Lautech VC condemns use of synthethic pesticides on food safety

Professor Adeniyi Gbadegesin has called for the reduction in the use of synthetic pesticides if safety of food production in Nigeria is to be guaranteed. Speaking in Ogbomoso on Tuesday at the opening of the 2014 annual conference of the Nigerian Society of Plant Protection, he listed ills of synthetic chemicals to include cases of food poison, environmental hazard, soil and water pollution, and advocated the applications of bio-pesticides as one of the ways to producing “safe to eat food”.


Gbadegesin in explaining that there are hundreds of plant origin and microbial pesticides with certain natural chemical constituents that could be exploited for the production of bio-pesticides in Nigeria, condemned the loss of lives of target and non-target organisms, livestock, fisheries, and man.


He expressed belief in the argument in the submission that agriculture can only become sustainable when there is a great reduction or total elimination of polluting substances such as pesticides and nitrogen fertilizers, water conservation practices, soil conservation practices, restoration of soil fertility and maintenance of agricultural bio diversity. In his own address, National President Nigerian society for Plant Protection (NSPP), Professor David Olufolaji thanked the Vice Chancellor for hosting the society promising that the workshop will afford the best opportunity to brainstorm on how to face the challenges of climatic change so as to turn around food security in Nigeria.
Professor Olufolaji also said the NSPP is an umbrella body that accommodate other agricultural society in the country thereby allowing them to work together to avoid food insecurity in Nigeria.