Category: News

This year, Nepal hosted the 16th edition of the World Social Forum in Kathmandu from February 15th to 19th. During the forum, ForestAction Nepal, the secretariat of the Alliance of Agriculture for Food, collaborated with allied organizations to create a significant presence by organizing various events focusing on themes such as food, agroecology, agrobiodiversity, and climate change.

ForestAction Nepal actively participated in the rally held during the opening ceremony on February 15th, showcasing banners and placards that highlighted the importance and challenges related to food, agroecology, biodiversity, agroforestry, and climate change.

In addition, ForestAction Nepal had an exhibition stall throughout the event, showcasing local and indigenous crops, technologies, photographs, and posters illustrating the unique farming systems in the Himalayas, Hills, Chure, and plains. This exhibition also highlighted the crucial contributions of women in agriculture within local communities through the display of photographs. The stall attracted a significant number of visitors who appreciated the displays and information presented.

On February 17th, a regional discussion forum titled “Food Justice” was organized to discuss the global food crisis, emphasize the necessity of food democracy, raise concerns about food security, and establish networks for broader solidarity. On the same day, a drama called “Sattapatta” was showcased to convey a message about the impact of the modern farming system on our indigenous and traditional knowledge, technologies, soil, seed, and including human health.

On February 18th, an excursion tour to Nalinchwok, Bhaktapur, was organized aiming to foster meaningful networks and partnerships for future collaborations on campaigns addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. This excursion was followed by the theatrical performance “Hiuko Prithivi Yatra,” a narrative focusing on environmental destruction, presented at the Shiplee Theatre in Battisputali.

 

 

 

 

 

Alliance of Agriculture for Food (AAF) in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture (DoA), Centre for Crop Development and Agrobiodiversity Conservation (CCDABC), and Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LiBIRD) organised a discussion program entitled “Discussion program on the loss of agrobiodiversity and the possible crisis” at DoA on 19 January 2024. In the context of the National Agrobiodiversity Day and a weeklong celebration of agrobiodiversity, as decided by the government of Nepal.

The discussion was chaired by AAF coordinator Mr Uddhav Adhikari and moderated by Dr Naya Sharma Paudel. It was aimed to have an intensive discussion among concerned policymakers and stakeholders on the upcoming environmental and food crisis caused by the loss of agrobiodiversity to raise attention to the issue. Around 50 participants involved in the field of Agrobiodiversity, including government actors, academics, civil society actors, farmers, activists, media personnel and students participated and contributed to the discussion program.

Firstly, Mr Megha Nath Timilsina (Head of CCDABC) presented the status and the Government’s efforts on Agro-biodiversity conservation. Secondly, Dr. Lila Sharma presented on wild foods and the importance of forest-based agrobiodiversity.

Major concerns/remarks presented during the discussion

• Changes in food habits and money/profit-oriented agricultural production are contributing to the loss of several local seeds and foods
• Biodiversity conservation but with economic benefits only has created some problems despite having huge potential of the rich biodiversity of hills.
• Need to use Research, education and extension to promote Agroecology. Universities are making some efforts but still struggling with limited options for widely sharing the findings and learning.
• Policies and programs are not well tailored to conserving agrobiodiversity and diverse food. Also, agriculture and education are not well connected. Despite some improvement in the existing curriculum, it is not adequate particularly to promote agriculture for food first.
• Conservation of agrobiodiversity is not prioritized by the government as much as it needed to due to the priority provided to the promotion of intensive and single cropping systems.
• Inadequate investment and efforts are given to Agriculture education and research to promote local (landraces). Most farmers are doing it by themselves.
• Policies and programs should be influenced by local learnings and also should be formulated to support local communities and practices.
• Need to promote locally produced food for daily consumption including in school meals.
• Forest-based foods should also be conserved and promoted.
• Farmers leaving farming is partly attributed to the government’s policies and programs of promoting chemical fertilizers, pesticides and hybrid seeds in the name of subsidy and to increase production.
• Inadequate research and data collection and analysis.
• To encourage the conservation and promotion of agrobiodiversity, there is a need to raise public awareness to consume local foods and diversify the varieties, provide subsidies to farmers etc.

Finally, the discussion was summed up by Mr Bharat Bhandari. Mr Uddhav Adhikari, the chair, concluded the program with a vote of thanks. Additionally, he reemphasised the need to define commercial farming and reminded us of the destruction made by monoculture and chemical-based farming practices on soil.

     

     

On 21st December 2023, ForestAction Nepal, the secretariat of the Alliance of Agriculture for Food, organized an interaction program entitled ‘Preamble discussion on the Agricultural Development Bill for Bagmati Province’ at Sap-Falcha, Kathmandu. The objective of the event was to discuss the draft document of Agriculture Bill prepared by Bagmati Province.

The program was conducted in the presence of the Honorable Speaker of Bagmati Province Assembly, Mr. Bhuvan Kumar Pathak, along with honorable members of the Committee on Education, Health and Agriculture of Bagmati Province, including Shreeram Lamichhane, Basanta Kumar Manandhar, Urmila Kumari Lama, Raghunath Maharjan, Samita Khadgi, Meena Parajuli, Dhaneshwori Prajapati, Bindu Shrestha, and Sakuntala Shrestha. Additionally, several stakeholders attended, including agriculture experts, farmers, media personnel, students, representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs), and members of AAF.”

During the event, Mr. Uddhav Adhikari, the coordinator of AAF, presented a thorough review of the document, accompanied by valuable feedback from AAF. After the presentation, the floor was opened for questions and views from the participants. Following this, the honorable MPs shared their perspectives, which was then followed by a speech from the honorable speaker. The event concluded with closing remarks from the AAF coordinator.

A summary of the major viewpoints expressed during the discussion;

–  Most of the policy documents emphasize creating jobs through increased production, productivity, and growth. It also seems that the current draft is more focused on promoting agricultural businesses rather than overall agricultural development. Therefore, it would be more appropriate to refer to it as the “Agricultural Business Promotion Act” rather than the “Agricultural Development Bill.”

– Need of act that prevents the fragmentation of agricultural land.

– The provincial government should ensure the provision of a minimum price guarantee for agricultural produce and agricultural products.

– The primary focus should be on overcoming obstacles during the implementation phase of the bill, rather than solely focusing on the process of creating the bill.

– There is a need to develop a model for promoting ecological agriculture. However, considering the current scenario of agricultural education, which is even worse, it is crucial to formulate a policy aimed at improving it.

– There is a need for structural reformation to enhance the effectiveness of agriculture extension process.

– It is crucial to acknowledge and address the crises caused by climate change. Agricultural policies that disregard the climate change crisis on agriculture will not be effective in addressing the challenges that agriculture faces.

– The agricultural insurance system should be simplified and subsidies should be effectively managed.

– It is important to actively involve agricultural students in agricultural entrepreneurship activities.

The honorable provincial assembly members have acknowledged that the policy-making process in Nepal lacks sufficient discussions with stakeholders. However, they view the ongoing discussion on the draft bill as a positive initiative. They also recognize the need for continuous improvement in the process itself, while noting that the discussions surrounding the bill are progressing in the right direction.

On December 17th, 2023, ForestAction Nepal, the secretariat of the Alliance of Agriculture for Food (AAF), organized a discussion event titled “Agroecological Perspectives in the 16^th Periodic Planning” at SAP-Falcha Kathmandu. The main objective of this event was to deliberate on the necessity of incorporating agroecology into the 16th periodic plan, considering the recent publication of its concept note by the National Planning Commission.

The program was conducted in the presence of distinguished guests, including Honorable Binita Kathayat, a member of the Agriculture, Cooperative, and Natural Resources Committee (under the House of Representatives); Honorable Dr. Jaykant Raut, a member of the National Planning Commission; Dr. Hari Bahadur KC, Director General of the Department of Agriculture; Dr. Ram Krishna Shrestha, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development; Mahesh Jaisi, Head of the Agriculture Extension Service Department, IAAS and various stakeholders comprising agriculture experts, farmers, media personnel, students, representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs), and members of AAF.

The event followed a specific modality, beginning with a presentation by the AAF. Mr. Uddhav Adhikari, the coordinator of AAF, presented key facts and figures regarding Nepalese agriculture. This included an assessment of the shortcomings of the previous periodic plan and emphasized the importance of incorporating agroecology into the 16th periodic plan.

Following the presentation, the floor was opened for discussion. A summary of the main viewpoints expressed by the guests and participants is highlighted below;

– agriculture should be regarded as a means of livelihood.

– necessity of allocating agricultural budgets towards the development of environment friendly tools and technologies.

– need of improving implementation strategies of plans.

– due to COVID-19 and other adverse circumstances, many of the goals outlined in the previous plans were not accomplished.

– given the current scenario, an immediate transformation towards agroecological farming may not be possible. Instead, a gradual reduction of chemical use and an increase in organic matter as part of a strategy to transition towards organic farming is required.

– agroecology should be viewed as a scientific approach rather than just a form of subsistence farming.

– current plans and policies have failed to attract the interest of youth in agriculture.

– there is need to establish a co-existence between agricultural extension, research, and development.

– necessity of structural reformation for sustainable transformation of the food system.

– need to develop critical thinking in government programs and processes.

– the need for parliamentarians to have a more active and influential role in shaping agricultural policies and plans.

This year, the 43^rd World Food Day was celebrated worldwide with the slogan “Water is life, Water is food”. ForestAction Nepal, the secretariat of the Alliance of Agriculture for Food, in collaboration with Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU), the Department of Agriculture, Jilla Prangrarik Sangh, Chitwan, Better Chitwan, Chitwan Kacheheri, and student organizations from AFU and Rampur Agriculture Campus, organized a series of events on October 6, 7, and 8, 2023, to mark this event in Chitwan, Nepal.

The celebration kicked off with a press release to highlight the significance of the event and inform the stakeholders about it. On the following day, a rally was organized, where the participants marched from Pulchwok, Narayanghat, to Chaubiskoti. The rally was attended by farmers, agricultural students, agricultural activists, journalists, and healthcare personnel. The aim of this public event was to raise awareness among the public regarding the problems and challenges faced by farmers, the importance of sustainable farming practices, and the need for a resilient food system. On the same day, a drama entitled Sattapatta was showcased in the auditorium hall of the university in the presence of more than 200 audiences. Sattapatta is the story about the farming, and it gives the audience a message about the impact of the modern farming system that promotes the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on our indigenous and traditional knowledge, technologies, soil, seed, and including human health.

On the third day, a seminar titled “Debate on the Issues of Food and Agriculture” was organized, consisting of four sessions, including the opening and thematic sessions. Policymakers, stakeholders, thematic experts, students, journalists, and farmers were all present at the seminar. Following the seminar, “raithane khadhya sanjh” (a food festival) was organized to celebrate the diversity and richness of our local cuisine, featuring a variety of delicious dishes from the Tharu community.

ForestAction Nepal, the secretariat of Alliance of Agriculture for Food (AAF) collaborated with the Shilpee Theatre Group (STG) and produced a theatre play namely “Sattapatta” with an aim of creating public awareness on the importance of natural farming and its potential benefits for soil and human health.

The main focus areas of the theatre were;

– The impact of industrial food (chemical-based junk), on soil and human health and planetary life and lives of farming communities

– Soil degradation due to malpractices in farming.

– Toxicity in food and alarming non-communicative disease such as cancer and diabetics

– Initiate a discussion about agroecology adaptation and its challenges in the current context of commercial food industry and industrial farming backed by GMO technology

The Forum (Kachahari) Theatre SattaPatta was performed in different 10 villages/cities from 1st of October to 13th of October 2023 respectively. The journey of SattaPatta began with a first premium show performance on 1st of October in the open space of Shilpee Theatre premises. In other districts the play was hosted by the local organisation associated with AAF and STG in different places.

After every performance, the team interacted with the participating audiences and collected their views. The play was highly appreciated by participants all over the places. The audience realized the harm of chemical fertilizer and pesticide to human health and environment. They agreed the way forward for healthy life and sustainable life is only organic food and farming.

Women entrepreneurs of Barhabise municipality ward no 8 recently constructed a permanent nursery with support from the project “Economic Empowerment of Women through Forest Solutions”, an IDRC funded action research project. The project handed over the nursery to the women entrepreneur group in presence of municipality representatives including deputy mayor, municipal member and chief of sub-division forest officer. The handover program was organized to empower the local government authorities along with the women entrepreneurs in collaborative roles for sustaining the lessons learned from the project for economically, socially and politically advancing rural women’s holistic development via increasing accountability of the concerned government authorities.

These women took the lead in constructing the nursery infrastructure, which includes a nursery tunnel (9 m x 11 m) with a capacity for 10 beds, a shed house, a storage house, and iron wire fencing. All the construction funds were mobilized by the entrepreneurial group through their group account. Furthermore, they took leadership in dealing with contractors and monitoring the construction process.

The newly constructed permanent nursery structure has the capacity to raise more than 50,000 seedlings annually. At present, they possess over 5,000 seedlings ranging in age from 1 to 10 months. These include Coffee (2,500), Lemon (2,000), Orange (80-100), Dhupi (400-500), Ipil Ipil (200), and Cardamom (500-700). Entrepreneur women have organized their schedules in a rotational manner throughout the year to operate the seedling production business. Now, they are in the process of initiating the legal registration to ensure the sustainability of the business.

The seedlings are locally consumed. Recently the ward office-8, Barhabise municipality purchased fodder seedlings equivalent to NPR 29,000 which were distributed to farmer households to promote the agroforestry system.  The project along with entrepreneur women has been facilitating the market opportunities at the regional and national level.

During the nursery handover ceremony, the deputy mayor ensured the allocation of the government regular programme and budget in the upcoming process to scale up the women-led agriculture-forest-based nursery. The women expressed their gratitude to the project as well as the local government, saying, “We have experienced many projects that come and go. We thought the same about this project. But we were wrong”. This project has truly brought about constructive change within us. Additionally, another entrepreneurial woman added, “Now we do not have to rely entirely on our husband’s income, which has subtly changed society’s perception of us”. The women are proud of being able to construct and develop the nursery project in a successful, permanent way. They not only owned the nursery in their names but also won the status of skilled nursery experts.