A Senior Advisor on Food Security and Nutrition, Dr Adeyinka Onabolu, has identified environmental impact of food production as the largest factor threatening biodiversity, with one-third of fish stocks overexploited.
Onabolu, who works with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), said this at a two-day nutrition reporting training for journalists in Abuja.
Onabolu said 78 per cent of ocean and freshwater nutrient-rich pollution was from agriculture, noting that laws must be quickly enacted to protect the aquatic food system.
According to her, aquaculture could contribute to improved food security and nutrition through increased availability of low-cost fish for local food supplies, and improved employment opportunities and incomes.
Onabolu said research had shown that micronutrient deficiencies lead to one million premature deaths annually, and dietary inadequacies was a factor for morbidity and mortality.
“Aquatic foods have very considerable potential in helping to fill these nutrient gaps and improve diet quality,” she said.
According to her, food system encompasses all the interactions between people and the natural world-land, water, climate; and the natural world’s effects on human health and nutrition.
“A food system is sustainable when it provides sufficient nutritious food for all without compromising the health of the planet or the ability of future generations to meet their own food and nutritional needs,” she said.
She noted that food system has environmental, economic and social impacts, adding that transforming the food system requires an improved institutions, infrastructure, regulations and market.
Data from GAIN showed that malnutrition trends in Nigeria over recent years showed a worrying lack of progress.
The malnutrition statistics showed severe nutritional gaps in the first 1000-day of a child’s life and continuing through to early childhood, widespread undernutrition, overweight, and obesity on the increase, especially among adults in urban areas.
The data said consumption of nutritious animal-source foods such as fish had remained static, consumption of vegetables and pulses had declined by seven per cent, and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages increased by 39 per cent.
The media training was organised by GAIN, Nigeria Health Watch and the Federal Ministry of Information.
It had about 30 journalists from various media platforms in attendance.
