Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 3
Organic agricultural practices among small holder
farmers in South Western Nigeria
Sijuwade Adebayo and Idowu O Oladele
Additional information is available at the end of the chapter
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/57598
1. Introduction
Organic agriculture and biotechnology are two key innovations that are considered to have
beneficial impacts on the future sustainability of agriculture (Wheeler, 2005). Conventional
farming has played an important role in improving food and fibre productivity to meet human
demands but has been largely dependent on intensive inputs of synthetic fertilizers and
pesticides (Tu, Louws, Creamer, Mueller, Brownie, Fager, Bell and Shuijin, 2006). Moreover,
the conventional intensive agricultural systems have side-effects which compromise food
production in terms of quality and safety. Therefore, problems arising from conventional
practices have led to the development and promotion of organic farming system that account
of the environment and public health as main concerns (Melero, Ruiz Porras, Herencia and
Madejon, 2005). Besides, traditional subsistence smallholding farming can no longer meet the
needs and expectation of ever-increasing population of Nigeria (Adomi, Monday-Ogbomo
and Inoni, 2003). Increasing agricultural productivity, self-sufficiency and poverty alleviation
depend on the acceptance and full utilization of modern inputs, as long been recognized and
policy formulation and implementation have been done (Aina 2007). The-Research-Extension-
Farmers-Linkage-System (REFILS) has been able to ensure some awareness about the use of
modern agro-inputs (Oladele, Sakagomi and Kazunobu 2006).
Organic farming represents a deliberate attempt to make the best use of local natural resources
and is an environmental friendly system of farming. It relies much on ecosystem management
which excludes external input, especially the synthetic ones. Ander son, Jolly and Green (2005)
stated that organic farming is a production system that excludes the use of synthetically
manufactured fertilizer, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives. The system
relies on crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, off-farm
organic wastes, mechanical cultivation and aspects of biological pest control to maintain soil
