Nigeria is the highest producer of rice in West Africa, and the third largest in Africa after Egypt and Madagascar. Yet, there is still excess demand for the commodity in the country. The per capita consumption of rice has... [ view full abstract ]
Nigeria is the highest producer of rice in West Africa, and the third largest in Africa after Egypt and Madagascar. Yet, there is still excess demand for the commodity in the country. The per capita consumption of rice has grown from 3 kg in the 1960s to an estimated 37.5 kg in 2014. Current government policie to boost local rice production through self-sufficiency in production have less focus on the impact of rice production systems on carbon footprint and climate change mitigation.
The agricultural sector has been implicated as a driving force in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and land use effects. Direct sources of GHG from agricultural production systems are emissions from cultivated and fertilized soils which include carbon dioxide, ammonia and nitrogen oxides. Rice (Oryza spp) constitutes a major staple crop (and drainer of foreign exchange) in Nigeria. It also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions through its intensive and high-input production system. Proper identification of the nature and intensity of emission (and sources) could assist in appropriate greenhouse gas emission actions as well as proper estimation and reduction of carbon footprint from rice production systems. Hence, the importance of assessing the nature of deep carbonization that would be required for agricultural transformation pathways in rice production systems in Nigeria.
The transformation pathways methodology which seeks to analyse agricultural production systems taking into cognizance climate change and sustainability of the agricultural production systems, was adopted for the study. In this regard, a step-by-step of the analysis of back-casting involved: analysing the present economic and environmental situation of rice production in Nigeria; stating desired future scenario; undertaking feasibility assessment; prescribing a concrete course of action; and elaborating detailed pathways.
The findings yielded a strategic matrix for the transformation of the rice production systems in Nigeria. The transformation pathways have indicators on productivity, biodiversity, climate change scenarios, and nutrient demand. Also, targets, roadblocks and levers for sustainable rice production were presented. These issues are with a view to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and promoting efficient water management in the rice production system in Nigeria.
