Stakeholders in the organic agriculture sector have called for the formulation and implementation of the right policies and research for proper organic agricultural farming to improve nutrition and boost economic earnings.
Professor Raymond Auerbach, a South African organic researcher, speaks at the inaugural African Organic Research Conference (AFROREC), which was held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, and was organized by the Network of Organic Agriculture Researchers in Africa (NOARA).
Auerbach highlighted the importance of the conference, considering the myriad of challenges facing agriculture in developing countries, especially climate change, while tracing the history of ecological organic agriculture on the continent and the developments that are taking place in its acceptance.
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He noted that the continent can improve its economic performance through organic agriculture and increase its gross domestic product, adding that organic agriculture is currently a multi-billion dollar business that is growing fast.
Dr. Olugbenga Adeoluwa, NOARA’s Continental Coordinator, described the conference as a roundtable discussion among farmers, researchers, and stakeholders in the value chain to identify needs and available solutions.
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Prof. Simplice Vodouhe, an organic agricultural expert from the Benin Republic, stated that the purpose of the conference was to channel various research and technology from researchers into proper organic agricultural farming.
He said: “The conference is very important because, initially, we do not have the technology for developing organic agriculture. “We started more or less from scratch, although our parents were not too far from organic agriculture.
“But to do organic agriculture properly, there is a need for technology. “People are developing technology that is not being captured.” “And we think that this conference, which is the first continental conference, is very important.” Vodouhe said
