by the 1980s into more productive land, where trees now account for 80 per cent of average household incomes in the region, largely through shea-nut production.

Coordinator of IUFRO’s Global Forest Expert Panels initiative, Christoph Wildburger, told NaijaAgroNet that tree-based farming can help prevent climate change calamities, which is also a threat, not just to the productivity of agroforests but to conventional agricultural operations, as well.

“Large-scale crop production is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, which may occur more frequently under climate change. Science shows that tree-based farming can adapt far more better to such calamities. We know that forest already play a key role in mitigating the effects of climate change. It should also be made very clear that they also play a key role in alleviating hunger and improving nutrition.” He said.

Ultimately, lack of community control over forests and, of course, deforestation could limit the abilities of forests to enhance food security. Forest management in most countries is fragmented across different governmental agencies and administrative jurisdictions.

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UN - 34 African nation’s soil endangered

NaijaAgroNet:

The United Nations (UN) climate changes conference in Germany tagged “International Year of Soils” has come to an end with scientist and environmental advocates estimating that nearly a third of the world’s soil is degraded, with the figure closer to two-thirds in sub-Saharan Africa, NaijaAgroNet reports.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the one week-long conference reports that 34 of Africa’s 54 countries have over 20 percent in either the amount of land degraded or the amount of population affected by land degradation.

Emphasizing the importance of soil, NaijaAgroNet gathered that the experts view the soil as one of the most important resources obtainable, if not the most important. They further substantiate that it sustains all our agricultural and livestock food production, wood for fuel production, filters water so that we can drink it and fish can live in it, as well as useful for construction – therefore sustaining our homes and infrastructure. 

It further maintained as NaijaAgroNet learnt, that in Africa, the issue of land degradation (a decline in land quality caused by human activities) and soil fertility decline is deeply complex with intertwining and cyclical causes. These range from poverty, inadequate farming techniques, and poor inherent soil qualities to population pressure, to insecure land tenure and climate change, amongst other factors.

Stating also that if these are issues are not addressed, the cycle of poor land management will result in higher barriers to food security, agricultural development for smallholder farmers and wider economic growth for Africa.

According to Agriculture for Impact (A4I), an independent advocacy initiative, NaijaAgroNet gathered that the economic loss as a result of land degradation is estimated at approximately N13.5 trillion ($68 billion) per annum.

It further advocates that better land management practices could deliver approximately N279 trillion ($1.4 trillion) globally in increased crop production which is 35 times the losses.  

NaijaAgroNet also learnt that a 2008 report on the “Global Assessment of Land Degradation” by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and partners offered some shocking insights and surprises into the degree of soil degradation in some African countries. 

The African countries on the UN watch list as NaijaAgroNet gathered would be the dry land African countries around the Mediterranean and Middle East and relatively small areas in the Maghreb and the Nile delta. 

The conference NaijaAgroNet gathered, advocates that the rate of soil nutrient depletion is a factor that must be considered when ranking which countries should be on the soil watch list, as an important concern directly linked to food insecurity in developing countries due to the intensification of land use for agricultural production. 

NaijaAgroNet gathered that 650 people from 80 countries gathered in Germany for the conference that brought together scientists and environmental advocates to discuss climate change’s increasingly hottest topic - soil. 

Daniel Nsolibe /Ed,Ops.

  
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