The governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, has emphasized the need to promote sustainable food development as Akwa Ibom State joins the rest of the world in marking World Food Day in 2022. This would enable residents to have regular access to appropriate, nourishing food. A new generation of farmers will be inspired and raised by the use of green house technology, he continued, as people would get more engaged in growing bushes like tomatoes, onions, green peppers, etc.
Speaking on the 2022 theme, “Leave no one behind,” the Governor, who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Moses Ekpo, noted that the State government had already introduced unique Akwa Ibom initiatives in food processing, mechanization, and greater hygiene, adding that the State was on top of the game in food safety protocols before the global community adopted food safety as a talking point for world food day.
According to him, “People all over the world are finding it difficult to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic’s aftermath, the effects of armed wars, the growing threat of climate change, flooding, and rising prices in many different nations. To ensure that residents regularly have access to sufficient, nourishing food, it is necessary to embed sustainability into the food access system.
The green home project, one of the agro-rebirth programs, is particularly crucial since it aims to mobilize and nurture a new generation of farmers. People may now actively participate in the growing of bushes like tomatoes, onions, green peppers, etc.
“The administration of Akwa Ibom State has put in place measures to improve food sufficiency and alleviate hunger in the State in the face of a worsening global recession leading to worldwide hunger.”
The governor cited sustainable food production as a crucial industry for the state’s economy and highlighted World Food Day as a global platform for raising awareness about hunger, malnutrition, and other issues.
The commemorative action, he said, will unquestionably achieve the goals of leveraging on the production and consumption of safe foods while also ensuring that food is accessible to many people. He praised the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Offiong Offor, and her team for bringing people together for the event.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Mrs. Offiong Offor, stated in her remarks that the World Food Day celebration was an annual gathering of agriculture stakeholders observed throughout the world in United Nations Organization member nations to raise awareness of strategies to ensure access to safe and nourishing food for everyone, which will promote good health and sustain life.
Offor said that through constructing skill transfer plots for the growth of diverse food and cash crops around the State, the Ministry of Agriculture has zealously implemented a policy of zero tolerance to hunger.
In his keynote presentation, Prof. Okon Ansa stated that the occasion served as a call to action to solve the issue of food insecurity, undernourishment, and malnutrition in society.
He claimed that while nutrition is necessary for survival, it also aids in the battle against illness and daily stress.
Prof. Okon advocated for giving women greater authority so they can be more productive.
He pushed for the state government to develop a standard for appropriate, nourishing diets for the kids while also pushing the improvement of agricultural produce processing and storage.
