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Strategies For Involving Rural Farmers In Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation In Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
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The partnership between population and the environmentbecomes endangered
and may break down as problems of deforestation and loss
ofagrobiodiversity Once the population sinks into a miserable state,
what was once aharmonious and happy partnership between people and
environment can easily become avicious cycle in which environmental
degradation makes people desperately poor. Povertyforces people to
over-exploit the available agro-resources with disregard to
conservation.Population pressure seems to have led to the shortening of
fallow periods under the shiftingcultivation, In its traditional form,
shifting cultivation is known for a rich source of cropdiversity
(BOSTID, 2002) In Nigeria, the whole cycle has less than halved in
length and thefallow period is less than a third of what it was (NEST,
2002). The tendency is for thefallowing system to shrink in the end to
the point where it is replaced by, crop rotation andmonocropping. In
these systems conservation practices are often replaced by quick
easyfarming (Thompson, Fenny, & Oakerson , 2006).One of the
constraints to the conservation of agrobiodiversity by rural farmers is
lack ofeducation. Nigeian Conservation Foundation (NCF), (2005) pointed
out that tacklingenvironmental problems (loss of agrobiodiversity
inclusive), requires action mostly fromenvironmental education, Noibi
(2002) noted that a person’s level of ignorance of theenvironment can be
said to be positively related to the degree of damage to
theenvironment. He exemplified this by relating a case of farmers who
over-graze their land orsubstitute chemical fertilizer for organic
manure and pesticides for biological means of pestcontrol without
bothering about the implications of that action on land and
agrobiodiversity,It could therefore, be inferred that lack of
environmental education among the farmers is thesingle greatest
contributor that constraints the conservation of agricultural
biodiversity byrural farmers. Education can impart knowledge and
determination necessary to resolve agiven set of environmental
problems.The social and perceptual factors also influence the
conservation attitude of the ruralfarmers. According to Kellert (2008),
the development of compelling rational and effectivestrategy for
protecting endangered agro-species will require an increasing
recognition thatJournal of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences Volume 2,
December 2010107most contemporary extinction problems are largely the
result of socio-economic and politicalforces. Norton (2008) pointed out
that only a small minority of people possess much concernor empathy for
the plight of endangered agro-species. Kellen (2008) while reflecting
this viewnoted “the study of vanishing biodiversity is necessarily the
study of man’s perception ofanimals and plants. What we fear, what we
hope and what we admire in animals/plants willinevitably determine their
fate. Agro-species are there but most of them figure as villain inour
mythsâ€.As Norton intimates, agro-species are viewed somewhat more
positively when they possesssome aesthetic and utilitarian values. Human
benefit factors include animal capacity toprovide food, clothing,
recreation and companionship. Ecological factors include species
rarityand its contribution to diversity and ecological balance.
Important psychological factorsinclude the animal’s species aesthetic
characteristics, spiritual and religious associations,habituating
capacity and behavioural plasticity. These factors and values outline
theperceptual categories rural farmers typically employ in deciding
which species are worthy ofpreservation.Another factor affecting
conservation by rural farmers borders on the conservation
policiesoperating in the country. NEST (2008) pointed out that one of
the biggest bio-resourcesmanagement problem is the absence of well
coordinated rational policies and legislationoperating in the country,
but such policies have often been implemented without reallyconsidering
local socio-economic issues. Also conservation policies tend to be
largely“western†in outlook and having been designed and possibly
managed by governmentofficials can be poorly adapted to meet vital local
needs (Barrow, 2008) He pointed outthat conservation can involve a
range of different interests such as central government,state/local
government, local farmers, and conservation group/development staff and
theremay be conflict of interest between them. He concluded that
developing conservation policieswithout taking the needs and demands of
these different group’s will tend to end in difficulty.Constraints to
the conservation of agrobiodiversity by rural farmers are also
associated withculture and religious beliefs. NEST submits that because
of the closer relationship betweenculture and the environment, any
campaign for environmental awareness and conservationmust take on a new
cultural time, calling for new ways of life and a new orientation.
Duringpre-colonial times, religious beliefs and practices played
important roles in the conservationespecially agrobiodiversity. Sacred
grooves and sacred animals were not exploited by peopleand so they
remained in their pristine state. However, with the institution of
colonialgovernment and the spread of western values and culture, our
traditional methods ofconservation gradually disappeared and sacred
forests became hunting ground (NEST, 2001).On the adverse effects of
religious influence on traditional conservation practices,
varioustraditional farmers have developed over the centuries, effective
method of using theenvironment sustainably. These included the setting
aside of land for religious and otherStrategies for Involving Rural
Farmers in Agricultural BiodiversityConservation in Akwa Ibom State,
NigeriaCamilus Bassey Get the complete project »
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