1. What are the existing national and regional programs which aim to improve the dietary quality and dietary diversity of farming families?
Government of India has recognized the fact that the market oriented economies of scale green revolution technologies/ industrial agriculture, were and continue to be dependent on high cost agro chemicals and seed, irrigated water and increasing each year, is the cause of deep debt/ distress among producer communities having small holdings, dependent on rain/ water harvesting in arid areas (84% of the farmers). The Government for now over ten years has made a provision in the annual budget to assist farmers’ conversion to their low cost producer oriented economies of scope ecological agri systems/ organic, thus ensuring their access to nutritious food and long term sustainability. In this process the State of Sikkim has since followed organic principles, banning the use of agro chemicals, GM seeds, etc. The Prime Minister of India has now proposed that the North East States of India follow the Sikkim model for which provision has been made in the new budget. The world needs to follow Bhutan’s example as a country going organic by 2020 especially as numerous reports commissioned by the UN orgs have provided the required evidence that producer communities following their low cost ecological agri systems ensures producer communities (64% of the population) access to nutritious food and also be able to feed the growing populations in the future provided Governments make the required investment in meeting the needs of the producer communities.
a. What educational and communication strategies have been used in these programs?
Knowledge and the understanding of nature, eco agri systems needs to be part of curricula of education from the beginning through high school to enable students to make considered choice of a carreer in agriculture and associated fields, targeting women and youth to become general practitioners (GPs)/ MBAs in agriculture, with colleges offering these subjects.
b. What main constraints and best practices have been identified?
Most Governments have gone along with Agri Education and Research institutions over the last 100 years mandate to convert the low cost producer oriented economies of scope ecological agri systems followed by producer communities worldwide to the high cost market oriented economies of scale industrial agriculture (mono crops) systems resulting in the deep crisis being now faced by agriculture, especially the smallholder producer communities (84%) dependent on rain.
c. What other strategies have potential?
Fund, assist and support producer communities to set up and own their producer orgs/ company (PC) but staffed by professionals (GP &MBAs) to take over all risks and responsibilities except on farm activities. Governments to ensure required funding is available only through the PC’s bankable proposal based on the evidence provided by the numerous UN org reports, in an effort to ensure the long term sustainability of the community, reducing subsidies over the years.
2. How can nutrition education increase the demand for local family farming produce with high nutritional value, and thus contribute to improving dietary diversity and to protecting traditional foods and the local food culture?
a. What are the existing programs in the region in this respect?
1. Funding for education/ knowledge, conversion and communication proposals to follow the low cost producer oriented economies of scope organic principles, evidence available that produce has high nutritional value and ensures the producer communities access to and protecting traditional nutritious local food and culture, at little or no cost.
b. What main constraints and best practices can you identify?
Opposition from the gradutes and specialists whose knowledge is restricted to conventional green revolution agri systems, staffing Government agriculture departments, National, Regional and International Education and Research Institutions.
c. What other strategies have potential?
All education institutions from KG, lower, middle and higher schools and colleges must offer courses in agriculture and allied subjects as over 50% of the worlds population is directlyor indirectly involved with this subject/ rural activity.
Mr. Subhash Mehta