The Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN) has called for farmers to go organic, while also appealing to the Lagos State Government to support in the establishment of an organic market at the state.
The association also called on wife of the state governor, Bolanle Ambode and the state’s Iyaloja, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, in supporting the association in organising a national trade fair for organic agriculture produces.
This called was made on Tuesday, in Lagos, at a training workshop and exhibitions on organic vegetables production organised by the Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria in an advocacy effort for the adoption of organic agriculture across the country.
President of the association, Professor Victor Olowe, at the event, said the driving force behind organic agriculture was promotion of good health, while also giving some insight in the differences between organic agriculture products from conventional agriculture products.
“In organic agriculture, labelling is very crucial. Before you can label any product organic, the production system through which that produce is coming from must go through a process of satisfaction.
“It is a process whereby they come to your farm, check your production practices, confirm if you have adhere to organise production standard and principles recommend that will garantee that the product coming from your farm is organic. The System being used in Nigeria is called the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS),” he said.
Olowokere Florence, Chairman of Lagos-Ogun Organic Agriculture Innovation Platform, speaking on the benefits of the workshop said the workshop would prompt more farmers to go organic.
“The awareness for organic agriculture is increasing. So, we decided to educate farmers today and as a result of this workshop, many farmers will be interested in organic farming,” she said.