Food Security and Sustainable Agricultural Development in Nigeria Through Healthy and Environmental Best Practices of Farmers
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Date
2023
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Lead City University Ibadan
Abstract
This paper discussed sustainable food security in Nigeria through farmers' involvement in healthy and
environmental best practices. Farmers' health directly correlates with productivity which results in
food sufficiency and security. Engaging in healthy and environmental best practices improves health
and supports farmers to stay healthy, enhances their attendance as well as productivity at work. This
paper noted that one of the factors that cause unproductivity at work is ill-health; ill-health can result in
presenteeism (workers who are physically present at work but not performing at their best); and
absenteeism (workers not being present at work at all). The paper further argued that farmers' ill-health
if not properly managed can result to food insecurity. To avert the incidence of food insecurity, farmers
need to produce sufficient food and affordable for use by the people. The paper reasoned that
sustainability can be enhanced by healthy and environmental practices of farmers in the course of food
production. These practices are activities and lifestyles that can reduce ill-health and improve health of
farmers; and activities that can reduce negative effects of agriculture on the environment. Due to
farmers' poor personal health profiles, and ignorance to seek proper medical attention when the need
arises, the paper concluded that that there is need to bring health literacy and environmental hygiene to
the door steps of farmers; and advocated for health education through physical, environmental,
reproductive as well as sexual health. The paper also suggested alternating bio-fertilizers and pesticides
with chemical-fertilizer and pesticides to avoid over-use of chemicals on the farm. And also crop
rotation, organic farming, conservative agriculture to alternate the highly chemicalized system of
agriculture in practice at the moment.
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Keywords
Food Security, SustainableAgricultural Development, Farmers, Healthy and Environmental Best Practices