By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA- IN a bid to boost food production in the country, an agricultural development firm, DeBranch, Wednesday, maintained that organic fertilizer application remains safe for farmers to adopt in terms of food production and profitability.

Speaking with Vanguard, the Chief Executive Office, CEO, and Co-Founder, DeBranch, Sandra Victor-Gwafan, said they have gone to communities, where farmers were sensitized on the importance of applying organic fertilizers to boost food production.

Victor-Gwafan, also asserted that the impact of synthetic fertilizers have not been really good for the soil and had negatively contributed to climate change.

She said: “The DeBranch as an organization is dedicated to agricultural development, food security, and empowering marginalized communities across Nigeria and Africa.

“We are passionate about sustainable agriculture and youth engagement in policy making, as we have actively contributed to regional and international dialogues on food systems and climate resilience.

“For sustainable agricultural practices is the use of organic fertilizers, which is to help reduce climate change impact that is why we give them a sustainable practice with use of organic fertilizers.

“Sustainable practices is by using organic fertilizers, and then when we are talking about organic fertilizers, we are not only saying that it has to be in a particular way. Even the droppings, dungs, rice brown, moringa leaves, compost manure are all organic fertilizers, which many farmers don’t really know about, and that is what Farmers are to do. It is more sustainable compared to synthetic fertilizer.

“One of it is the health benefits because the use of synthetic fertilizers negatively impact food consumed by Nigerians including their durability in the shelves compared to organic fertilizer grown and produced food, which produce natural nutrients to the crops that helps the health of consumers as well, which also gives long shelf life to vegetables and others.”

Meanwhile, she (Victor-Gwafan) said youth are developing interest and venturing into agriculture, but she called for more government support to make the environment friendly, especially tackling insecurity in parts of the country, and also deploy incentives that would encourage them to boost food production and security to address the hunger in the land and reduce hardship.

As recommendation, she also called for ranches to be established across the country in order to reduce herder-farmer conflicts, and also to ensure that the youth are made to drive the sector.

Under her leadership, DeBranch is playing a vital role in strengthening Nigeria’s rice value chain through a training programme with ECOWAS and GIZ, aimed at enhancing food security.

In 2025, she represented West Africa as the sole youth delegate at the Kampala Declaration Head of State Summit, contributing to shaping regional agricultural policies.

Through her work, she continues to advocate for inclusive and sustainable agricultural systems that empower smallholder farmers, especially women and youth.