The Communique of the 2020 National Organic Agriculture Business Summit

We, about 90 participants gathered (physically and virtually) at the 2020 National Organic Agriculture Business Summit (5 th edition) held at Ibom Hall/Watbridge Hotels and Suites, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria from November 3 – 5, 2020 representing organic agriculture stakeholders from all the geo-political zones of Nigeria and other parts of Africa (Senegal, Togo, Kenya and South Africa) and Europe (Switzerland and Germany). The attendance represents circle of enthusiasts in Organic
Agricultural input supply, crop production, processing, packaging and consumers. Also represented at the gathering were representatives of governmental organizations related to agriculture, education (research and higher educational institutions) and trade. The summit’s deliberations centred on the
theme ‘Harnessing the Potential of Organic Agriculture for National Development’.

RESOLVED

• that the level of understanding of business based on Organic Agriculture principles and practices is in Nigeria,
• that the level of organic agriculture trade (domestic and export) in the country is still on the low side,
• that the activities of Organic Agriculture within relevant Governmental Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for policy formulation and implementation are still at low level,
• that while appreciating government investment in Organic Agriculture related issues in the country, the level of investment is still low in relation to the size of the country,
• that there is huge technical knowledge gap on Organic Agriculture production system for export in the country,
• that extension services to facilitate Organic Agriculture in the country needs to be in place,
• that understanding of the required procedures for certification of Organic produce and products for both domestic and export trade is still low,
• that there is extremely limited enabling environment for Organic Agriculture business development in the country,
• that there is the need for a holistic engagement of youths and women in Organic Agriculture for meaningful economic participation,
• that there is the need to encourage increase in Organic market share (in term of produce, products and services) from Nigeria at the global market e.g. BioFach (which holds yearly by mid February at Nuremberg, Germany),
• that Nigerian Governmental investment plans of MDAs should include Organic Agriculture,
• to emphasize the need for funding of the annual National Organic Agriculture Business Summit in order to extend its benefits to more stakeholders; thereby contributing to national development,
• to increase efforts on mainstreaming Organic Agriculture into existing curricula for agricultural training at higher educational institutions (HEIs) in Nigeria, especially, the university system,

RECALLING

• that Nigeria subscribes to the Sustainable Development Goals; specifically Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) that are relevant to Organic Agriculture,
• that export value in Organic Agriculture sector of the country is much lower, compared to neighboring countries that are smaller in land size and population,
• that available facts reveal paucity of scientific evidences to support Organic Agriculture in Nigeria, especially for exportable produce and products,
• that Organic Agriculture is not reflected in the existing curricula for agricultural training at higher educational institutions (HEIs) in Nigeria,
• that agricultural funding policies of the Government have not given adequate attention to Organic Agriculture sub-sector,

WE URGE

• All tiers of government in Nigeria to fully explore opportunities in the African Heads of States and Governments’ Decision on Organic Farming [EX.CL/Dec.621 (XVII), 2010],
• that the apex educational bodies in Nigeria – National Universities Commission (NUC) and National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) should urgently mainstream Organic Agriculture into academic curricula and support the process of Organic farming development in the country. Private initiative in the country like Nigeria Go Organic Project and others providing training in Organic Agriculture should also intensify efforts to train more stakeholders in the sector,
• that appropriate governmental ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) like Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM), National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), etc. should urgently mainstream Organic farming into their activities and provide sustainable solutions to development of locally 2adaptable appropriate Organic Agriculture inputs (fertilisers, insecticides, herbicides, growth promoters, feeds, drugs, machinery, etc.), that can enhance productivity of Organic farming in the country at competitive cost,
• that both public and private institutions in Nigeria addressing funding of agriculture like Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TetFund), Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and similar MDAs should include Organic Agriculture into their activities. Also, financial institutions like Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Agriculture (BoA), Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL Plc.) Bank of Industry and other private financial institutions in Nigeria should give priority to Organic farming in the country,
• that appropriate MDAs like Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investments, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment, etc. as well as parastatals like Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), National Orientation Agency (NOA), etc. should mainstream Organic farming into their operations/activities,
• that efforts of umbrella body for Organic Agriculture in Nigeria – Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria – should be appreciated and all private stakeholders in the sector should be encouraged to join the Organic Association in order to ensure proper grassroots development and appropriate coordination of the sector,
• that activities of the Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative in Nigeria should be encouraged and appropriate stakeholders should join the EAO stakeholders for better promotion of Organic Agriculture in the country,
• that consistent and proper monitoring of Organic Agricultural enterprises by relevant or appropriate governmental and private stakeholders is required to uphold the integrity of the Organic Agriculture sector of the country,
• that entrepreneurs in Organic sector of Nigeria should tap into ECOWAS open-doors for exports,
• that appropriate committees of the National and State Assemblies, House of Representatives and Ministries of Local Government Affairs should ensure that appropriate policies are put in place to provide enabling environment for practicing Organic Agriculture in the country using internationally acceptable quality,
• that appropriate support should be given to the work in progress – proposed Organic Agriculture Bill with the focus of formalizing Organic practices in the country,
• that Organic Agriculture Innovation Platforms be established in agricultural extension departments of all states of the country to support activities of stakeholders in the Organic sector and regularly provide solutions to their operational challenges,
• that appropriate MDAs like Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investments and Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) should make the annual National Organic Agriculture Business Summit (NOABS) one of their annual activities.

APPRECIATING

• the efforts of partner organizations of the Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative in Nigeria, namely; the Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (Country Lead Organization), the Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN), the Farmer Development Union (FADU), the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Uyo, Organic Research Teams of University of Ibadan, Kwara State University and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Ikot Ekpene Women Food Cash Crops Multi-purpose Cooperative Society and Healthy Food for Consumers Initiatives, under the chairmanship of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for organizing the National Organic Agriculture Business Summit and contributing to the development of Organic Agriculture systems in Nigeria,
• funding from the Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development (SDC) of Switzerland for EOA Initiative in Nigeria,
• the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investments for supporting Organic Agriculture in the country,
• the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) for supporting Organic Agriculture in the country,
• the efforts of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for the positive involvement in mainstreaming Organic Agriculture into the existing curricula of agricultural programmes for Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in Nigeria,
• Chief (Hon) Daniel Asuquo, member, House of Representatives and Chairman/C.E.O. Doveline Agro-Allied Company Ltd., Mr Ernest Aubee, Head of Agriculture Division of the ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, Ms. Venancia Wambua, Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT), Kenya; Mr. Karfa Diallo, Enda Pronat, Senegal; Dr. Benoit Gnonlonfin, FAO Africa Office; Dr. Edna Akpan, Akwa Ibom State University; Niematallah Elamin, UNCTAD Switzerland; Prof. Raymond Auerbach, Managing Director, Biological Systems Laboratory; Extraordinary Professor, Sustainability Institute, Stellenbosch University & Centre of Excellence for Food Security, University of the Western Cape, South Africa and Ms. Louise Luttikholt, Executive Director, IFOAM Organics International, Bonn, Germany for their insightful presentations during the Summit,
• the Government of Akwa Ibom State and the State’s Ministry of Agriculture for providing enabling environment for the Summit,
• the consistent support of the Farm Input Support Services Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Agriculture Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and Raw Material Research and Development Council of Nigeria and the ECOWAS Commission for the development of Organic Agriculture in the country.

CONGRATULATING THE 2020 NATIONAL ORGANIC AGRICULTURE MERIT AWARD WINNERS

• Mrs Udeme E. Udoya, the Organic Farmer/ Processor of the year,
• Mrs. Ebere Agozie, the Organic Advocacy/Media Personality of the year
• Akwa Ibom, the Organic State Government of the year, in appreciation of their dedication and devotion to the development of Organic Agriculture in Nigeria.

We agreed to meet in Abuja by 2021 and Oyo State in 2022 (God willing) for the sixth and seventh editions of NOABS respectively to further pursue the drive for the development of Organic Agriculture businesses in the country.