Stakeholders recommended to research on traditional food

Dimapur, Dec. 9: Stakeholders were recommended the need to conduct research and documentation on traditional food and knowledge system, to promote indigenous seeds such as millets that are nutritious and suitable for all climates. They were also advised engagement with government stakeholders for collaborative work, promote cross learning and exchange programmes within partners and farming communities, and policy advocacy for sustainable food and farming system in mountain ecosystem.
At the one-day stakeholder meeting on ‘Sustainable Food and Farming Systems – Vulnerabilities and Strategies’, organised by North East Network and supported by Millet Network of India held on December 9 at St. Paul’s Institute, Phesama, Amba Jamir of SDFN while discussing on ‘The Way Forward’, noted that introduction of mono cropping can disrupt community cohesion and disappearance of crop variety which also means the disappearance of the knowledge system. He also stressed that sustainability of food production require the right value chain in value addition and marketing linkages.
Jimsi Tasar, SDFA; Gita Rani Bhattacharya, AMSS; Asheesh Rai, DLR-Prerna; Helam Haokip, IRMA; HH Mohrmen, SURE, address the session on ‘Challenges and Vulnerabilities’. Some of the issues discussed were – Climate crisis affecting agriculture and livelihoods; Policy has ignored the diversity of the indigenous food systems by focusing on few crops such as that of wheat and rice; replacement of traditional seeds with market seeds and the loss of agro-biodiversity; exploitative market; non-viability of traditional agriculture and alienation of young people from agriculture; increased privatization of common resources and the shift towards a commercial and profit oriented agriculture.
Journalist and activist, Linda Chhakchhuak who moderated the session, outlined the importance of safeguarding the common resources such as land and seeds in particular for sustainable food and farming system because farming is closely linked to land ownership.
NGO representatives – Rehana, Action Aid; Rinchophy, RNBA; Betusen Ozukum, NEICORD; Seno Tsuhah, NEN and Lak Tsheden Theengh, WWF, shared their experience on good practices in addressing sustainable food and farming systems.
The programme was organised with the objective of bringing together organizations from the North East Region, working on sustainable food and farming system, to collectively understand the vulnerabilities and challenges confronting the region, to share and learn from each other’s experiences and good practices, develop strategies to address the challenges and ensure sustainable food and farming system.
The programme was attended by 26 participants from 7 states – Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim and West Bengal.