UN sharpens focus on food safety, nutrition with observance day - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has applauded the United Nations decision by the United Nations to create two new international days and one entire year devoted to central issues in global food security and nutrition, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The UN General Assembly, NaijaAgroNet gathered, had on December 20, approved three new resolutions creating three awareness-raising initiatives, focused on plant health, food safety and pulses.

FAO and the International Plant Protection Convention Secretariat, based at FAO, welcomed the decision to proclaim 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health. With up to 40 percent of global food crops lost annually due to plant pests, the importance of fostering healthy plants is critical for public opinion and policy makers. In economic terms alone, plant diseases cost the global economy around $220 billion annually and invasive insects around $70 billion.

"The International Year of Plant Health is a key initiative to highlight the importance of plant health to enhance food security, protect the environment and biodiversity, and boost economic development," FAO Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo said.

Meanwhile, from now on, 10 February will mark World Pulses Day, keeping alive the positive momentum surrounding these healthy, nutritious, protein-rich, nitrogen-fixing legumes after FAO's successful 2016 International Year of Pulses Campaign. Growing pulses contributes to sustainable crop production.

And 7 June will be World Food Safety Day, paying tribute to an increasingly important issue in today's highly-interconnected food systems. FAO notes with satisfaction that the UN resolution expressly recognized that "there is no food security without food safety".

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Laser reduces bird damage by 90% - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

A new laser bird deterrent technology has been successfully used at South American crops. The technology is designed and manufactured by the Dutch fast growing company Bird Control Group. Agrilaser technology is proven to decrease crop losses by 70 to 90 per cent, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Pest birds like eared doves destroy each year between contribute to 5 per cent to 25 per cent of the crops at a farm in South America, resulting in enormous money losses to small farmers as well as large agricultural operations, especially in crops like sunflowers. A lot of bird damage also occurs in high yield orchards with fruits like cherries, table grapes and blueberries. Many of these fruit growers in Chile and Peru are suffering from great losses due the attacks of birds when the color of the fruit changes throughout their ripening process.

Bodega Catena Zapata Farm was one of the many Argentinian farms experiencing significant grape losses due to the local parrot flocks. In order to protect their grapes effectively, they decided to test the automated laser bird deterrent system Agrilaser Autonomic. This technology is inspired by nature and takes advantage of a bird’s natural instinct: birds perceive the approaching laser beam as a physical danger and disperse to seek safety. Due to the installation of Agrilaser Autonomic, Bodega Catena Zapata successfully reduced the presence of parrots by almost 100% and saved thousands of dollars on bird damage.

Also Agricola EU used the technology to avoid losses in the cherry farm in Chile. Germán González, the Operations Manager, decided to try Agrilaser after experiencing difficulties with choosing the right bird deterrent to protect the crops. With the installation of Agrilaser Autonomic he achieved immediate results and reduced the crop losses by 90%!

Positive results have been also observed at Syngenta, a global producer of agrochemicals and seeds. The Syngenta sunflower seed producer in Argentina was experiencing a problem with pigeons and parrots destroying sunflowers and eating the seeds. They tried bird watchers and fireworks but none of these methods gave long-lasting results. After the Autonomic was installed, bird presence has decreased by 80 per cent.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Pix: Audu Ogbe, Nigeria Agric Minister.

UN global migration pact to avert suffering, chaos - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The United Nations (UN) has commended the global adoption of migration pact, saying it will avert suffering, chaos, especially in developing countries, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Secretary General of UN, Mr. António Guterres, said this in reaction to the adoption of the pact in Marrakesh, Morocco on Monday, describing it as a “roadmap to prevent suffering and chaos”.

Addressing the opening intergovernmental session at the event, Mr. Guterres, said that the compact provides a platform for “humane, sensible, mutually beneficial action” resting on two “simple ideas”.

“Firstly, that migration has always been with us but should be managed and safe; second, that national policies are far more likely to succeed with international cooperation.”

The UN chief said that in recent months there had been “many falsehoods” uttered about the agreement and “the overall issue of migration”. In order to dispel the “myths”, he said that the Compact did not allow the UN to impose migration policies on the Member States, and neither was the pact a formal treaty.

“Moreover, it is not legally binding. It is a framework for international cooperation, rooted in an inter-governmental process of negotiation in good faith,” he told delegates in Marrakech.

The pact would not give migrants rights to go anywhere, reaffirming only the fundamental human rights, he said.

Acknowledging that some States decided not to take part in the conference, or adopt the Compact, the UN Chief expressed his wish that they will come to recognize its value for their societies and join in “this common venture.”

The United States did not endorse the Compact, and more than a dozen other countries either chose not to sign the accord or are still undecided.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Pix: Secretary General of UN, Mr. António Guterres

E-waste, an emerging threat - ITREALMS

NaijaAgroNet:

Electronic Waste (e-Waste) has been classified as an emerging threat by the United Nations (UN), reports NaijaAgroNet.

UN through its agency Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) at the occasion of World Soil Day 2018, informed NaijaAgroNet that some 50 million tones of electronic waste are generated every year.

This, they said, has made e-Waste one of the world's fastest growing pollution problems affecting the soils.

FAO also described the situation as one man's trash becoming another man's treasure in the case of electronic waste.
The agency also urged those using electronic devices to think before throwing away their old devices.

"You can donate them or recycle them," FAO experts said.

They further insisted that every man on earth could be the solution to soil pollution.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Increased soil contamination puts food safety @risk - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on Wednesday, marked the 2018 World Soil day with call for urgent action to reduce release of pollutants into soils, reports NaijaAgroNet.

FAO, NaijaAgroNet recalls, every 5 December 2018 in Rome commemorate the World Soil Day, saying that urgent action is needed to address soil pollution and contain the multiple threats it poses to global food safety and food security.

According to FAO, thousands of chemicals, which are commercially produced on a large scale, plastic and electronic waste, non-treated wastewater can all become a source of soil pollution, paving the way for the pollutants to enter the food chain with serious consequences for the health and wellbeing of people and planet.

"About 33 percent of all soils are degraded - and soils continue to deteriorate at an alarming rate," said Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo at the World Soil Day Ceremony at FAO's Rome headquarters. "Soil acts as a filter for contaminants. But when its buffering capacity is exceeded, contaminants can enter the environment and the food chain. This undermines food security by making crops risky and unsafe for consumption".

"Human activities are the main source of soil pollution. It is in our hands to adopt sustainable soil management practices," she added.

She called "for greater political support and significantly increased investment towards healthy soils". Maintaining healthy soils helps ensure safe and nutritious foods and is essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Zero Hunger.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

WSD 2018: Be the solution to soil pollution - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

Years of our actions and habits on soil have left a legacy of pollution worldwide. Soils have a great potential to be the solution to the increasing challenge of soil pollution. 

They act as a sponge that filters contaminants, degrading and attenuating their negative effects. But soil buffering capacity is limited. If exceeded, contaminants can seep into the environment and enter the food chain.

Growing food on uncontaminated soils provides safe food and helps fight hunger. Ninety-five percent of our food comes from soils: conserving and sustainably managing soils is critical in successfully feeding a growing world population. 

Simultaneously, it can restrain the risk soil pollution poses to agricultural productivity, human health and the health of all organisms on Earth.

On 5 December 2018, World Soil Day, focus your attention on being part of the solution... Small daily changes can have a significant impact on the health of our soils.

Happy World Soil Day!

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Shell signs gas supply deal with GPAL, GACN - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) and its joint partners have signed a gas supply and aggregation agreement that will support the 140 Megawatts Aba Integrated Power Project in Abia State. The agreement, signed on Friday in Abuja, was between SPDC, Geometric Power Aba Limited (GPAL); and Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria (GACN), reports NaijaAgroNet.

By the agreement, NaijaAgroNet gathered that SPDC will supply gas from the SPDC joint venture gas plant in Imo River traversing Abia and Rivers States to the power producer, Geometric Power Aba Limited (GPAL) via a gas pipeline network which is already installed.

“This is a further demonstration of our commitment to supporting Nigeria’s industrialisation through gas,” said the Managing Director of SPDC and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor.

Okunbor, who was represented by SPDC’s General Manager, Business and Government Relations, Bashir Bello, noted: “For more than 50 years, Shell has been in the forefront of the campaign to develop and monetise Nigeria's huge gas resources and it is good to see more players joining the fray to grow the gas market and help improve lives and the earnings in Nigeria.”

Speaking at the agreement-signing ceremony, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, described the Aba Independent Power Project as a potential catalyst for opening up the Aba market for economic growth.

Represented by his Special Adviser on Fiscal Strategy, Dr. Tim Okon, the minister said the government was determined to ensure commercial sustainability of any such project with the potential to grow the gas market.

Chief Executive Officer of GAPL, Prof. Bath Nnaji said the project was structured to incentivise gas suppliers to invest in gas production for the domestic market, adding: “We are confident that the structure will serve as a model for other gas-to-power-projects in Nigeria.”

The Managing Director of GACN, Morgan Okwoche, who signed on behalf of the company described the project as the foremost private off-grid gas supply and aggregation agreement that would enhance industrial growth and economic development.

Those who witnessed the signing ceremony included the General Manager Petroleum Engineering of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Muazu Awaisu, who represented the Group Managing Director of NNPC; and the General Manager Gas Portfolio of SPDC, Yemi Famori.

The SPDC JV owns the 650MW Afam VI power plant in Afam, River State which in 2017 supplied 15% of Nigeria’s grid-connected electricity.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

L-R: Manager, Upstream and Commercial Negotiation, Nigeria Agip Oil Company Limited, Pius-Milverton Ogunjiofor; Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Geometric Power, Bart Nnaji; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Gas Aggregation Company Nigeria Limited, Morgan Okwoche; General Manager, Gas Portfolio, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), Yemi Famori; and SPDC’s General Manager Business and Government Relations, Bashir Bello; at the signing of the Gas Supply and Aggregation Agreement for the Aba Integrated Power Project in Abuja, at weekend.

Farmers grappling with drought, urgently need seed - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

A new drought response plan will help estimated 1.4 million of the most vulnerable drought-affected people in Afghanistan during the coming winter season and into April next year, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced today on the sidelines of the Geneva Conference on Afghanistan, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Around 10.6 million people, or close to half of the country’s rural population, are severely food insecure. This level of hunger has many causes, including years of civil unrest, but it has been made worse by a damaging drought triggered by low snowfall last winter followed by rainfall of up to 70 per cent less than normal in some places. Many families have resorted to desperate coping measures including skipping meals, selling off their livestock or moving to makeshift displacement camps.

FAO is working with partner organizations to provide vulnerable farmers in 22 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces – particularly households headed by women or people with disabilities – with urgently-needed wheat seeds and fertilizers in time for the winter planting season, when much-needed rains are forecast to finally arrive.

Livestock protection measures, including concentrated livestock feed, fodder crop seed, and animal health services are also being provided. Livestock are a key source of food and livelihoods for the majority of rural Afghans; keeping livestock healthy through the harsh winter is therefore essential for rural food security, preserves breeding stocks and sustains rural livelihoods for the coming years.

FAO’s drought response plan is also intended to help people stay at their places of origin and reduce drought-induced displacements.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Merck marks International Day for elimination of violence against women - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

Philanthropic arm of Merck Germany, the Merck Foundation, has marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and commencement of the “16 Days of Activism" that precedes Human Rights Day on December 10 each year, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Through their “Merck more than a Mother” campaign, NaijaAgroNet gathered that Merck Foundation planned to empower infertile women against all sorts of discrimination, abuse and psychological and physical violence due to their inability to bear children.

“Together with our partners and our ambassadors, we can create a culture shift to sensitize all communities to respect women whether they are mothers or not. Women are more than Mothers, this is what we stand for. No for violence against women and #NoForInfertilityStigma. 

"Merck Foundation marks the International Day for Elimination of Domestic Violence against Women today and every day as part of our daily activities to empower infertile women through access to information, health, change of mindset and economic empowerment so that they can be independent and stronger” emphasizes Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of Merck more than a Mother.

Watch the story of Merck Foundation CEO visit to Jackline Mwende, the victim of infertility Stigma. She was abused and accused of being unable to bear a child. Although she was not the one with the infertility problem – it was her husband. Yet he refused to get treated and abused her. He chopped off both her hands trying to kill her. Merck Foundation empowered and helped her to start her new life, new home and a new supermarket to lead a good life. She became the “Merck more than a Mother” heroine.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Kano achieves 67% milestone on 2018 health programme - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Kano State government has achieved about 67 per cent of the milestones set in the 2018 health system programme, reports NaijaAgroNet.

A press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet by the Chief Press Secretary to the Kano State Governor, Abba Anwar quoted the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Kabiru Ibrahim Getso, as disclosing this at the technical session with donor agencies including Bill Melinda Gates and Dangote Foundations.

Dr Getso revealed that, "Of the 6 agreed 2018 milestones for the health programme, 4 have been completed, which represents 67 per cent.”

He also said that “As a priority for the health programme and 100 per cent Routine Immunisation Funds for Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 2018 deposited into the respective accounts, all funds for RI have been released to respective accounts."

According to Getso, another priority of the government was in reintroducing and scaling up of Missed Opportunity for Vaccination (MOV), tracking in secondary health facilities.

"MOV training conducted across all SHFs. While additional 5,122 children have been immunised through MOV between July and September, 2018," he said.

Further, he said, the priority of finalising roll-out of the enhanced community engagement (CE) strategy across all 44 local governments for Routine Immunisation.

"Community Engagement strategy rolled out 96 per cent of Mai Unguwas in the state now line-list new-born and track unimmunised children in their settlements," he said.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology