DAILY SUN
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
17
Dr COSAIAS OMEGOH
C I' •
lhllDlt chloge. pedrick mln.ll!:eIItml a nd Ihrir implialion on ,-~ ecabJe production ~-n'C MUe<J fardiscuukm rftml galhcrin, or \"('lld1ble (.romeon In LAgos. A noD- gon'_mlllmll.l Ol"g1lniullon (NGO). Gender I nd u"ironnw.111 Righi I nitbliu' (GERI)
put 100ttIKr 1M prognnuue to tdunlc rarme.n In 'be urban I nd R ill! urlMn f"HJ of the nllc on 1M right '''-'Y' 10 man.l.~ 1)C'IlicidH in Ihe prodUClton of \e:getable nKKII) cOllsumN b) rt!klcllts, houls Ilid m tlunnLS In the f ilit. 1bt
prognnunr •
IU
madf' possible
b~
lhe
u shtlllC"C or Sma ll Gnnl) Prngnllll. G~a ll'n' iron numl FKilifl and United
'tolio" '
• Prognmmc
Ot\t_lopmcnl
(UXor), HlRimb tlf \-cgetabic f.umen from 0,0 and A1apcn a-nunwullcs Dl lagos pound mlO the C('nrerence flail of lIoly FIR~ Chw-ch Ul OguJu P1we 2 to listen IQ bdta ways 10 It13JIaIC pcsIiCMks UI Ihc:Ie days of chlngUIJ c1unalC. The lhtmt of the Kmlnat \\'as "'Clmaet Changc:., Pest Act.wrtlCS and PcsllcMic M3fWFlnerli III Urb.v! and Pt:nUrban Agnru/tft: III I...ap. In Illtcncbnce .....ere MISS Modupcola 00500tu, Pnrclplll Agncukur.tl Offar m the lap Stair MInlStJ)' of Agncull~ and Co-opcnuvo. offlCaais of lagos State and 'Kosofe l..oeIl GoVanmctlt Area of FADAMA prolCd. r~pft~ml~lI\CS of vanous NGOs ImJrlg .... hom ....~ Dr Owb Mcrume. MB. TIlt'WO Kw mel lIo'I B Jo)u: M
,pmow.
In her IftS'CIrlallOO. the co-coordu1aIOl' of GERJ, Dr YKk Adctb.yo dJ"c!oscd thai her cstabhshcd by • group of .:adcr:nlC .nd de\'elopmcnl 8ClJVlSlS ..... ho wert f~ 00 Ultcrdl!Clplmary rc:search. pobcyanal)"SlJ and advocacy around F"Cb and cm-vonmcnW IS$UCS., J*UCUlar1y as n cmccmcd ...unm and gm:sroocs COIlW1UUbCS. S~ saKllhe gathmn& ....oas mtended 10 ducusIJ l"ISUCI pcrtaUllIl& 10 pcrcqlbOn and adap."lboo 10 dunate change through pcslladc I118rIaFncnI UI the two urban and JelIU UJban 8l:f'ICUhurai commurllues (AIapcrc and 0,0 Amy Barncks) In lAgos AcconImg 10 bet, . N'VC)' camcd out by her orpn!SIlllOll "~15hed chid ...ban .gncuIItft comrlm1tnl.S .-a:s of fRsh romp and tndl~'~ 10 Qlcrlcs. hoIcls. households -.I markets U\ Lagos I1'lCtJtIpOhs. But ~fOl1l1na[ely, strong heal .......,'0 In dry scu:om lind Ionga dry mooths. IU5CCU and pesl and dr.sc:Mc: mfccoon due 10 hlp ~, ..amly of land and agncuItural qxll5 Ind floods, ImOfI8 otbcn, are thr: n,..- dWleng::s lurutmg ,qctabIc producuon. She rcpdted that m ." atlenlJC 10 endICIle Ul5CCC ~ on the: fmns. vanous dcgrncs ofpcsrlCldcs ~ and ~ ..~ being prxtl50Cd She regretted that dlvtne, lmCOI'ItroIlcd ptSllC!dcs sales outlets ....~ not hdpm,g mlllrB, .tdin& thai pcstJCJdcs ItsagC by fanners .... tuch were charxacrucd by ~nce 10 Jft-haoesc irur.-ab (PHI) and sUey prcautaons as spdl out on produtu IIbd were .KnOUS issues for c0nOfPJIWtlOn ....:lI
=She contended thai IllOIl fatmm In the
urban and rural m:<IlI IKked basIC mfonna· uon on the nghl IIpphClIMln of f&mUf18 anpuu. mOldy pcstx:adcs. tnSJWlg that ~ were. lot of health lS5UCl!IlIrUUIg from nusIJ'rIICIbon ofpc3llCldc:s in the cnvtromnmL She thmfcn wd ~ "'.. need 10 mllab· orate .....ith the fanncn and 10 eqlnp them WIth the OCC'CYat)' mfonnaoon on how 10 !DC prstlCldc:s nghl SlTU Ihr:1T vegdabk:s .....ere bei", COllSWncd by .11 and sundry In
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She sud " Much or the ,.cgetlIblc:s pr0duced by ~ rllJmCr5 aR' told In the open
nwkds. All ~ calCJ1CS m the crty usc tltac ,qetabk:s. yt.'I. no one -wean 10 be aWng how thc ~bk arc prodtK:cd.
Day Lagos vegetable farmers stormed Ogudu ...As group holds seminar on clirna1e change, pesticide management
Problems relau:d to hannful chenucal con-
.. If"lo"( ~ conccmcd about dus challenge. Ihm Ibm: IS the: need ror us 10 assISt these: fannm. Although they In' CUIIl\'tilina veg_ etables for survIval. they In' largely asslstmg the soclet)'- While tr)'IIlg 10 IVO"'" • lot IIIOft vegetables. they arpIy VInOUS chemICals ....illch .ffect the cn,"n'Onfl'ICn1. "'n the bgbt orthe 1Ibo\'e., GERI...tno....I· edges that c:an:fu1 pcsbOdm. ~ system II c:gentr,aJ ... ducvtng sawnabIc human and IgncuJturaI r:bdopncnl In Nlgena and therefore rccomrncnds thai govemmcnl lU'ld Its agenacs wort closdy With ranncn Km5S the COUDUy 10 gcncnuc Ihe cuhure of clUl1a1e-sman asncuJrure Ibat promoces tunan and cnvsronrncn&aI ....d-bctng md dI!courIge uMc:altby prw:lXU... In her teKlJon. MISS Dosumu satd the stair p'aTUJJmt was highly ~ m
r;wm
SUI11J'OOIt can lead 10 canca." she saMi. She pnJK'd the effort ofGERlm bnngJns the. .wvmctI 10 the fannat and cxpn:wd "" ""'" I50t "" m«tmg would _ .. "" famm' old .....1)'1 of usma chmucaIs ror the: b<m>. In her ~ • parttc:lpanc Mrs. KUlr thanked GERl for the cnhghtr:nmmt pr0gramme.. She sax! tht:rc was need ror rmners m the Il8te 10 MYe ~ knowkdac of the usc of c:hertuc:als. ROClnI thIIl thm: was • lot of mk 1fT Its handllDl- She rqveucd that Ihcrc were lou of cbcmJcals wtuch \\'Cfe already banned IIbroad buI: .."eft sull rn U8C: rn the country At'a)n:iI"I 10 her, ""such cbaJu..
cats are d.v1gcrous 10 c:hlIdrm. and evm rngnarTl mochr::n." Anodler pantclpant. FranclJ Nwapa wked both the stale and ftdenl IIJIY'Cfl\"" menl5 10 supply flllTnl:n ",""llh farm unpIe.. mmts .to as 10 help lbc:m .-:cure ~ policIeS. 5WJng thai: "these.-e IJCCC5Ar)' for farmcn'SUCCCSI."