….As Gwedo Trains 60 Gelegele Farmers
Farmers have been encouraged to adopt organic fertilizer and pesticide practices as safer, healthier, and more sustainable approaches to farming.
Facilitators at a one-day training for small holder farmers in Gelegele, Edo State, gave the advice while explaining the rationale for a practical training on the production of biofertilizers and biopesticides conducted by GWEDO in collaboration with Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF Tuesday, April 28.
Cynthia Bulubiere Bright who, is also the Executive Director of Gbolekekro Women Empowerment and Development Organization, GWEDO, noted that organic fertilizer and pesticide not only improve crop productivity, but also protect soil organisms, water sources, and public health.
The environmental scientist, while facilitating the technical session, stressed that bio-agriculture remains one of the most effective pathways toward sustainable food production and healthier communities.
She explained that increasing health concerns linked to chemical residues in food, as well as the environmental damage caused by prolonged chemical use, make agroecology alternatives both necessary and urgent.
The training workshop, with the theme, “Promoting Agroecology through Biofertilizer and Biopesticide Production for Food Security,” was organized by GWEDO as part of its commitment to advancing environmentally sustainable farming practices, improving food security, and reducing rural farmers’ dependence on costly chemical inputs.
The initiative carried out in collaboration with the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, is according to Cynthia, part of GWEDO’s commitment to advancing environmentally sustainable farming practices, improving food security, and reducing rural farmers’ dependence on costly chemical inputs.
The initiative is part of the organization’s broader awareness and sensitization campaign aimed at equipping farmers especially women, youths, and marginalized groups such as people with disabilities, with practical agroecological solutions that support healthier food systems, environmental protection, and long-term agricultural sustainability.
Cynthia added that the use of local materials such as cow dung, cow urine, pigeon peas and ripe bananas for producing the biofertilizers, and garlic, ginger, chili (pepper), and neem leaves (dogonyaro) for biopesticides, was aimed at encouraging farmers to return to traditional farming methods, which, according to her, “have helped our soil.”
She stressed that with the introduction of organically modified organisms, GMOs being introduced to traditional farms with attendant unhealthy impacts, a return to natural ways which offer better options and health to both man and environment, has become necessary.
“In times like this, where GMOs are being used in our traditional farms and have destroyed our environment—not just the environment, but also the soil and our plants—and are also detrimental to our health, using traditional methods will bring healthy food to our communities, preserve our food, and ensure food security in our society,” the GWEDO ED added.
At the end of the production, there was an application session to enable the farmers understand the best ways to apply the fertilizer and pesticide.
Cynthia, who said the farmers would not be left alone but would be followed up to assess their progress, expressed optimism that the enthusiasm shown by the farmers towards the training, indicated their readiness to practice what they had been taught.
She said, “The farmers are committed to carrying out this Step down training in their personal farms and also as groups. We will continue to receive feedback from them on this training as time goes on.”
She expressed appreciation to HOMEF for its support towards the successful execution of the training. “HOMEF provided incentives such as drums used to produce the biofertilizers and nets for sieving. With all these, we will continue to follow them up.”
Speaking on the training, Gift Esele Ojeanelo a staff of HOMEF who was at the training, explained that HOMEF collaborated with GWEDO to encourage both the Gelegele farmers and the organization to ensure they embrace the new knowledge.
“We came to support and encourage the farmers to go ahead and practice the agroecology methods we have taught them,” she said.
To help the farmers kick-start the new process, implements like drums were distributed to many of the trained farmers.
