*6.4.1 Ecological sustainability*

Egusi is mostly cultivated in the north-central part of Nigeria but consumed all over the nation. Farmers who are found in this area are mostly without formal education. It is also common to have smallholder farmers, who cultivate Egusi for subsistence and small-scale sales. There are, however, few farmers that invest heavily in agriculture. The common agronomic practices to some extent have no disastrous effect on the environment save for a few. Promoters of sustainable agricultural practices have frowned on the use of chemicals in the agricultural value chain. More organic substitutes have always been proposed. However, it is shown from the interviews that players in the Egusi value chain have no qualms with the use of chemicals. In fact, due to their lack of formal education, they use chemicals whose constituents or *Sustainable Agricultural Practices: Value Chain of Egusi, A Local Soup Condiment… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109854*

impact they do not know. This claim is supported by their inability to state the names of the chemicals they use. This indiscriminate use of chemicals in the agricultural value chain is seen in the 2018 report on the use of Sniper in preserving beans by the Vanguard Newspaper. The use of Sniper, which is harmful to insects and rodents to preserve beans, posed a threat to public health. In the case of water management, it is seen that the common practice is to wash melon seeds in water bodies. This action renders the water unsafe for other immediate use. However, this is of little consequence as most of these water bodies are in nonresidential areas and also for the organic nature of the pollutants. The contribution of these pollutants to the eutrophication of water bodies has not been established by this study; however, this could be a possibility.

On the positive side, the farmers are seen to use organic fertilizer. This is evident in the burying of Egusi pods in ridges made for the next cultivation. This indicates their agreement with the effectiveness of organic sources of nutrients in the soil. However, their effort can be said to be passive. This is because the farmers do not actively source and use organic sources of nutrients. They only make use of the crop leftovers, which cannot be used for other purposes. This action tends more toward effective waste management. Having the land covered with grasses and stalks that serve as cover crops is another interesting fact. Scholars have agreed with the immense importance of cover crops in the protection of the soil from erosion and harsh environmental factors.

#### *6.4.2 Economic sustainability*

Existing literature shows that economic sustainability plays a very important role in the practice of sustainable agriculture. The discussion with some players in the value chain shows that the value chain is economically sustainable. It can also be deduced from the data that using artificial scarcity to affect the price of Egusi is a common practice. Such a practice puts a question mark on the claim of sustainability of the value chain. The profitability may be a consequence of the scarcity created by players in the value chain. The absence of intense investment in Egusi cultivation also indicates that the farmers do not make as much profit as they claim.

#### *6.4.3 Social sustainability*

The social sustainability aspect of sustainable agriculture focuses on the relationship and welfare of the players in the value chain. It was discovered from the data that there exists a cordial relationship between the players of the value chain. The farmers are given items on credit, which is commendable. Given the poor standard of living of the interviewees, data pertaining to welfare could not be deduced.

The discussions of the findings under the ecological, economic, and social themes provide answers to research question 1 as to the prevailing practices in the chain. In an attempt to answer research question 2, it is obvious from the findings that some of the farmers were actually adopting some form of sustainability practices without really being aware of them. In a way, they often adopted some practices based on economics. For instance, the use of gourds as a supplement for manure is a case in point. Thus, their level of awareness of sustainability in the value chain is still very limited.
