By Ibrahim Yakubu:
A Climatologist, and Assistant Director, African Climate Reporters, Dr Piman Hoffman, has urged local bakeries to embrace modern methods of baking to preserve African forestries from going extinction occasioned by high demand for firewood.
The call is contained in a statement he issued to African Union, (AU) and other stake holders suggesting a quick intervention on continuous attack on forestry by some business men who are bent on turning the region into Sahara desert.
According to him, traditional bakeries daily contribute to the increased global warming which in turn triggers climate change as they still practice the old method of using firewood for their activities.
“Africa’s forestry is gradually going extinct due to continuous demand of firewood for domestic cooking, bakery, building construction and mining activities.”
The Climatologist said that every day thousands of trees are cut down without replacement of new ones in Nigeria and some parts of Africa, adding that more forests are fast turning into desert land which has forced the migration of millions of wildlife animals and human beings.
“The daily demand of firewood by traditional bakery houses is becoming a big threat to forestry, hence, the need for AU, European Union, (EU) and other stakeholders to embark on raising awareness on the dangers posed by traditional bakeries activities to the forest land in Africa,” he said.
In a research conducted by a team of African Climate Reporters, it was revealed that in every community/gheto in cities of Africa, there are more than 3 to 4 traditional local bakeries that daily uses a truck load of firewood for their activities.
Hoffman stressed that bakery owners in Africa needed to embrace modern methods to carry out their activities like electricity or solar power for baking, other than depending on firewood and charcoal.
“Humans throughout history have played a key role in determining the number of living trees, but, the fact remains that local bakeries in Africa consume high quantity of firewood daily for production and other uses.
“The old method of baking consumes large quantity of firewood and yet workers still use manual form of mixing the ingredients during their production.
“The old methods were seen as unnecessary, both hygienically and financially unsound, most importantly since it produces bread and sweets that are not up to standard and taste.
“The population of trees decreased daily as a result of this ugly practice of illegal felling of trees including the activities of local miners.
Human activity is the greatest predictor of whether trees will survive in a given area,” Hoffman disclosed.
He said that government must halt the continuous attack on forest for firewood, rather local bakers should embrace alternative energy from sun, wind, and electricity. He added that a previous estimates collected by satellite imaging, suggested that just over 400 billion trees live around the world.
Local bakeries in Africa should embrace modern methods like what is obtainable in some bakeries in Nigeria like; 212 Bakery in Kaduna; Ostrich, Abuja; Mr Biggs; Baker’s Delight in Abuja; Chizee Cake and Catering Services in Lagos; Royal cakes, Lagos; Cocomilla Catering; James Bakers Delight in Port Hacourt, among others.
Hoffman said; “AU must be committed to the daily fight against climate change, and all issues related to environmental degradation to served the entire region against disasters.”
He however disclosed that the Federal Government and the Tropical Wood Exporters Association of Nigeria, (TWEAN), have commenced moves to stop the export of processed and semi-processed woods.
Speaking further, Hoffman said that trees occupy nearly every corner of the globe, but the study shows coverage is far from even and factors like moisture and warmth play a role in how many trees exist in a given area.
He added that in a research conducted by some international organizations, people cut down around 15 billion trees each year and the global tree count has fallen by 46 per cent since the beginning of human civilization.
He also said that majority of rural and urban women now preferred using charcoal for cooking than firewood. According to the women, charcoal is inexpensive, and does not generate smoke.
While calling on Government to support local bakeries to embrace modern methods of baking, the Climatologist appealed to Ministries of Agriculture and Environment to be more committed in the fight against indiscriminate falling of forest trees.
He said that adequate laws should be put in place to punish offenders like indiscriminate burning of bush, to halt activities of some hunters who set bush on fire to hunt for games.
He equally appealed to rangers and other stakeholders to be more active in supervising all activities of Africa forestry.
Speaking in the same vein, Patron of African Climate Reporters, Dr Yusuf Nadabo, called on AU to raise more awareness on the importance of planting trees to avert increasing speed of desertification in Africa.
He said that there is need for Africans to embrace renewable energy in order to save the forestry against daily Maud.
In another research conducted by a Non-governmental organization in Nigeria “metro environment cleaning and awareness which is headed by Comrade Jibril Abdullahi, says, “we must join hands to educate the public on the dangers of continuous demand of forest trees without planting new ones”.
There is the problems of desertification and it keeps increasing day by day due to continuous demand for forest trees for many activities in the entire region of African.
He called on Africans to immensely embark on planting more trees to save the region against all forms of environmental threat which could affect the forestry and the existence of wildlife and the people that are also benefitting from the trees.
He equally called for tougher punishment for people found setting bush on fire for the sole reason of bush meat and other personal reasons.
