For Environment, Democracy and Livelihoods
Date: 16th October, 2019
Venue: Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur
On the occasion of 39th World Food Day, with the slogan “HEALTHY DIETS FOR A #ZEROHUNGER WORLD”, Alliance of Agriculture for Food/ForestAction Nepal, organized Raithane Khadya Sajh in the premises of Department of Agriculture (DoA), Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur, in joint collaboration with DoA and other likeminded organizations namely ActionAid Nepal, Helvetas Nepal, LiBIRD, CSRC, NFGF, NLRF, FIAN, CAED, CEPP and Samriddha Karnali Abhiyan. Along with the aim of raising the concerns among policy makers and other relevant stakeholders, Raithane Khadya Sajh was also organized with the objective of promoting local and traditional foods from Karnali (high hills and mountains) and Terai/Madesh (Plain of South) region.
This year around 500 people were present during the event. Among those, the major guests were: Hon. Minister Chakra Pani Khanal and Hon. State Minister Ram Kumari Chaudhary (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development), Hon. Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet (Ministry of Forests and Environment), Hon. Minister Giriraj Mani Pokharel (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology), Hon. Minister Yogesh Bhattarai (Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation), Hon. Purna Kumari Subedi (vice chairperson of Constituent Assembly), Hon. Ghanashyam Bhusal (member of house of representatives), Hon. Mahesh Basnet (Chief of Youth Force Nepal), Hon. Bimala Rai Paudyal (member of National Assembly). Likewise, other senior political leaders, members of NPC, Government officials, representatives of I/NGOs, activist working in the sectors of food and agriculture, farmers, media persons and public figures like Mr. Madan Krishna Shrestha and Haribansha Acharya also attended the event.
Raithane Sajh was organized in two sessions. First one-hour session was dedicated for key notes from the speakers. Firstly, the context and objective of Raithane Sajh was delivered by Ms. Sujata Tamang. She also read out the statement prepared by the team Secondly, activist from Karnali Ms. Prema Lama gave her keynote on the local foods and agriculture system of Karnali region. Likewise, about the importance of local foods and agriculture system of Madhes/Terai was delivered by Mr. Chandrasekhar Jha followed by a small talk about organic movement and its context in Nepal by Swanaam Sathi. Hon. Minister Chakra Pani Khanal delivered his keynote on agriculture development of Nepal including local foods and livelihoods. At the end, the chair of food day organizing committee Dr. Surya Paudel wrapped up the session along with vote of thanks and he also invited all the participants for the dinner. The second session was the dinner, where the variety of items prepared from local foods of both Karnali and Terai/Madesh representing different ethnic groups like Khas, Tharu, Abdhi, and Maithili were served.
Additionally, local products mainly from Karnali were displayed during the program.