Food Security: Transforming toilet waste to table water

NaijaAgroNet: 

Given the increasing competition over water usage, how can it be ensured that agriculture has access to water, and hence can provide the global population with food? What part can agriculture, as the largest user of water, play worldwide in the sustainable stewardship of water as a valuable resource?

With existing fresh water resources becoming limited and over-exploited, climate change and water scarcity are ranking high among the biggest global challenges. Therefore, farmers have to look for alternative ways of covering their needs – like using wastewater.

Wastewater is a valuable, and still in many countries untapped resource, which can help the agriculture, agroforestry and forestry sectors achieve food security and move towards climate change adaptation. 

However, wastewater used in agricultural fields often does not meet the required water quality criteria, let it be from the perspective of the farmers’ health and/or agricultural practices (e.g. high turbidity causing the clogging of irrigation pipes).

In the frame of the panel experts from different regions and organizations will discuss the current status of wastewater application in agriculture, its importance for achieving food security, existing challenges, relevance with SDG targets and ultimately the future steps forward.

Improved and affordable mechanisms and state of the art technologies for expanding collection, treatment and safe application of wastewater in agriculture and agroforestry sector might be applied for water scarcity adaptation.

These would not only:

(1) contribute to the country’s food security significantly, and

(2) help cope with climate change sustainably, but also

(3) protect farmers’ health by assuring that treated wastewater being applied in the field is also safe. The latter would also contribute

(4) to the farmer’s income, as well as

(5) reduce the amount of pollution produced by agriculture through replacing a significant amount of fertilizer with nutrients recovered from the wastewater (e.g. nitrate).

Finally new systems could (6) reduce the total water usage, by implementing a stable water-wastewater-circle that sustains several protagonists with hardly any external influences. However, these aims cannot be achieved without proper water pricing policies and sensitization of the public.

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Bayelsa votes N1.2bn for accessible water in 200 communities

NaijaAgroNet:

The Bayelsa State government, has voted the sum of N1.2 billion for establishment of access water in some 200 communities, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Disclosing this Friday, the governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Seriake Dickson, expressed optimism that all communities in the State would get access to water in the next three years.

"In Bayelsa State, there is water, water everywhere but none to drink. We rarely have water to drink and some of the water are in salt water area. We need to desalinate it. So, out of a number of communities that really have that challenge, government selected some land locked communities to provide water and we have done that already.

"Our partners have selected 200 communities in Bayelsa State, principally in two Local Government Areas to provide a lot of things. We appreciate our partners, World Bank, EU and UNICEF who are contributing about N700 million and the State government is putting N422 million. In other words, we are actually bearing the cost of about 35 per cent of the project. But the key issue is not what they are providing, I am more interested in their technical expertise that they are bringing to the table. But I have told them that they need to expand it because I want more communities to benefit.

"The provision of portable water for people is our priority. I want to ensure that every community in Bayesla State have water in the next three years. We will look for the resources and work with them. We will also tap on their expertise. I told them that I will be willing if they can create another counterpart funding for even this year."

While acknowledging the fact that States are finding it difficult to meet the contributions, the governor said that Bayelsa State would "be willing to look for money to start another one so that again a minimum of 200 or 250 more communities again can benefit."

"I want to ensure that within the next three years, every community, no matter how small, should have access to some safe drinking water because sometimes the situation they manage is very bad.

"The people drink water from stagnant pools and get infected. We have cases of perennial cholera and drainages with pollution along water ways. There are a lot of things going on and that is why we are very committed to that and we appreciate the partnership", he emphasised.

Dickson called on community leaders to work with the contractors and protect these facilities by putting it on good use.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Food for All: MaxMart lifts Afram Plains South District with GhC5,000

NaijaAgroNet:

Ghana’s premier family shopping centre, MaxMart has listed  the Afram Plains South District of the Eastern region of Ghana with a donation of GH¢5,000 to Food for All Ghana Sustainable Farms Fund as initial capital to build a community livestock farm for deprived communities reports NaijaAgroNet.

Receiving the cheque from General Manager of MaxMart , Mr. Omar Naboulsi, the founder of Food for All Africa programme, Chef Elijah Addo, reiterated the need for community partnership towards addressing hunger and food waste in Africa.

He also said the donation was as a result of a month long Waitrose Buy More Feed More Christmas project carried out by Food for All and MaxMart to raise awareness on the economic and environmental impact of food waste and hunger in Ghana.

“It was to also involve Ghanaians and stakeholders in creating sustainable means of nutrition for beneficiaries under the Food for All Africa programme. Through the month of Christmas, MaxMart donated 3% of Waitrose branded product prices for which it’s customers bought,” he said.

He quoted facts from the 2016 Cost of Hunger in Ghana report published in August by National Development Planning Commission which shows that Ghana loses GH¢ 4.6 billion which is equivalent to 6.4% GDP annually to hunger among children and 24% of all child mortality cases in Ghana are associated with under nutrition.” 

He indicated that the choice of Afram plains for the community farm project was as a result of the number of children in the community who are out of school due to a lack of regular means of nutrition.He appealed for individuals and corporate bodies to donate to the Food for All Ghana Sustainable Farms Fund to create sustainable means of nutrition for vulnerable communities in Africa.”

Also speaking, Naboulsi indicated MaxMart believes community participation plays a critical role in solving the economic and environmental impact of food waste and hunger in Ghana. It is in that regard that as sole distributors of Waitrose brand in Ghana, they involved their customers during Christmas to raise funding in support of the good work Food for All in undertaking to ensure a means of nutrition for the vulnerable in Ghana.”MaxMart is a socially responsible business and will keep supporting social intervention programs such as Food for All in Ghana.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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FAO tasks stakeholders to act on water scarcity

NaijaAgroNet:

The Director-General of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), José Graziano da Silva, has called for a better water management and improved access for small farmers, reports NaijaAgroNet.

He underscored the growing water scarcity, saying its now one of the leading challenges for sustainable development, and that challenge is poised to intensify as the world's population continues to swell and climate change intensifies.

Competition for water will intensify as humanity's numbers exceed 9 billion people around 2050 — already, millions of family farmers in developing countries suffer from lack of access to freshwater, while conflicts over water resources already surpass those tied to land disputes in some regions, he noted in remarks made at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (19-21 January) in Berlin.

Additionally, climate change is already altering hydrological regimes everywhere, Graziano da Silva said, citing estimates that around one billion people in dry regions may face increasing water scarcity in the near future. These are regions with a high concentration of extreme poverty and hunger.

Agriculture is both a major cause and casualty of water scarcity. Farming accounts for around 70 percent of fresh water withdrawals in the world today, and also contributes to water pollution due to pesticides and chemicals. 

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Scientists explain why you must chew your food

NaijaAgroNet:

Scientists have explained the essence of chewing your food properly and how it could boost your mouth’s immune system to protect you against illness, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The study led by teams at The University of Manchester and National Institutes of Health in the USA, revealed that a specific type of immune cell, the Th17 cell, can be stimulated when you chew.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the immune cell is important in protecting against bacterial and fungal infections that are commonly found in the mouth.

Although it has long been known that the nutrients from food can support a healthy immune system the findings establish that the action of eating itself is important too.

In other parts of the body, such as the gut and skin, Th17 cells are stimulated by the presence of friendly bacteria; it was previously assumed this was the case in the mouth.

However, the team found that damage caused by the abrasion of chewing induced factors from the gums that could activate the same pathways as friendly bacteria and act upon Th17 cells.

However, stimulation of Th17 cells for immune protection can be a double-edged sword: too many Th17 cells can contribute to periodontitis – a common gum disease that is linked to complications in lots of diseases including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, heart problems and pre-term birth.

The research was funded by the BBSRC and National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research in the United States.

Lead researcher and biologist Dr Joanne Konkel, from The University of Manchester, said: “The immune system performs a remarkable balancing act at barrier sites such as the skin, mouth and gut by fighting off harmful pathogens while tolerating the presence of normal friendly bacteria.

“Our research shows that, unlike at other barriers, the mouth has a different way of stimulating Th17 cells: not by bacteria but by mastication. Therefore mastication can induce a protective immune response in our gums”.

In the journal Immunity, the team show that they were able to stimulate increases in Th17 cells in mice by merely changing the hardness of their food, proving that mastication was the critical factor.

 But these Th17 cells also had a bad side; “We were also able to show that increased damage from mastication could also exacerbate bone loss in periodontitis”.

She added: “Importantly, because inflammation in the mouth is linked to development of diseases all around the body understanding the tissue-specific factors that regulate immunity at the oral barrier could eventually lead to new ways to treat multiple inflammatory conditions”

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Pix: Lead biologist Dr Joanne Konkel

Awba-Ofemili commends Gov. Obiano on road

Awba-Ofemili commends Gov. Obiano on road: ITRealms : The people of Awba-Ofemili town in Awka-North Local Government Area of Anambra State have commended the efforts of the Gover...

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EU votes 12m Euros to battle Yemen's food insecure

NaijaAgroNet:

The European Union (EU) has committed 12 million euros in support of FAO's efforts to tackle rising hunger, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Yemen, NaijaAgroNet gathered has over 14 million people who are food insecure in strife-torn country.

The EU funds, according to the UN Food and Agriculture organization (FAO) will be used to provide a better understanding of the magnitude of the current situation and avert a deepening crisis, while providing immediate agricultural support to more than 150 000 people to help them rapidly improve food production and nutrition.

In Yemen, agriculture plays a critical role in food security. This is especially true for those living in rural areas of the country, where insecurity and isolation mean food and other forms of humanitarian assistance are intermittent. Agricultural assistance can provide critical relief and is crucial for tackling the disturbingly high levels of malnutrition.

"This is one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. People's access to food is rapidly worsening and urgent action is needed," said Salah Hajj Hassan, FAO Representative in Yemen.

"The EU's contribution will greatly strengthen our ability to collect critical data on food security so that swift action can be taken to avert a further deterioration in the situation. It will also boost efforts to build the resilience of farmers and herders, especially women, by helping them to increase the value of their agricultural production," he added.

The project will support income-generating activities, such as backyard poultry rearing, dairy production, and beekeeping. Beneficiaries will also have opportunities to boost their incomes by learning how to improve their farming techniques, and about food processing, packaging and marketing.

Farming communities will also learn about proper and efficient irrigation systems to mitigate against the risks of water scarcity, drought and climate changes. The installation of solar pumps will ensure the provision of power to supply water for farming households suffering acute fuel shortages.

Support to the early warning system will include enhancing the collection, analysis and management of nutrition and food security data, and translating alerts into swift response to any emerging crisis.   

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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FG restates ban on 25 items

NaijaAgroNet: 

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Finance at the weekend, listed some 25 import prohibited in the country, reports NaijaAgroNet.

According to the spokesman for the Finance Minister, Mr. Festus Akanbi quoted his principal, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun as saying that the banned items include soaps, spaghetti and used or second-hand (tokunbo) refrigerators.

The press statement read in part:

IMPORT PROHIBITION LIST (TRADE)

Live or Dead Birds including Frozen Poultry H.S. Code 0105.1100 – 0105.9900, 0106.31.00.00 – 0106.39.00.00, 0207.11.00.00 – 0207.26.00.00 and 0210.99.00.00

Pork, Beef, H.S. Codes 0201.10.00.00 – 0204.50.00.00, 0206.10.00.00 – 0206.90.00.00, 0210.10.00.00 – 0210.20.00.00

Bird Eggs H.S. Code 0407.11.00.00 – 0407.90.00.00; excluding hatching eggs

Refined vegetable oil 1507.10.00.00-1516.20.90.00.but excluding refined linseed, castor and olive oil. Crude vegetable oil are however NOT banned from importation.

Cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose, in solid form containing added flavouring or colouring matter H. S. Code 1701.91.10.00 – 1701.99.90.00 in retail packs

Cocoa butter, Powder and cakes H.S. Codes 1802.00.00.00 – 1803.20.00.00, 1805.00.10.00 – 1805.00.90.00, 1806.10.00.00 – 1806.20.00.00 and 1804.00.10.00 – 1804.00.90.00

Spaghetti/Noodles H.S. Code 1902.11.00.00 – 1902.30.00.00

Fruit Juice in retail Packs H.S. Code 2009.11.10.00 – 2009.11.90.00 – 2009.90.90.00

Waters, including mineral waters and aerated Waters, containing added sugar or sweetening matter or flavoured, ice snow H.S. Codes 2201.10.10.00 – 2201.90.00.00, other non-alcoholic beverages H.S. Codes 2202.10.00.00 – 2202.90.90.00.(but excluding energy or health drinks – liquid dietary supplements e.g. Power Horse, Red Ginseng, etc)

H.S. Code 2202.90.10.00 and Beer and stout (Bottled, Canned or otherwise packed) H.S. Code 2203.00.10.00 – 2203.00.90.00.

Bagged Cement H.S. Code 2523.29.00.00

Medicament falling under Headings 3003 & 3004 such as:

Paracetamol tablets Syrups

Cotrimozazole tablets and Syrups

Metronidazole tablets and Syrups

Chloroquine tablets and Syrups

Haematinic formulations:

(i) Ferrous sulphate and ferrous gluconate tablets

(ii) Folic acid tablets

(iii) Vitamin B Complex tablets (except modified release formulations).

Multivitamin tablets, capsules and syrups (except special formulations)

Aspirin tablets (except modified release formulations and soluble aspirin)

Magnesium trisilicate tablets and suspensions

Piperazine tablets and syrups

Levamisole tablets and syrups

Ointments penicillin/gentamycin

Pyrantel pamoate tablets and syrups

Intravenous Fluids (Dextrose, Normal Saline etc)

12. Waste pharmaceuticals H.S. Code 3006.92.00.00

13. Soaps and Detergents H.S. Code 3401.11.10.00 – 3402.90.00.00 in retail packs

14. Mosquito repellant Coils H.S. Code 3808.91.17.00 (mosquito coils)

15. Sanitary Wares of Plastics H.S. Code 3922.10.00.00 – 3922.90.00.00 and Domestic Articles and Wares of Plastic H.S. Code 3924.10.00.00 – 3924.90.90.00 (but excluding Baby Feeding Bottles 3924.90.20.00) and (flushing cistern and waterless toos toilets).

16. Rethreaded and used Pneumatics tyres but excluding used trucks tyres for rethreading of size 11.00 x 20 and above 4012.20.10.00

17. Corrugated paper and Paper boards H.S. Code 4808.10.00.00 and Cartons, boxes and cases made from Corrugated paper and Paper boards H.S. Code 4819.10.00.00,

Toilet paper, Cleansing or facial tissue H.S. Code 4818.10.00.00 – 4818.90.00.00 excluding baby diapers and incotinent pads for adult use 9619.00.22.00 and Exercise Books H.S. 4820.20.00.00

18. Telephone Recharge Cards and Vouchers 4911.99.91.00

19. Carpets and other textile floor coverings falling under H.S. Code 5701.10.00.00 – 5705.00.00.00

20. All types of footwears, bags and suitcases, H.S. Code 6401.10.90.00 – 6405.90.90.00 and 4202.11.90.00-4202.99.90.00 but excluding safety shoes used in oil industries, sports shoes, canvass shoes and all Completely Knocked Down (CKD), blanks and parts.

21. Hollow glass bottles of a capacity exceeding 150 mls (0.15 litres) of all kinds used for packaging beverages by Breweries and other beverages and drinks company H.S. Code 7010.90.49.00 and 7010.90.31.00.

22. Used compressors H.S. Code 8414.30.90.00, Used Air Conditioners H.S. Codes 8415.10.10.00 – 8415.90.90.00 and used Fridges/Freezers H.S. Code 8418.10.10.00 – 8418.69.00.00

23. Used motor vehicles above 15 years from the Year of manufacture H.S. Code 8703.10.00.00 – 8703.90.00.00

24. Furniture H.S. Code 9401.1000.00 – 9401.9000.99 and 9403.1000 – 9404.9000, but excluding Baby walkers, laboratory cabinets such as microscope table, fume cupboards, laboratory benches (9403), stadium chairs, height adjustment device, base sledge, seat frames and control mechanism, arm guide and head guides. Also excluded are; skeletal parts of furniture such as blanks, upholstered or unfinished part of metal, plastics, veneer, chair shell etc.

25. Ball point pen and parts including refills (excluding tip)

*Ayo Midele with additional report from Independent

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FAO projects new jobs, food to vulnerable Iraqis

NaijaAgroNet:

An estimated 200,000 people from Mosul and across Iraq will be able to earn an income for the first time since the Islamic State of the Levant (ISIL) took parts of the area in 2014, thanks to a new FAO project that is restoring irrigation to 250 000 hectares of farmland, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Water will soon be flowing again through the canals that used to feed the once-fertile land some 30 km west of Mosul - Iraq's third largest city. Through the cash-for-work component of the project, FAO supports vulnerable families who need money for daily needs, including food and clothes, heating and transport. Many of them have not had paid employment for at least two years.

Participants are clearing the main canal of the northern Al Jazeera irrigation scheme of dirt, stones and debris, which will allow it to again feed small canals throughout the farming landscape.

FAO has also repaired the pumping station that feeds the canal system from Mosul Dam. And, for the first time, the agency is collaborating with a demining company to clear valuable farmland around the canals of undetonated ordinances, so farmers can plant crops and graze their livestock safely.

The project is already benefiting more than 3 000 people and is essential in getting farming activities in the area back underway.

"Farmers here haven't been able to grow vegetables for two years, since the irrigation canals were destroyed by armed groups who also contaminated the area with explosive devices," said Fadel El-Zubi, FAO Representative in Iraq. "Restoring people's ability to farm and trade in this area is not only important for food security but also for building prosperity and lasting peace in the country," he added.

Farmers in the region used to export vegetables and crops, including wheat and barley, to Syria and other countries, as well as supplying millions of people in Iraq. Now the country relies on fruit and vegetable imports.

"We collect debris in piles, and then merge every four piles into one big one for the excavator to pick up and remove from the canal," said 23-year-old Ahmed Mohammed, a father of three. "My brother has agricultural land and he'll benefit from the project as well. He used to grow wheat and barley in the winter and vegetables at other times. Now he can only grow vegetables when the rain falls."

The Al Jazeera irrigation scheme used to be an essential source of water for agriculture, livestock and domestic use. Some 100 smaller canals in the system were damaged, bridges were also blown up and the damaged pumping station was working under capacity, resulting in extreme water shortages.

As the Government of Iraq retakes control of more areas, a major effort is needed to rehabilitate critical infrastructure so that agricultural production can resume and livelihoods can be restored. FAO is seeking urgent funding of $89 million to strengthen its emergency response, including rehabilitating damaged agricultural infrastructure, supporting farmers to vaccinate and feed their livestock, and expanding cash-for-work and other income-generating activities.

FAO's work, in coordination with the Iraqi government, supports families returning to reclaimed areas, internally displaced families, host communities and refugees from Syria. The current project on the Al Jazeera irrigation scheme is funded through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 

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Pix: Da Silva, Director-General, FAO

BAN says real harm by Intercon is toxic e-waste, commends Feds for arrest

NaijaAgroNet:

The Executive Director, Basel Action Network (BAN), Mr. Jim Puckett, has declared that the real harm by the owners of Chicago-based Intercon, led by the chief executive officer, Brian Brundage, reports NaijaAgroNet.

"The real harm perpetrated by Brian Brundage and so many others operating in the same way today is the assault on human health and the environment of poorer communities in Asia where our toxic e-waste ends up

Reacting to the recent arrest of Brundage and indictment on a four-count charge of tax evasion and six counts of fraud, BAN Director said it was not surprising, because Intercon Solutions was always a con and never a solution.

"But they fooled a lot of people and got very rich doing it. After we tracked their containers to China, we found out from former employees that they never actually did any electronics recycling at all but just packed and shipped offshore or to local landfills -- a complete fraud," he said.

Puckett pointed out that the arrest and indictment came after over five years since BAN as an international environmental watchdog organization, first exposed by the activities of Intercon Solutions and its CEO Brian Brundage.

He commended the United States Federal agencies, saying it is gratifying to see the wheels of justice turn at long last, but it must be understood that the true crime of Intercon was not a financial one.

"The real harm perpetrated by Brian Brundage and so many others operating in the same way today is the assault on human health and the environment of poorer communities in Asia where our toxic e-waste ends up,” he maintained.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the government is seeking forfeiture of 10 million dollars and each count of income tax evasion is punishable by up to five years in prison, while the wire fraud and mail fraud counts each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years.

According BAN chief, Mr. Brundage and his company Intercon was first caught exporting electronic waste (e-Waste) to Asia in 2011.

BAN, which takes its name from the Basel Convention -- a UN treaty that controls and prohibits the export of hazardous electronic wastes from rich to poorer countries-- has been a relentless watchdog on the issue for the last decade, working to halt the massive tide of toxic e-wastes to that flow each day to Asia by so-called "recyclers" in the United States. 

In 2009, he said, UN authorities created the e-Stewards Certification to offer an alternative to the weaker "R2" Certification created by a US EPA led negotiation, which continues to allow the export of toxic e-wastes to developing countries.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that since 2002, BAN exposed the highly dangerous and polluting offshore electronic waste operations operated by informal recyclers in countries like China and Nigeria that have poisoned thousands of workers and the immediate environs. BAN has worked with many business leaders to prohibit US exports; and, until that happens, they have created the e-Stewards Certification program for those customers that wish to find recyclers that refuse to participate in global toxic waste trade to developing countries.

Remmy Nweke/ED, Ops
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