AGRICULTURAL BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION: STRATEGIES FOR INVOLVING RURAL FARMERS IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA
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BACKGROUND TO STUDY
One area of the environment that has lately attracted global attention is biodiversity conservation. Biodiversity is defined as the variety and variability of living species and the ecological complexity in which they live as observed by Altieri, (2019). It is a phrase used to define the degree of diversity in nature, which includes the quantity and frequency of ecosystems, species, or genes in a particular collection. It is essentially equivalent with earthly existence. It is typically thought of at three levels: genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecological diversity. Genetic variety is the sum of the genetic features of all plants, animals, and other living beings on the planet. Rapid growth, large yields, resilience to diseases and pests, and environmental adaptation are examples of such qualities.
The diversity of living organisms on Earth is referred to as specie diversity, whereas ecosystem diversity refers to the diversity of habitats, biotic communities, and ecological processes in the biosphere, as well as the tremendous diversity within ecosystems in terms of habitat differences and the variety of ecological processes.
According to Bellon, (2016), agrobiodiversity, or agricultural biodiversity as it is sometimes called, might be recognised within a broader idea of biodiversity. Agricultural biodiversity is limited to plants and animals that are utilised in trade or have the potential to be exploited (Srivastava, Smith and Ferno, 2001). It is the diversity of genetic resources (varieties, breeds, species, cultivated, reared, or wild) used directly for food and agriculture; the diversity of species that support production (soil biota, pollinators, predators, etc.); and the diversity of agroecosystems themselves (agricultural, pastoral, forest, and aquatic) (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2008). Agroecosystems are agricultural ecosystems that include polycultures, monocultures, and mixed systems such as crop-livestock systems (rice-fish), agroforestry, agrosilvo pastoral systems, aquaculture, and rangelands, pastures, and fallow lands.
Zhang (2017) asserts that Agricultural biodiversity benefits humanity enormously. Man relies on a variety of livestock and agricultural species for food, fuel, fibre, medicine, pharmaceuticals, and raw materials for a wide range of manufacturing processes and uses. The agricultural system's productivity is the outcome of the ongoing modification of once-wild plant and animal germplasms. Agrogenetic resources are also used in genetic engineering, particularly in the pharmaceutical and food processing sectors. Aside from these immediate benefits, agricultural biodiversities are critical components of the systems that govern the earth's atmospheric, climatic, hydrologic, and biochemical cycles. It provides local ecological functions such as watershed protection, nutrient cycling, erosion control, soil enrichment, water flow regulation, sediment trapping, erosion mitigation, and insect population control (Ehrenfeld, 2000) Agrobiodiversity also has ethical and aesthetic benefits, and it serves as the foundation for sustainable rural development and resource management. The diversity of natural flora and animals is being utilised for sustainable economic development in most rural parts of Akwa Ibom State. Traditional animal breeds (sheep, goats, cattle), agricultural kinds (fruit trees, fodder plants, and grains), and wild fruits are being researched to create jobs, revenue, and environmental care. Despite agrobiodiversity's immense potential for preserving plants, animals, soils, and water, as well as acting as the cornerstone of sustainable development, most of the Strategies for Involving Rural Farmers in Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria Bassey, Camilus Environmental considerations in this respect attract attention to the fact that it is more vulnerable to disaster and loss. Agrobiodiversity depletion is a relative phenomenon. According to Blaide and Broodfield (2007), agrobiodiversity is lost when it suffers a reduction in intrinsic qualities, a decline in capabilities, or complete extinction as a result of "a causative factor or a combination of factors that reduces its physical, chemical, or biological status, thus limiting its productive capacity." It also includes the loss of usefulness or prospective utility, as well as the decrease or modification of traits or the extinction of certain species that cannot be restored (Dumsday, 2007).
Akwa Ibom State is located in one of the geographical zones in the rainforest belt, which is noted for its high density of agro-genetic variety. The variety of the agroecosystem is quickly eroding across its ecological zones. This erosion might be caused mostly by intensive resource use and considerable habitat modification. Other factors include: the neglect of indigenous knowledge of agrobiodiversity conservation institutions and management systems; the blueprint approach to development, which promotes monoculture systems and uniform technologies; the pursuit of transnational corporations that market agricultural inputs and process food and fibre for commercial profits and uncontrolled overproduction; and inequitable access to and control over land, water, trees, and geneti It is well acknowledged that rural farmers frequently have significant and thorough knowledge of the agrospecies and related ecosystems with which they come into touch and have developed excellent methods of guaranteeing their sustainable usage (McNeely, Miller, Reid, Mittermeier, & Werner, 2000). However, they are hampered by a number of issues in their efforts to implement conservation systems that support its own capital - agricultural resources derived from plant and animal sources. According to FAO (2009), the factors that generate a gap between planned and actual farmer conservation behaviour include knowledge, motivation, and technology, as well as the type of incentives and disincentives, land use, population increase, and poverty. McNeely et al. (2000) stated that agrobiodiversity is endangered at its most fundamental level because humans are out of equilibrium with their environment. Exploiting agricultural resources yields benefits without incurring the full expense of such exploitation. They highlight six major barriers to better success in agricultural biodiversity conservation. They are as follows: a. Development goals place insufficient weight on agricultural resources b. Agro-resources are exploited for profit rather than to address legitimate local requirements. b. The species and ecosystems on which human life is dependent remain unknown. d. Most conservation organisations have had to limit their scope. Volume 2 of the Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, December 2010 105 e. Institutions tasked with raising awareness about the need of conservation among rural farmers have been under-resourced. McNeely et al. pointed out that sustaining a nation's agro-agricultural variety is essential to maintaining agricultural riches, but the relevance of species and ecosystems is rarely fully recognised in the formation of national development programmes. In their farming techniques, rural farmers do not actively evaluate the importance of species and ecosystems. Short-term exploitation to produce revenue or foreign cash is often prioritised above long-term sustainable usage of agricultural resources in development. Farmers are often focused on their stated immediate requirements and seek relatively short-term profits on their investments. Farmers' uncontrolled use of agricultural resources contributes to the extinction of species and the loss of agricultural biodiversity. McNeely et al. also noted that most farmer conservation efforts have focused on minor species such as ruminants, monogastrics, poultry, significant plant species, or specific tree species. Farmers are unable to conserve if conservation efforts are underpaid. Furthermore, people in charge of developing awareness possibilities for progress lack specialised training and have little prestige, as well as inadequate equipment and administrative competence. These have an impact on rural farmers' conservation efforts.
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