Nutrition
Response for Q1: UNICEF as organisation has no mandate to document impact of farming system on environment, however, as lead agency for Multi Sector Nutrition Plan (MSNP) in Nepal, it influences policy decisions based on understanding over the global development in this areas in order to link agriculture intervention, environment and its impact in nutritional outcomes.
Response to Q 2: Not yet
Response to Q3: Multi Sector Nutrition Plan (MSNP) with component of agriculture is developed base on the available research/ study at global and national level. However, sustainable agriculture system for nutrition is new area for country context in Nepal. Thanks to Agriculture and Health pathway to Nutrition (AHN) academy held in this year in Nepal, this new issue entered into Nepal for further discussion.
Response to Q4: Mountainous country like Nepal is facing big challenge due to climate change. Frequent landslide and flood is increasing day by day, mainly due to deforestation and climate change. Cropping pattern are the most affected one due to agriculture production is not at the same level as it was last two decades ago. Lands are fragmented due to property transfer system among the family members from one generation to another. With the urbanisation, cultivable land is squeezing rapidly. Due to the condition mentioned above, small farmers are running away from the farming system and mostly migrated abroad for the cheap labor work. There is ample opportunity to do sustainable farming in the field of herbal medicine in Nepal, which can be cash crop for the poor families. However, investment in this area and capacity building effort is less in this area.
Mr. Naveen Paudyal
Given the global scope of the CoCoFe, do you think the objectives are appropriate? If not, how would you add to them or modify them?
The objectives of CoCoFe is appropriate, however, like to suggest some more as follows:
Protect and promote the endogenous knowledge of fertilizer production, such as compositing using the available raw material resources, at the local level.
Create linkage between the industrial bio-products that has characteristic to turn into the compost/ bio manure type of fertilizer to contribute in the livelihood of the communities around the industrial areas (example sugar cane factory) and health of the soil.
How should be the CoCoFe be structured to have the maximum positive impact?
Though I have not chance to go in detail on the CoCoFe, the maximum impact of the CoCoFe translates through ensuring use of bio-waste (even those releasing from household) to prepare compost/ biomanures. With the increasing urbanization, bio-waste from households are increasing in urban settings whereas, very less effort is made in large scale to turn it into fertilizer. Many country either due to lack of technical knowledge or financial resources are not managing these waste, which finally reaching into river system through sewages. This thing need to consider during structuring CoCoFe. Since I have limited exposure to work in the agriculture sector, I cannot add more on it but having the academic background of Sugar Technology, I can guess, there is ample opportunity to structure CoCoFe thinking it from soil health prospective as well as minimizing the household waste.
Who would be the best audience for the CoCoFe to meet our objectives and how could we broaden and diversify this audience to increase its influence?
I think, Government (Federal, Provincial and Rural Municipality/ Urban Municipality), National Planning Commission, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Local Development, Ministry of Finance, UN agency like FAO, I/NGO working in the field of agriculture, University with Pre-harvest and Post-Harvest Courses, Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Social Influencers and Community leaders are potential audience for the CoCoFe. Of course, main benefiary of the CoCoFe should not be left out from demand side.
What should the scope of the CoCoFe be? Which nutrient input sources should be included; only synthetic fertilizers, or also manure, biosolids, compost, etc.? Should other products such as bio-stimulants, nitrification inhibitors, urease inhibitors, etc., be included as well?
The scope of CoCoFe depends on the country specific situation and base on the soil characteristic. The global CoCoFe should be adjustable depending upon the country need. The main point here is, every country should have capacity to check their soil health on regular basis and Government structure should have capacity to take appropriate decision. There is no question our focus should be on bio-solids and compost, however, every country always has limitation to supply bio-solids and compost since these types of fertilize is not produce in large scale. Sometimes, delivering synthetic fertilizers to farmers become essential under the condition where bio-manures are not available in sufficient quantity. So far possible, if endogenous knowledge on preparing compost fertilizer could be promoted, it can be local solution, which is more cost effective and sustainable. In general, Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorous are the usual choice of nutrient for farming but depending on the soil and type of crop planned to planted, another nutrient is also requiring. One of such nutrient would be Zinc for tea plant.
Will the CoCoFe assist in promoting responsible and judicious use of fertilizers? Why or why not? What other suggestions do you have to help the CoCoFe meet our objectives?
I hope, CoCoFe will certainly assist in promoting responsible and judicious use of fertilizers but it need to be taken care, the code will not just focus on the synthetic fertilizer and also, look other expects like livelihood, sustainability and use of endogenous knowledge. I suggest to add gender dimension also if possible since women are given the responsibility to spray fertilizers in farm in most of the under developed country. Some of such dimension is looking on safety issues or use of innovative technology for spraying fertilizer in farm.