To start with, poverty is defined as lack or scarcity of money or certain basic possessions. That being said, to eradicate poverty mostly entails people being able to afford basic neccesities of life. How will they afford these necessities when they do not have the money to buy such? Hence, agriculture serve as one of the key instrument in eradicating poverty. This is because it can be practised by anyone on land, water (aquaponics/aquaculture) or air (aeroponics) while the produce or output of such can be used to meet other needs of the individual. For this to be effective, there is need to educate people on how to engage in basic farming that can help put food on their tables and generate income that be used to meet other needs. Technological and scientific advancement have made it possible to have small scale farming that can be operated by individuals, families or group of people in a community. Taking aquaponics for example, this technology can be used to generate vegetables and fish that will feed an individual or an entire family. However, many are not aware of this technology or it usage. Therefore, it is important to educate, train and provide enabling environment for opportunities such as aquaponics before it can help eradicate poverty.
Thanks
Olumide Odeyemi
Higis International Foundation
Nigeria
Dr. Olumide Odeyemi
Aquaculture has contributed immensely to food security globally. Due to high water content, nutritional content, and microbial growth, seafood is highly perishable. However, the spoilage mechanisms of some seafood remained unknown. Therefore, understanding the microbial spoilage mechanism of seafood will help to prevent food waste and economic loss especially in developing countries.
My doctoral research at the University of Tasmania, Australia has over the last four years focused on understanding the microbial spoilage mechanism of packaged seafood. My research unveiled the causes of spoilage of commercially packaged shellfish. The outcome of my research has, therefore, helped to prevent spoilage and also the development of a draft tool for predicting the shelf-life of packaged live shellfish. My research also identified volatile organic compounds that can be used as freshness and spoilage indicators in packaged seafood in addition to the study on the succession of the microbial community present in the seafood.
Overall, my research is helping to prevent seafood spoilage, thereby enhancing food security and achieving Zero Hunger (Sustainable Development Goal 2).