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Strategies For Involving Rural Farmers In Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation In Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
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Agricultural
biodiversity is of immense benefit to humanity. Man depends on various
livestockand crop species for food, fuel, fibre, medicine, drugs and raw
materials for a host ofmanufacturing technologies and purposes. The
productivity of agricultural system is as aresult of a continuous
alteration of once wild plant and animal germplasms. Also
geneticengineering especially in. the pharmaceutical and food processing
industries uses agrogeneticresources from sources worldwide. Besides
these direct values, agriculturalbiodiversities arc important parts of
the processes that regulate the earth’s atmospheric,climatic, hydrologic
and biochemical cycles. It provides local ecological services including
theprotection of watersheds, cycling of nutrients, combating erosion,
enriching soil, regulatingwater flow, trapping sediments, mitigating
erosion and controlling pest population (Ehrenfeld,2000)Furthermore,
agrobiodiversity holds ethical and aesthetical values and also forms the
basisfor sustainable rural development and resource management. In most
rural areas of AkwaIbom State, the diversity of local plants and
animals is being harnessed for sustainableeconomic development. Locally
adapted traditional animal breeds (sheep, goats, cattle), cropvarieties
(fruit trees, fodder plants and cereals) and wild fruits are being
explored to generatelocal products jobs, income and environmental
care.Inspite of the enormous potentialities of agrobiodiversity in
retaining plants, animals, soils,and water as well as serving as the
foundation of sustainable development, most of theStrategies for
Involving Rural Farmers in Agricultural BiodiversityConservation in Akwa
Ibom State, NigeriaCamilus Bassey Ben104environmental discussions in
this regard draw attention to its being increasingly subjected
todevastation and loss. The loss of agrobiodiversity is a relative
phenomenon. Blaide andBroodfield (2007) maintained that agrobiodiversity
is lost when it suffers a reduction inintrinsic qualities or a decline
in its capabilities or complete extinction resulting from ‘acausative
factor or a combination of factors which reduce its physical, chemical
or biologicalstatus hence restricting its productive capacity. It also
involves a loss of utility or potentialutility or the reduction or
change of features or extinction of agro species which could not
bereplaced (Dumsday, 2007).Akwa Ibom State occupies one of the
geographical zones located in the rainforest belt – anarea known for
high density of agro-genetic diversity. Throughout its ecological zones,
thediversity of agroecosystem is being rapidly eroded. This erosion may
be primarily due tointensive resource exploitation and extensive
alteration of habitats. Other associated factorsinclude: the neglect of
indigenous knowledge of agrobiodiversity conservation institutions
andmanagement systems; the blueprint approach to development whereby
monoculture systemsand uniform technologies are promoted; the quest for
the transnational corporations thatmarket agricultural inputs and
process food and fibres for commercial profits anduncontrolled
over-production; inequitable access to and control over land, water,
trees andgenetic resources on he part of local people; market pressures
and the under-valuation ofagricultural biodiversity; demographic factors
and oil spillage.It is acclaimed fact that rural farmers often have
profound and detailed knowledge of agrospeciesand the related
ecosystem’s with which they come in contact and have developedeffective
ways of ensuring they are used sustainably (McNeely, Miller, Reid,
Mittermeier, &Werner, 2000). However, they are constrained by a
number of problems in their attempt toadopt conservation systems that
sustain its own capital – agricultural resources of plant andanimal
sources. According to FAO (2009), the factor which causes a gap between
the desiredand actual farmer behaviour in conservation border on
knowledge, motivation andtechnology, type of incentives and
disincentives, land use, population growth and povertyamong
others.McNeely et al (2000) noted that at its most fundamental level
agrobiodiversity is threatenedbecause people are out of balance with
their environment. Benefits are being gained fromexploiting agricultural
resources without paying the full cost of such exploitation.
Theyidentify six main obstacles to greater progress in conserving
agricultural biodiversity. Theseare:a. Development objectives give
insufficient value to agro-resourcesb. Agro-resources are exploited for
profit, not for meeting the legitimate needs of localpeople.c.
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