Lucky Aiyedatiwa says the Ondo State Government is stepping up measures to curb deforestation and ensure cocoa production complies with global sustainability standards.
He stated this at the second Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Participatory Informed Learning Approach Multi-Stakeholders Workshop held in Akure, the Ondo State capital in south-west Nigeria.
The governor said the state had inaugurated a committee on compliance with the European Union Deforestation-Free Regulation to strengthen sustainable cocoa production, agroforestry, and forest restoration.
The governor expressed concern over increasing forest degradation in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region caused by the expansion of cocoa and oil palm cultivation.
According to him, about 14,000 smallholder cocoa and oil palm farmers have been profiled under the FAO Global Environment Facility Phase Seven (GEF-7) programme, an international initiative promoting sustainable agriculture, forest restoration, and environmentally friendly land-use practices.
The programme is being implemented in eight local government areas of Ondo State.
He stated that farmers and agricultural extension officers had received training in climate-smart agriculture, agroforestry practices, and compliance with international market requirements.
He commended the FAO for supporting efforts aimed at transforming cocoa and oil palm production systems in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region towards sustainability and resilience.
The governor also appreciated Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, as well as the Federal Ministry of Environment, for supporting the implementation of the initiative.
