The Nigerian government is urged to carefully examine the adverse effects of industrial animal farming on the nation’s food systems, environment, public health, and agricultural independence. This warning comes after the announcement of plans to build six industrial farming sites in several states, along with JBS S.A’s proposal to invest $2.5 billion in Nigeria. During a stakeholders workshop that included representatives from academia, government, civil society, and local farming communities from Nigeria and Kenya, participants discussed the risks posed by industrial food colonialism from multinational meat companies like JBS. They pointed out that such corporations have been linked to environmental harm, significant deforestation, the emission of over 70 million tons of greenhouse gases, human rights violations, and tax evasion. The attendees emphasized that industrial animal farming threatens public health by increasing cases of zoonotic diseases, fostering antibiotic resistance, causing food contamination, and producing nutritionally deficient food items. In a resolution released by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) after the workshop, stakeholders called for the Nigerian government to retract its approval of JBS due to its documented history of environmental harm, which they argue has aggravated climate change and socio-economic turmoil in local areas. They urged the government to dismiss industrial animal farming approaches that jeopardize food sovereignty and instead focus on supporting smallholder farmers through financial aid and infrastructure enhancements that strengthen local food systems. The resolution stated, “Federal and State Governments should conduct thorough, independent Environmental Impact Assessments for any prospective industrial farming initiatives, ensuring mandatory community involvement and transparent public review prior to granting any approvals. “Government must impose stringent regulations on multinational food corporations, including mandatory accountability measures, environmental protections, and safeguarding community rights against displacement and exploitation. “Academic and research institutions should prioritize research on sustainable, agroecological farming practices and reveal the genuine costs of industrial animal farming on public health, the environment, and social equity issues.
