Concerned stakeholders rose from a one-day Workshop on ‘Industrial Animal Farming and Implications for Nigeria’, declaring that Nigeria faces an imminent threat of industrial food colonialism through the entry of multinational meat corporations like JBS.
The stakeholders therefore called on the Federal Government to as a matter of national concern, revoke the approval granted to JBS for operation in Nigeria due to a documented history of environmental crime, including massive deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions of up to 70 million tons, worsening climate change and socio-economic disruption in local communities.
The stakeholders noted that JBS has a history of environmental destruction – including massive deforestation of the Amazon, emission of over 70 million tons of greenhouse gases, human rights abuses, and tax evasion.
The workshop which was put together by Health of Mothers Earth Foundation (HOMEF), emphasised that industrial animal farming posed severe risks to public health, including an increase in incidences of zoonotic diseases, antibiotic resistance, food contamination, and the production of nutritionally poor, ultra-processed meat products.
A communique issued at the end of the Workshop, outrightly rejected the establishment of JBS or any other industrial animal farming facilities that threaten Nigeria’s food sovereignty and environmental sustainability.
Against this backdrop, the workshop participants that were drawn from the government, academia, civil society, local farming communities, environmental groups, the private sector and the media from Nigeria and Kenya, resolved to champion agroecological and farmer-led agricultural systems that empower local communities and preserve indigenous knowledge as well as advocated for the protection and support of smallholder farmers who form the backbone of Nigeria’s food system.
The stakeholders noted that JBS investment will require a massive expanse of land, adding that already, Niger State has promised 1.2 million hectares of land which is huge by any standards and may be the biggest single land grabbing in Africa by a company.
The workshop participants further said that another fact to note is that the products will be mostly for export and do not aim to meet Nigeria’s nutritional needs, stressing that the entire construct is patently extractive and colonial.
The communique stated; “The proposed industrial facilities threaten massive environmental degradation, including water and land pollution, deforestation, biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and unsustainable resource consumption that could strain local water and land availability.
“West Africa’s food sovereignty has been an area of concern in recent years. We are now faced with a growing threat from industrial animal farming (also known as factory farming) and its impact on our food systems, environment, public health, and agricultural sovereignty.
“The Nigerian government has pledged to provide the necessary and favourable economic, sanitary and regulatory conditions to support the project. JBS SA has identified Ogun State as a key investment hub due to its strategic location and infrastructure, and some other states in Nigeria are positioning themselves as beneficiaries of the project, seeing as it has huge potential for revenue generation,” it stated.
The workshop participants said they recognised that a corporate-controlled food system represents a fundamental threat to the nation’s food sovereignty, environmental sustainability, and the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers who currently provide up to 70% of Nigeria’s food supply.
The stakeholders emphasised that large-scale industrial farming operations will systematically displace smallholder farmers, disrupt traditional farming practices, and undermine indigenous food systems and cultural dietary practices.
The workshop participants noted that the $2.5 billion JBS investment lacks rigorous oversight mechanisms, proper Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), Social Impact Assessments, community consultation processes, and transparency measures, despite its potential for widespread community displacement.
The communique further said; “Industrial animal farming is fundamentally alien to Nigeria’s traditional food culture and represents a direct assault on food sovereignty, farmer autonomy, and democratic control over food choices.
“Corporate consolidation of food systems creates dangerous dependency on multinational corporations, threatening national food sovereignty and agricultural self-reliance”.
The stakeholders therefore demanded rigorous Environmental Impact Assessments, community consultation, and transparency for any large-scale agricultural investments, saying that they promote local, sustainable food systems that preserve cultural food practices and ensure nutritious, accessible food for all Nigerians.
They specifically pushed for policies that prioritise food sovereignty over corporate profits and protect farmers’ rights to land, seeds, and agricultural autonomy.
The stakeholders also called on the Government at all levels to reject industrial animal farming models that threaten food sovereignty, and instead invest in supporting smallholder farmers through policy frameworks, financial assistance, and infrastructure development that empower local food systems.
The communique also stated; “Federal and State Governments to conduct comprehensive, independent Environmental Impact Assessments for any proposed industrial farming projects, with mandatory community consultation and transparent public scrutiny before approving such investments.
“The Government and Nigerian citizens to actively support local farmers and food systems, choose locally-produced foods over industrial products, and advocate for healthy, culturally appropriate food choices that preserve our indigenous food heritage.
“Government to implement strict regulations on multinational food corporations, including mandatory accountability mechanisms, environmental safeguards, and protection of community rights against displacement and exploitation.
“Academic and research institutions should prioritise research into sustainable, agroecological farming methods and expose the true costs of industrial animal farming on public health, the environment, and social equity.
“Civil society organisations and media to continue monitoring and exposing the activities of industrial farming corporations, educating the public about food sovereignty, and advocating for policies that protect Nigeria’s agricultural independence.
“International development partners to support Nigeria’s transition toward sustainable, farmer-led food systems rather than enabling corporate capture of agricultural resources.
“Policy makers need to recognise that proper food sovereignty cannot be achieved through corporate-controlled systems that create dependency, but only through food sovereignty where communities control their own
food systems, seeds, and agricultural processes,” it pointed out.
The stakeholders said that Nigeria must as a matter of necessity, choose between a sovereign, sustainable food system controlled by our farmers or a corporate-controlled, extractive model that will fundamentally undermine our nation’s agricultural foundation, environmental health, and food sovereignty.
They opined that the choices we make today will determine whether Nigeria’s food system serves its people or corporate interests, stressing that we must always put our people first, over profits as well as remember that; “we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it for our children”.
