Agricultural Value Chain and Environmental Degradation in Nigeria (A Case Study of Akwa Ibom State)

Abstract

This study aimed atexamining agricultural value chain and environmental degradation in Akwa Ibom State.The population of the study consist of the total population of Akwa Ibom State.With the aid of Taro Yamane formulae, a sample size of 400 were generated. 400 questionnaires were strategically distributed to two local government area from each of the three (3) senatorial districts that made up Akwa Ibom State. The research questions of the study were analyzed using statistical tools of mean and standard deviation in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) with a mean criterion of 3.0The findings review thatthe impact of agricultural value chainon environmental degradation in Akwa Ibom Stateare: changes in climate, destruction of forest reserve, ecosystem, soil nutrient, pollution of waters, and finally destruction of inter communal road. The study concluded that agricultural value chain are the means by which citizens get the food they consumed and also industries get their raw materials from agriculture, if there is effective public policy design to reduce the problems of bad agricultural value chain system, sustainable agricultural development and environment free from degradation can be achieve in Akwa Ibom State.