Sushil Koirala
One way or the other, Nepal is facing a grave problem of food insecurity despite over 70 per cent of population is engaged in agriculture accounting for more than 38 per cent contribution to GDP. Many factors are responsible behind such pitiable condition that has made over 50 per cent of country’s total population undernourished, and nearly half of all children below five are chronically malnourished.
With this alarming situation of food insecurity, there comes the new-age concept to tackle it –food sovereignty.The Concept was first formalized in the World Food Summit in Rome, 1996.Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate foods produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.
Food sovereignty emphasizes setting the goal while the latter is defining the way to realize it. Food security means that all people have physical and economic access to basic food at all times, as defined by the United Nations. The main determinant of food insecurity is the vulnerability of people, which in turn is induced by poverty which makes people unable to feed themselves leading to insufficient and inadequate food. Poverty eradication is, thus, a key factor for ending the abject situation of food insecurity, be it in Nepal or in any parts of the world. For that to happen, the specificity of small-scale agriculture must be recognized as the main source of income and livelihood for the poor.This is where food sovereignty, a concept born from civic mobilization, comes to the forefront as it is a policy framework that underlines the right of nations and their people to define their own food production cycle (production, distribution, and consumption) without depending on the international market fluctuation.
It is thus not possible to fully realize food sovereignty without controlling the major determinants of agricultural policies that includes rules regarding tariffs and domestic supports, which are decided within trade policies.
Focus on food for people, assigning values to food providers, localizing food systems, putting control over locally produced materials, building knowledge and skills, working with mature being are the six pillars of food sovereignty to tackle food insecurity. Food sovereignty gives the ultimate power to the farmers for making policies by addressing their concurring problems. For that to happen, the state must remain fully committed to every possible step. Every nook and cranny of the society and country must respect farmer and the farming occupation. This is more important at a time when 1600 plus youths are flocking to gulf nations in search of a green pasture every day, seeing no future in agriculture at home.
Food sovereignty policy framework states that agriculture is a life, a tradition and a way of living for developing country like ours. It is a foundation for economic and sustainable development. Therefore, expectations creep into the footsteps of government to create an environment conducive for agriculture by discouraging massive imports of foreign goods, promoting locally-produced food products, giving subsidy to framers for fertilizers, opening fair price shops and many others.
The continual effort and improvement in farming will contribute to food Sovereignty and the benefit aftermath will help produce large quantities of food for those who are reeling under food insecurity. Food sovereignty which mainly focuses on farmers being put forward in every decision making process relating to agriculture, should be encouraged by our country in every possible way. It ensures their participation and makes them feel happy. Country can be fed well to eradicate the problem of food security only when farmers are happy.
This is a matter of happiness that food sovereignty is incorporated in Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2063 as well. But as in other cases, the implementation part of the rules is very poor in our country. For this, the role of youths proves to be detrimental and significant. And for this togetherness is a must as united we stand and divided we fall
When our soul is happy, we talk about food. Food is a unifying theme throughout the semester and it represents something almost as dear as religion. It represents where people are from, who their ancestors were. Furthermore, it is personal; it’s communal. It’s a celebration and it’s a comfort. It’s a ritual. It’s a fuel. It’s also… unsustainable. We are because of what we eat. So, we should respect farmers and give them the cultured environment by bestowing them food sovereignty which in turn will reduce the problem of food insecurity in our country. Food is our common ground, a common universal experience. So let’s start this revolution by providing food sovereignty to the farmers.
