In this weeks Letter to My Farmers, Babatunde expresses the necessity for the spread of knowledge among farmers to improve how they implement certain farming tactics that are more sustainable.
Walking through the farms in the most remote areas in Nigeria and interacting with producers of food made me realise that the problem of agriculture has been largely information dearth. Many of these farmers wish to know more, but they don't have access to the appropriate knowledge. This is because those who are charged with such responsibility have little or no knowledge like them. Thus, the farmers depend solely on their local knowledge to produce what we currently eat, which has yielded some results, but need to be improved upon as new reality emerges (such as increase in population and change in consumers' behaviour).
Furthermore, the new reality has established that we need better quality seeds to increase productivity to feed the increasing population, also we need changes in some practices to ensure safety of the food produced and protect the environment. This is key for sustainable agriculture. There is also a need to change the mindset of viewing agriculture not only as farming but as a business venture that requires appropriate information at various stages of production to increase profitability. This new reality has proved that farmers don't need external aid to become less vulnerable, rather they need the right knowledge to employ in their daily activities to take themselves out of poverty. Yes, farmers need to take themselves out of the state they have found themselves in, but the enabling environment is much needed to achieve this.
Therefore, it is important that key stakeholders undergo the same mind shift in providing the right guidance for farmers to access the appropriate knowledge at the right time to improve their productivity. So, we all must be consciously involved working with these key actors to achieve the right tool called Appropriate Knowledge.
Yours-in-Service,
Babatunde
Furthermore, the new reality has established that we need better quality seeds to increase productivity to feed the increasing population, also we need changes in some practices to ensure safety of the food produced and protect the environment. This is key for sustainable agriculture. There is also a need to change the mindset of viewing agriculture not only as farming but as a business venture that requires appropriate information at various stages of production to increase profitability. This new reality has proved that farmers don't need external aid to become less vulnerable, rather they need the right knowledge to employ in their daily activities to take themselves out of poverty. Yes, farmers need to take themselves out of the state they have found themselves in, but the enabling environment is much needed to achieve this.
Therefore, it is important that key stakeholders undergo the same mind shift in providing the right guidance for farmers to access the appropriate knowledge at the right time to improve their productivity. So, we all must be consciously involved working with these key actors to achieve the right tool called Appropriate Knowledge.
Yours-in-Service,
Babatunde
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