The Socio-Ecological and Health Implication of Meeting the Challenges of Food Insecurity in the 21st Century in the Agrarian Society of Cross River, Nigeria

Abstract

The struggle to save humankind from hunger and starvation through the improvement of agricultural productivity using agrochemicals has gone a long way to settle an aspect of these challenges, but its social, health and ecological implication has always almost been forgotten. Due to man’s indiscriminate land use/farming activities and the use of agrochemicals without adhering strictly to the user instructions included in the agrochemical package, this has affected man in no small way. This is so because of man’s unregulated agricultural activities coupled with his faulty land use pattern. This has affected both the natural ecosystem and the agricultural farm produce thereby turning round to affect the health of man, his environment and his finances too. This paper therefore investigated the effect of these agrochemicals on health, environment and the social aspects. This research is therefore located within the northern senatorial district of Cross River State, which covers Ogoja, Yala, Bekwarra, Obudu and Obanliku local government areas. A total of 638 respondents including farmers, nurses, medical doctors and other laboratory scientists within the study area were randomly selected for the study using multistage random sampling technique. The instruments for the study include a structured questionnaire, personal interview and client case file, using independent t-test and simple percentage for data analysis, it was found that within the period the rural farmers started using these agrochemicals especially herbicides and those for crop storage, there has been an increase in the incidence of cancer growth, gastro-intestinal disorder and other health and birth complications within the study zone. These effects did not only affect the health of humans, it also affected the ecosystem and the finances of man. The authors are aware that a baseline data was needed to do a comparison between what was and what is in order to make a valid judgment, but unfortunately, not baseline data exist for the study, hence such comparison was not done. The authors therefore concluded that the use of agrochemicals has been done indiscriminately in the five local government areas under study. It was discovered that these chemicals are used without safety kits and are used for other purpose and not the function for which it was manufactured. The paper therefore proffered some recommendations and concluded that the current agrochemical usage in the study area is very faulty and contributes to some health, social and ecological implications.