From Seyi Tayese, Yenagoa
The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) on Friday called for stronger support for indigenous seeds and agroecology to address hunger, malnutrition and climate change.
HOMEF, an ecology focused organisation made the call in a statement issued by Kome Odhomor Media and Communications Lead to mark the 2026 World Food Day,
It urged governments to protect farmers’ rights and promote sustainable food systems.
HOMEF said food sovereignty was essential to ensuring food security, protecting biodiversity and strengthening the resilience of local farming communities.
It noted that millions of people, particularly in Africa, continued to face hunger despite the continent’s abundant natural and human resources.
It attributed the challenges to climate change, economic instability, conflicts and food systems that prioritised industrial production over agricultural diversity.
The statement quoted Its Executive Director, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, as saying World Food Day should provide an opportunity to reflect on the structural causes of hunger and weaknesses in existing food systems.
Bassey criticised monoculture and cash-crop farming, saying the practices sacrificed agricultural diversity, weakened soil health and undermined farmers’ independence.
He urged Nigerians to pay greater attention to their food choices and support agricultural practices that protected the environment and strengthened local food production.
“Food sovereignty is the essential, missing piece in the currently proposed solutions to the food and climate crises,” he said.
Bassey described indigenous seeds as valuable sources of genetic diversity capable of supporting drought resistance, pest management and improved nutrition.
He called for a transition to agroecology, stressing that protecting indigenous seeds was critical to preserving biodiversity and sustaining healthy ecosystems.
The statement also quoted Joyce Brown, HOMEF’s Director of Programmes, as saying that hunger amid abundant resources reflected failures in political and economic choices.
Brown said food should be recognised as a fundamental human right rather than merely a commodity traded for profit.
She urged governments and international institutions to review policies that favoured industrial exporters over small-scale farmers supplying local food markets.
Brown also warned that restrictions on farmers’ access to indigenous seeds could undermine nutrition and food security.
She cited Nigeria’s Plant Variety Protection Act, 2021, and called for policies that protected farmers’ rights to save, exchange and replant seeds.
Mariann Bassey-Olsson, Deputy Director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), described seed-saving as an act of resistance and cultural preservation.
She rejected claims that industrial agriculture was the only viable means of feeding the world, noting that smallholder farmers had sustained communities for generations.
Bassey-Olsson said indigenous seeds reflected centuries of adaptation and agricultural knowledge, helping farmers respond to local environmental conditions.
She stressed that farmers’ freedom to save, exchange and replant seeds was central to food sovereignty and agricultural independence.
The foundation also cautioned against agricultural approaches it considered harmful to biodiversity, including genetic modification of crops, arguing that they could increase farmers’ dependence on foreign corporations.
It called for greater investment in local food systems and improved access to agricultural knowledge and resources, particularly for smallholder farmers and marginalised communities.
HOMEF said future food systems should prioritise nutritious food, restore soil health, protect ecosystems and improve rural livelihoods through sustainable agricultural practices.
World Food Day is observed annually on Oct. 16 to raise awareness of hunger and promote action towards ensuring access to safe, nutritious and affordable food.
The 2026 theme is “Innovate Today” and “Nourish Tomorrow”.
