Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

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Prof. Helen Onyeaka

Member since
Organization: University of Birmingham
Country: United Kingdom
Field(s) of expertise:
I am working on:

food safety , food microbiology , volarasation of waste , sustainable microbial food security , food security

Dr. Helen Onyeaka (University of Birmingham) is an industrial microbiologist with over 25 years of experience with more than 50 journal articles more than 1200 citations. She is a researcher and a mentor who leads modules on various postgraduate and undergraduate courses in Food Microbiology and supervises MSc and PhD projects.

This member contributed to:

    • It is, therefore, mandatory to apply the FAO recommendations on science-policy interfaces (SPIs) as they relate to improving the agricultural food system in Nigeria, for example, and also to adapt the recommendations to meet peculiar local needs. Nigeria’s agricultural sector contributes to a significant part of the country’s GDP. Between July and September 2021, agriculture contributed almost 30 per cent of the total GDP (Sasu, 2023). By 2022, this sector accounts for about 38% of the population employed in Nigeria (World Bank, 2024).

      However, the problematic predicaments that the agricultural sector of Nigeria is concerned with cannot be overemphasized. These problems include low productivity, enormous post-harvest wastage, poor market access, and the effects of climate change (World Bank, 2021).

      Challenges and FAO Guidance Application:

      1. Inclusivity in Policymaking:

      • Challenge: The existing agrofood systems in Nigeria are made up of different segments of the stakeholders including smallholder farmers, native communities, and urban food producers which may not have their voices always heard in policy talks (Chiaka et al., 2022).
      • FAO Guidance Utilization: The use of guidance implies creating inclusive platforms, where all agricultural sectors, regardless of their size participate, thereby enhancing policy relevance and acceptance. Taking this approach, the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT)  is supported because inclusive and participatory is shown as a vital decision making process (FAO, 2022).

      2. Integration of Traditional Knowledge:

      • Challenge: Nigeria identifies a wide range of informal indigenous agricultural knowledge in the national policy; however, such resources are rarely considered in planning the formal agricultural frameworks (Abioye et al., 2014).
      • FAO Guidance Utilization: The guidance is encouraged whereby traditional knowledge and scientific research are mixed to aid formation of policies; hence, the policies presented are considered to be thoroughly scientifically and socially accurate. This correspond with the FAO acknowledgement of the importance of traditional knowledge systems in the creation of sustainable agriculture and food security (FAO, 2009).

      3. Adaptation to Climate Change:

      • Challenge: Nigerian agriculture is affected by climate change more than any other sector and increasingly witnessing extreme weather such as droughts and floods (FMARD, 2018).
      • FAO Guidance Utilization: The guidance helps in developing the policies that can endure the impacts caused by climate change through the synthesis of relevant climate data and estimates into the management and planning of the agrifood industry. This align with the FAO’s Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) strategy which provides assistance in the adaptibility and resilience to climate change (FAO, 2013).

      Suggestions for Practical Application in Nigeria:

      • Local Context Adaptation: Specify in the guidance an approach that is specific for Nigeria’s own agriculture-related portrayals and facilities, such as improving the access of farmers to markets and improving upon the agriculture-processing technologies (FMARD, 2016).
      • Capacity Building: Initiate trainings for both the stakeholders and scientists on the impactful implementation of the guidance by leveraging on functional programmes such as West Africa Science Service Institute for Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) (WASCAL, n.d.).
      • Pilot Projects: To test the guidance, start with pilot projects in several parts of the country  on a small scale in order to assess its initial effectiveness before a nationwide implementation. This is a reflection of the approach used in the Fadama III project of the World Bank (World Bank, 2013).

      Key Elements and Suggestions for the Draft Guidance:

      • Governance Structures: The guidelines should include models that weathered similar global contexts effectively, and specially those that have robustly weathered political and economic instability. Examples of these strategies best practice are the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) used in Uganda (Rwakakamba & Lukwago, 2014) and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) (NEPAD, 2003).
      • Stakeholder Engagement: The draft should highlight the continuity of stakeholder engagement  by stating the various ways for this engagement for the SPI to always remain adaptable and responsive to the emerging challenges and opportunities. To support this, experiences from platforms like the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform can be used (SAI Platform, n.d.)..
      • Monitoring and Evaluation: The guidance should state the monitoring and performance evaluation process to be followed before the investigation begins. It should emphasize on sustainability and equity on agrifood systems. These protocols can be aligned with existing frameworks like the CAADP’s Biennial Review procedure (NEPAD, 2015).

      Real-Life Success Story:

      • Example: In Kenya, the implementation of the SPIs demonstrated its notable achievements by the creation of the Kenya Agriculture & Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO). KALRO is an organization that has successfully aligned scientific research with policy development to take forward food security and sustainability. This demonstrates effective partnership where different governmental and non-governmental organizations work together (KALRO, n.d.).

       

      Additional Information Needs:

      • Success Metrics: The guidelines need to define unambiguous metrics to assess the quality of SPIs and their effectiveness in empowering agrifood systems in terms of crop productivity, yields, incomes of farmers, and sustainability indicators. The introduced metrics could align with frameworks such  the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (United Nations, 2015).

      Case Studies: Presenting more case studies that center on countries in African regions, with particular emphasis on those which highlight the challenges and successes of SPIs as well as the local factors that contribute toward this success, would be a great source of information and also encourage the adoption of the best practices in the Nigerian environment. Significant examples include the Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa (S3A) (FARA, n.d.) and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) (RUFORUM, n.d.).

      Through customizing FAO projection to the direct impacts and corresponding suggestions, Nigeria can increase the effectiveness of its science-policy interfaces and stimulate a better development of sustainable and inclusive growth of its agrifood system.

      References

      Abioye, A. A., Zaid, Y. A., & Egberongbe, H. S. (2014). Documenting and disseminating agricultural indigenous knowledge for sustainable food security: The efforts of agricultural research libraries in Nigeria. Libri, 64(1), 75-84. https://www.ifla.org/past-wlic/2011/78-abioye-en.pdf

      Chiaka, J. C., Zhen, L., Yunfeng, H., Xiao, Y., Muhirwa, F., & Lang, T. (2022). Smallholder farmer's contribution to food production in Nigeria. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 916678. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.916678

      FARA (Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa). (n.d.). Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa. Retrieved from https://faraafrica.org/programs/s3a/.

      FAO. (2009). What is Agrobiodiversity? Retrieved from https://www.fao.org/3/y5609e/y5609e02.htm.

      FAO. (2022). Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security. Retrieved from https://www.fao.org/3/i2801e/i2801e.pdf

      FAO. (2013). Climate-Smart Agriculture Sourcebook. Retrieved from https://www.fao.org/3/i3325e/i3325e.pdf

      FMARD (Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nigeria). (2016). The Agriculture Promotion Policy (2016 – 2020). Retrieved from https://fscluster.org/sites/default/files/documents/2016-nigeria-agric-sector-policy-roadmap_june-15-2016.pdf

      FMARD. (2018). National Policy on Climate Change and Response Strategy. Retrieved from https://climatechange.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/National-Policy-on-Climate-Change_Nigeria-2022.pdf

      KALRO (Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization). (n.d.). About KALRO. Retrieved from https://www.kalro.org/about-us/ 

      Sasu, D.D. (2023) Contribution of agriculture to GDP in Nigeria 2019-2021. Retrieved from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1193506/contribution-of-agriculture-to-gdp-in-nigeria/

      World Bank (2024) Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) – Nigeria. Retrieved from: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS?locations=NG

      NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa's Development). (2003). Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme. Retrieved from https://www.nepad.org/publication/comprehensive-africa-agriculture-development-programme-caadp

      NEPAD. (2015). The CAADP Biennial Review Process. Retrieved from https://www.nepad.org/caadp/resources/guides-and-manuals

       

    • As a food  microbiologist , I commend the HLPE-FSN for their comprehensive approach towards addressing urban and peri-urban food systems in the context of urbanization and rural transformation. The V0 draft presents a thoughtful conceptual framework, but there are areas where further refinement and inclusion of specific elements could enhance its effectiveness.

      1. Conceptual Framework Effectiveness: The framework effectively highlights key issues, yet it could benefit from a stronger emphasis on the role of microbiology in ensuring food safety and quality. This aspect is crucial in urban settings where food supply chains are longer and more complex.

      2. Trends/Variables/Elements in Urban Food Systems: While the draft addresses many key elements, it may underrepresent the significance of emerging food technologies like  vertical farming. These technologies are particularly relevant for space-constrained urban areas and can contribute significantly to sustainability and food security.

      3. Additional Data: The draft could benefit from more case studies focusing on the microbiological aspects of food safety in urban settings. Quantitative data on foodborne illnesses and the effectiveness of various food safety protocols in urban areas would be valuable.

      4. Redundant Facts or Statements:It's important to streamline the content to avoid redundancy, especially in the sections discussing general principles of food security which might already be well understood by the target audience.

      5. Case Studies and Success Stories: The inclusion of success stories from cities that have effectively integrated microbiological techniques in food safety management would be beneficial. For example, cities that have employed innovative waste recycling methods or urban farming practices that utilize beneficial microbes for improved yield and sustainability.

      Overall, the V0 draft is a strong starting point, but incorporating more specific examples and data related to the microbiological aspects of food security in urban settings would make the recommendations more robust and actionable