By: Ambassador Agim Godwin Apple
The Global Peace Ambassador of Nigeria to Finland and General Consultative Status on Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, Ambassador Agim Godwin Apple UPF, has suggested the Empowerment of medium and small scale farmers in Nigeria to work towards the implementation of the UN agenda.
Bringing on board the Trustee of the Universal Peace Federation UPF in Nigeria, His Excellency, Former President Goodluck Jonathan, Secretary-General of UPF Nigeria, Dr. George Ikpot, Leader of the UPF Women Federation for World Peace, Ambassador Aisha Ibrahim and the UPF Nigeria Ambassadors.
Ambassador Agim Godwin Apple, advised that involving medium and small-scale farmers in achieving the United Nations Millennium Agenda for the year 2030 is crucial for sustainable development in agriculture and rural communities. Here are some steps that can help in this process to be handled by the UPF Ambassadors.
Awareness and Capacity Building: Conduct workshops, training programs, and educational campaigns to raise awareness among medium and small-scale farmers about the United Nations Millennium Agenda. Provide them with knowledge and technical skills to implement sustainable farming practices.
Access to Information and Technology: Enhance accessibility to information, knowledge, and technology for medium and small-scale farmers. Establish platforms for sharing best practices, innovations, and market information, enabling farmers to make informed decisions and improving their productivity and profitability.
Financing and Investment: Facilitate access to credit, financing, and investment opportunities for medium and small-scale farmers. This can include low-interest loans, subsidies, grants, and targeted investment programs to support sustainable farming practices, technology adoption, and infrastructure development.
Market Linkages and Value Chain Development: Promote partnerships between farmers, agricultural cooperatives, agribusinesses, and other market actors to strengthen market linkages and value chains.
Encourage fair trade practices, inclusive business models, and promote local and global market opportunities for medium and small-scale farmers.
Policy Support and Advocacy: Engage with governments, policymakers, and relevant stakeholders to advocate for supportive policies that address the specific needs and challenges of medium and small-scale farmers.
This can include policies related to land tenure, access to inputs, infrastructure development, climate change adaptation, and market regulations.
Farmer Empowerment and Participation: Foster farmer empowerment and participation in decision-making processes at all levels. Encourage the formation of farmer organizations, cooperatives, and networks to collectively voice their needs and aspirations, influencing policies and programs that directly affect their livelihoods.
Sustainable Land and Resource Management: Promote sustainable land and resource management practices among medium and small-scale farmers. This includes promoting agroecology, climate-smart agriculture, efficient water management, biodiversity conservation, and soil conservation measures.
Research and Innovation: Invest in research and innovation for sustainable agricultural practices suitable for medium and small-scale farming systems.
Collaborate with research institutions, universities, and farmer organizations to develop and disseminate context-specific solutions addressing productivity, resilience, and sustainability challenges.
Social Protection and Safety Nets: Develop social protection programs and safety nets to safeguard medium and small-scale farmers from shocks and risks.
This includes providing support during climate-related disasters, access to healthcare, agricultural insurance, and alternative income-generation opportunities during seasons of low agricultural productivity.
Monitoring and Evaluation: Establish monitoring and evaluation systems to track progress and measure the impact of interventions aimed at involving medium and small-scale farmers in achieving the United Nations Millennium Agenda. Regularly assess the outcomes, learn from the experiences, and make necessary adjustments to ensure continuous improvement.
It’s essential to tailor these steps to the local context and involve relevant stakeholders for successful implementation.
This will help medium and small-scale farmers play an active role in sustainable development, food security, poverty reduction, and achieving the United Nations Millennium Agenda for 2030.
These can be achieved by involving the Global Peace Ambassadors to serve as resource persons in their home regions.
Copyright ©️ Ambassador Agim Godwin.