Across Nigeria, farmers and families rely on the land and their traditional farming methods, for sustenance. But a new player is entering the scene… industrial-scale animal farming, a trend rapidly transforming global food systems.
Food Sovereignty Experts are however raising concerns, questioning whether the focus on industrial agriculture is truly addressing food insecurity considering its implication on local farming communities, the environment, human health, and animal welfare.
Industrial animal farming also known as factory farming is today being pushed by international food corporations as a trend that can rapidly transform food systems to address food insecurity.
Experts from food sovereignty movements are however raising serious concerns. They’re questioning whether this focus on industrial agriculture is truly addressing food insecurity.
The experience of other nations including deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and social disruptions underscores these concerns.
Using JBS, one of the world’s largest meat processing companies, as a case study, the experts at this gathering examined the potential ripple effects of embracing industrial animal farming in Nigeria, connecting Nigeria’s realities to the global trend.
JBS, a company under increasing scrutiny for its environmental footprint, in 2024 pledged a significant investment in Nigeria… $2.5 billion over five years.
This includes building six large-scale facilities; poultry plants; beef processing plants and a port in strategic locations like Ogun State.
The Nigerian government, keen to bolster its economy, promises the necessary infrastructure and regulatory support.
To food sovereignty experts, this may sound like progress and a potential solution for food security and jobs. But what about the price Nigerians might pay for this progress?
At the workshop organized by Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Environmental Rights Action and their partners, participants are demanded for a critical look at the long-term implications of this industrialization… a look that considers not just the promise of profit but the potential cost of neglecting the interconnectedness of food systems and the health of the planet.
Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie
