ActionAid has called for the immediate roll-out of social protection measures, including cash transfers and food support targeting women and girls and families at risk.
This is contained in a statement, signed by Mrs Lola Ayanda, ActionAid’s Communications Coordinator, and made available on Friday, May 6, 2022, in Kaduna.
Ayanda said governments must rapidly train farmers on agro-ecological approaches to avert dramatic global yield losses from a worldwide lack of fertilisers.
“Agro-ecology means adopting farming practices that work with nature, such as using local manure to build soil fertility and reduce reliance on chemical fertilisers”.
She said governments which have been dependent on food imports over the years, must also invest in national and regional food reserves to act as buffers and reduce countries’ vulnerability to food shortages and price hikes.
The global fallout from the Ukraine crisis shows why a transition to renewable energy and agro-ecological farming practices is more urgent than ever before to address climate change and protect communities from shocks to world food and energy markets.
According to 2022 New Research conducted by ActionAid, local food, fuel prices and fertilisers have more than tripled in some of the world’s poorest communities, with families spending double, triple, and nearly four times what they were paying before Russia invaded Ukraine, says ActionAid.
The statement said that, in Nigeria, findings show that the prices of wheat bread have increased up to 59 per cent in Sanrab semi-urban community in Kwara state.
“In the urban community of Nasarawa and Yobe states, the prices of wheat bread have increased up to 67 per cent, while in Lagos, the price went up by 127 per cent, with few areas of Lagos seeing up to 111 per cent increase in sunflower cooking oil.
In rural areas of Kaduna, fertiliser prices have increased by up to 111 per cent.
According to the latest global food price index of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the world food commodity prices reached their highest levels last month.
She said ActionAid’s analysis finds that, at the local community level, food and fuel price hikes are far outstripping already record-breaking hikes globally, “suggesting that the Ukraine war has exacerbated ongoing food and fuel price challenges in communities most impacted by the climate crisis, humanitarian emergencies, and political and economic turmoil.”
By Hassana Yakubu
