Biotechnology solution to food insecurity – Don
Prof. Benjamin Ubi, the President,
Biotechnology Society of Nigeria (BSN), has identified food
insecurity as an underlining cause of some of the greatest challenges
in the country.
Ubi, who said this in an interview with
the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja, added that
biotechnology would ensure adequate food security in the country.
“We recognise that food security is
paramount and biotechnology, the green alternative policy of the
government, will achieve its goal of ending hunger, ensuring food
security and promoting sustainable agriculture.
“This will also provide a form of
economic diversification as it will bring with it a new set of skill
requirements and expand job opportunities.
“The Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) reinforce this with Goal 2 which seeks to end hunger, achieve
food security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable
agriculture since 75 per cent of crop diversity has been lost from
farmer’s field,’’ Ubi said.
He also said that better use of
agricultural biodiversity could contribute to more nutritious diets,
enhanced livelihoods for farming communities and more resilient and
sustainable farming system.
“The effects of climate change have
had a devastating effect on food security, food availability, food
accessibility, food utilization and food systems stability.
“And for Nigeria to be food
sufficient, we must look to scale, underscoring the need for modern
and climate smart agricultural practices.
“We must look to increase investment,
including through international cooperation, rural infrastructure,
agricultural research and extension services, technology development
as well as plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance
agricultural productivity capacity.’’
Ubi said that the practice of safe
modern biotechnology should be encouraged to ensure zero hunger by
welcoming technology that would provide safe and adequate food for
Nigerians.
He, therefore, implored stakeholders to
put more efforts in developing the country’s local resources to
meet agriculture demands both at local and international trade
platforms.
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