ABSTRACT
Agroecology is a sustainable farming method that has the potential to revolutionize the global agricultural sector by promoting cleaner and more environmentally friendly practices. However, the question of how to effectively transition to a sustainable agroecology system remains a topic of debate, particularly in developing economies. In many developing countries, subsistence farming plays a crucial role in supporting the livelihoods of countless households. Therefore, it is essential to explore the connection between food self-provisioning and the shift towards agroecology. Using primary data from rural Nigeria and by applying an ordered logistic regression, the study demonstrates that when farmers are primarily dependent on their own produce for sustenance, there is a natural inclination towards methods ensuring long-term soil health and ecological balance. We observed that self-provisioning leads to a 10.9 % increase in agroecology transition, and this result was statistically significant (P-value 0.001). This paradigm not only promotes sustainable agricultural practices but also underscores a holistic approach where agriculture coexists harmoniously with nature. As the global challenges of climate change and increasing food demand loom large, understanding and supporting these farmer-driven solutions become paramount. The results beckon policymakers and stakeholders to frame strategies grounded in farmers' intrinsic motivations, ensuring a sustainable agricultural future that is ecologically viable, culturally resonant, and economically beneficial.
ABSTRACT
The 2014 disease outbreak in West Africa of the Ebola virus was the longest, largest, deadliest, and most complex epidemic of its kind in history. It was believed to have originated from bushmeat consumption and exhibited sustained human-to-human transmission. We assessed the effects of the virus outbreak in West Africa on bushmeat enterprise and environmental health risk behaviors among households in Nigeria. We adopted a multistage sampling technique to select 100 respondents. We structured two sets of questionnaires for both bushmeat sellers and consumers. The questionnaire contained information about the respondent's socioeconomic characteristics; perceived causes of the Ebola outbreak; risk behaviors; level of sales; and consumption before, during, and after the Ebola outbreak. We found a significant decrease in the levels of sales and consumption of bushmeat during the outbreak. Consumers perceived touching an infected person, but not eating bushmeat, as a significant mode of Ebola transmission. Although respondents knew about some practices that help to prevent Ebola, they did not practice these to a reasonable extent. We also found that females were 25% more likely than males to consume bushmeat during the outbreak. Given these findings, we recommend that the government should sensitize people and educate them on risk prevention behaviors they should adopt to prevent the transmission of the Ebola disease.
