The President of the National Farmer and Fishermen Award Winners Association, Philip Abayori wants government to ban the use of polythene and introduce biodegradable polythene.
The association has stated that farmers and fishermen bear the brunt in the long term if polythene is used.
A recent publication by The Weekend Globe revealed that plastic waste has engulfed the sea making it difficult for fishermen to catch healthy fish, thereby losing revenue.
But in an interview with Citi Business News, Mr Abayori said the introduction of biodegradable polythene and fibre will ensure farmers and fishermen yield enough from their produce and catch.
�We need to definitely ban some plastic products, other countries introduce biodegradable polythene because it is a necessity; our livestock are consuming these materials and the resultant effect is death; we are also using them to destroy our soil because it takes 100 years for them to degrade.�
Biodegradable plastic materials are reported to have a strong market niche in many significant areas such as check-out bags, agricultural films and many other sectors.
In countries like the United Arab Emirate, Argentina, Mexico, Greece, Yemen, Brazil and Italy, passage of pro-biodegradable plastic additive legislation is evidence of growing acceptance of the concept.
Mr Abayori added that �we need to just make a holistic approach that we will not use polythene, but then introduce fibre and other materials that are bio-degradable; it is important for our country.�
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