‘Climate change worst threat to food security’

The President of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), Professor Maduebibisi Iwe, has identified climate change as the worst threat to food security. Prof Iwe also fingered COVID-19 as a most striking feature which had impacted negatively on food-related issues with a growing prevalence of malnutrition across the world. He revealed this […]

The President of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), Professor Maduebibisi Iwe, has identified climate change as the worst threat to food security.

Prof Iwe also fingered COVID-19 as a most striking feature which had impacted negatively on food-related issues with a growing prevalence of malnutrition across the world.

He revealed this at the ongoing 45th Conference/Annual General Meeting (AGM) of NIFST holding in Makurdi, Benue State.

Prof Iwe said, “Climate change is the worst threat to food security, and the projections are devastating. Soon, our agricultural practises may not be able to meet the world’s demand for food.

“The absence of sustainability measures today implies a social and moral responsibility from governance, policy makers, farmers and consumers to do their part in combating world hunger.”

The NIFST president further, in his opening address at the conference with the theme: “Food Security and Sustainability in Post-COVID-19 Era”, asserted that given the connection to the entire food production process from farm to fork, food safety professionals were poised to lead in sustainability.

He added that the threat to global food security presented a challenge that most people had come to admit that the situation was only getting worse, stressing the need for all hands to be on deck in combating hunger.

Earlier, declaring the conference open, the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, decried the debilitating effect of COVID-19 on all facets of human endeavor, especially on food security.

Gov Ortom, who was represented by his Deputy, Engr Benson Abounu, said, “There is acute and chronic hunger in the land, and COVID-19 impact has led to increasing food insecurity. Benue is certainly going to experience hunger because the farmers can no longer access their farms.”