FEDERAL Government yesterday said the inclusion of agroforestry and land use into national policy will address land degradation. It noted that inclusion of agroforestry will also ensure environmental sustainability.

Minister of Environment, Malam Mohammed Abdullahi spoke at a two-day National Stakeholders’ Consultative workshop on inclusion of agroforestry and land use into National policy on Environment in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

Abdullahi, represented by Assistant Director on Policy Analysis and Desk Officer at United Nations Development Programme Global Environment Facility (UNDP-GEF) Daniel Aleriwon said the ministry will take the  project from the surface level and ensure it comes as a national policy.

Aleriwon said the essence of the project is to integrate agricultural products to enhance food availability and improve the environment rather than degrading it.

He said part of efforts in  upscaling the project is to institutionalise it and make it a major part of the policy thrust of the ministry so other governments can have something to work with.

“We are here today to advance a course towards making the effect of the project to be an everlasting one, we want to institutionalise the project, we want to make it a policy. We want to work on the national policy to promote  agroforestry and land use in the agriculture system  towards  making food available in a  sustainable  way for generations to come,” he said.

Project Manager of UNDP-GEF Integrated Approach Programme for Food Security (IAP-FS) Mrs Rhoda Dia said the project has done a lot with communities, which have embraced the climate smart agricultural practices in ensuring environmental sustainability.

Source: The Nation