Chizami community to support indigenous food, farming systems

Dimapur, Aug. 26 (EMN): The community leaders of Chizami town, including community leaders from Enhulumi, Mesulumi, Sumi, and Thetsumi villages in Chizami Range Public Organization (CRPO) carried out a day long discussion on “Indigenous food and farming systems — challenges and opportunities,” at the VTC Hall, North East Network (NEN) Resource Centre in Chizami on August 25.

An update received here informed that the event was organised by CRPO in collaboration with NEN during which they adopted the resolutions to strengthen biodiversity, indigenous food, and farming systems — indigenous methods of manure, reviving traditional seeds, strengthening village biodiversity management boards, and integrating horticulture farming to improve rural livelihood. They further emphasised on strengthening community governance over land use with special mention about jhum cultivation sites.

It resolved that the communities would adhere to the resolutions to improvise the existing jhum cultivation practice and will strengthen agro-biodiversity based on collective farming and sustainability. Every village will make an effort to engage young people on food and farming systems through awareness programmes, seminars, and social events.

The community leaders stressed on total ban of chemical inputs in farm lands and also restrict outsiders to explore or extract any natural resources without prior consent of the village councils.

The speakers for the programme acknowledged the benefits of ecological agriculture to the land, soil, water bodies, and community well-being.

They also deliberated about the current scenario of rural populace on livelihoods, youth alienation from farming, climate crisis, depletion of environment, and health related problems owing to food habits.

The success of plum production in Enhulumi village, millet cultivation in Sumi village, and community seed bank of Chizami town were shared during the discussion.

Stephen Gangmei of NEN introduced a new project titled, “No one shall be left behind imitative.”