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  • Achieving Food Security in Times of Crisis

    Keeping pace with the ever-changing time is quite a difficult task.
    There were times when everyone had something to eat, even more than
    required at many instances. Then, the population was low and resources
    were sufficient. There was food security i.e. there was availability
    and accessibility of food to the people. And now Time has shown its
    dynamism. The 2009 FAO data shows that 105 million hungry people still
    remain on the earth and in Nepal; 4 million people are facing severe
    starvation. Up to 2 billion people now lack food security due to
    varying degrees of poverty. Many countries are experiencing perpetual
    food shortages and distribution problems. The number of people without
    enough food to eat on a regular basis remains quite high, at over 800
    million and is ever increasing. Over 60% of the world’s undernourished
    live in Asia and Africa. The climate change is declining net
    agricultural productivity which is leading in shortage of food stock.
    Population paves geometric proportion and food has arithmetic
    progression. In March 1, 2009-an AP (Associated Press) article cited
    examples of hungry children in US who were being fed food such as
    potato chips and hot dogs instead of nutritious food such as
    vegetables, milk and fruits. Urban food crisis is likely because half

    of the planet’s population live in urban areas. Food riots have taken
    place in many places of the world and they will increase in the
    future. The global economic crisis is making a sharp decline in
    purchasing power of consumers. There are many hungry and malnourished
    people in the world. No one should be deprived of food due to economic
    constraints or social inequalities. In short, there should be food
    justice. That is to say, there should be food for all in both crisis
    and no-crisis period.

    When people at all times have food that is affordable, safe and
    healthy; food that is culturally acceptable; food that meets specific
    dietary needs; food that is obtained in a dignified manner and food
    that is produced in ways that are environmentally sound and socially
    just-that state is termed as food security. Challenges of climate
    change, over-population and global economic crisis are compelling us
    to redefine our thinking towards food. Food is the basis of our energy
    and all metabolic activities of the body. Life is just impossible
    without food. The global economic crisis is hitting hard the lives of
    small scale farmers. Many people are being starved and those who are
    getting food are not getting it in a regular basis. The available food
    is not so nutritious. Many epidemics are spreading due to contaminated
    food. Many people live in poverty and do not have enough money to get
    food. Some live in places where there just are not enough food
    resources. Others have enough food, but it’s not healthy or clean. All
    these people lack food security. Global water crisis is spurring heavy
    grain imports. With every 2-2.5% grain price hike-the number of hungry
    people will rise by 1%. Increased farming for use in bio-fuels, high
    world oil prices, global population growth, climate change and loss of
    agricultural land to residential/industrial development have resulted

    in grain price hike. At this time of crisis, entire world needs to
    address agriculture and population growth to achieve food security.

    Achieving food security implies stopping this crisis before it takes
    the form of a calamity. The man who strongly fought against world
    hunger was Dr. Norman Borlaug- the father of Green Revolution. His
    approach fed more than a billion people at the time of economic
    depressio9n and acute food shortage. But the green revolution
    techniques also heavily rely on chemical fertilizers, pesticides and
    herbicides which are developed from fossil fuels. Treating food the
    same as other internationally traded commodity is terrible mistake. In
    a press conference of October 2009, Bill Clinton said that we took
    food crops as color TVs instead of a vital commodity which is quite
    true. The price setting of food is also a risk to food security
    besides fossil fuel dependency and our negligence. Consumers’ behavior
    to keep stock of food stuff leads to price hike which is great threat
    for food security of commoners. Just 20% of affluent people of the
    world have 80% of total food stock. Food is being widely misused by
    economically sound people. Food is misused or thrown by elites. Their
    pets get plenty of food whereas a farmer’s family has to remain hungry
    for days. Food is being misused in booze making and in fodder and
    feed. Poor states, in future, will produce food for the rich ones at
    the expense of their own hungry people, known as –neo-colonialism.
    This is also a great threat for food security.

    In 1996, World Food Summit was held in Rome to renew global commitment
    to combat hunger and passed Rome Declaration which aims at halving the
    number of chronically undernourished people on earth by 2015. UN
    Millennium Development Goals aims at eradicating extreme hunger and
    poverty via enhancement of agricultural productivity. The greatest

    challenge we are facing at present is to feed a large number of
    population. We have to create households where its occupants do not
    have to live in hunger or fear of starvation. We all have to work to
    eradicate hunger-hunger which perpetuates malnutrition, reducing
    ability of adults to work, children’s ability to learn and have
    healthy and productive lives.

    Asia will be hit hard by food crisis. Demand of food in Asia will
    double in forty years. UN Climate Report warns that Himalayan glaciers
    of Asia would disappear out by 2035 as temperatures rise. Severe
    floods and droughts will occur, the Report further warns. Now is the
    time to think and act (respond). As we know, global climate change is
    highly affecting winter season crops. Hence optimum yield has to be
    derived from rainy season. For instance, Sitala, Deuti, Manakamana,
    Posilo varieties of maize are those hybrids which give 4-5 times more
    yield than the local ones. We have to increase the cropping intensity.
    We have to use inter-cropping and mixed cropping to increase yield per
    unit area. Due to the topography of Nepal, the time from planting to
    harvesting is 4-9 months. Varieties of crops need to be selected based
    on climatic zone.

    Many people in Nepal practice subsistence farming. More than half of
    Nepalese population is indulged in agriculture. Youth population is
    going abroad for manual labor or for pursuing studies. Many youth in
    the nation are indulged in political organizations and involved in
    various disruptive activities. Agriculture is not taken as socially
    recognized job. The educated agriculture technicians are confined in
    rooms. Very few farmers are adopting the modern technology, pure seeds
    and balanced fertilizers (chemical and bio-fertilizers). Government
    has also failed to provide subsidy to poor farmers. In context of
    Dadeldhura, a far-western district of Nepal, land holding capacity is

    quite less and number of small farmers is quite high. The agriculture
    dependent population is quite high or feeding population is higher
    than working population. In 19 VDCs and 1 municipal; 60 5 VDCs in
    Dadeldhura do not have enough food to feed themselves the whole year.
    People do not want to keep cattle. If there’s no cattle-there’s no
    manure. And if there’s no manure, agricultural productivity
    automatically declines with the decline in soil fertility and soil
    productivity.

    In Nepalese context, hill should supply ghee, vegetable, dairy
    products, fish, meat and dry fruits whereas terai has to supply
    adequate grains. The food produced has to meet the food requirements
    of the nation. Government should address the subsistence farmers and
    rural areas. Approaches of Integrated Pest Management, Integrated
    Nutrient Management, Integrated Environment Management, Sustainable
    Soil Management, hydroponics, aeroponics and genetic engineering have
    to be used to increase food production. Spending on technologies
    designed to boost production e.g. liquid manure spreader help to
    improve food security. Climate relevant varieties and proper
    agri-education have to be given to farmers. Illegal export of food
    crops should be checked. Drip irrigation system has to be used.
    Off-season production should be increased through green house
    establishment. Organic farming system should be practiced. Use of
    genetically engineered (GE) crops help to maintain food security in
    developing countries like Nepal. Relay cropping can also be done at
    water-logging sites. There should be Public Food Bank in each and
    every VDC of the nation in order to maintain buffer stock. Food
    preservation methods can also be used such as heating, cooling,
    drying, chemical application, fermentation and ionizing radiation e.g.
    pickles, dried apples, dry cauliflowers. Fermentation (a best example

    is mushroom cultivation) method is best suited for our nation.
    To achieve food security in this crisis period, people should
    participate in agriculture. There should be extension of technology
    and appropriate use of varieties, fertilizers and compost manure.
    Water sources have to be exploited through drip irrigation and rain
    water harvesting technologies. The governments of every nation should
    subsidize irrigation and fertilizers. Drought tolerant crops should be
    made available to farmers. Governments should also encourage
    co-operative farming. There should be provision of plastic ponds.
    People need to change their food habit. Nepalese have to leave cereal
    crop dependency and divert to vegetables and fruits. Wild food plants
    should also be consumed. Flood resistant, deep water and drought
    resistant crop varieties should also be used and cultivated. Vertical
    farming (hydroponics and aeroponics) should also be adopted. Concept
    of Community Food Security Coalition should be enacted and anti-hunger
    movements should be launched. Agriculture experts need to work to
    check soil fertility exhaustion and land degradation. Food insecurity
    is a public calamity. Simultaneously, obesity, undernourishment and
    hunger are encouraging food insecurity. The trend of population
    increase should be addressed to discourage food insecurity. The
    distribution of poisonous food such as in Jajarkot by WFP also hinders
    food security.

    UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon has said “Food security is about economic,
    environmental and national security for individual homelands and the
    worlds.” There should be short term relief strategies such as food
    banks and soup kitchens; capacity building strategies such as
    composting, vegetable gardening, food buying clubs and farmers’ market
    or systems change strategies such as municipal food charters. The
    world governments have to be expertise small-scale farmers to improve

    crop-yields to get surplus produce in the market. The quality of food
    also needs to be maintained. There goes a saying about hunger “If you
    give man a fish, you feed him for a day but if you teach a man how to
    fish, you feed him for his whole life.”

    If food security is not achieved in time, there would be large metal
    cans to store money and only small lockers to store food grains in
    future (it is a grim prediction and we have to work to make it a
    myth). I also wish success to debate being held by the FAO on the
    topic “How to Feed the World in 2050.” May the slogan for this year’s
    World Food Day spread consciousness in all of us to achieve food
    security the world over. And we need to realize that we have to feed 9
    billion people in 2050 which can be done working for food security
    from here, right now.

    ( Presented above is an article written by Bal Mukund Bhatta (14). He is studying
    in Grade 10 at Shree Mountains Higher Secondary School, Dadeldhura. As
    part of World Food Day celebration, the District Agriculture Office,
    Dadeldhura had organized an inter-school essay competition on October
    the 30th 2009. Bal Mukund Bhatta has stood first in the competition
    whose topic is given above. The essay he wrote at the very competition
    is also typed above.

    presented by bpbpersonals

  • dear dark

    I do not see the darkness
    I do not want to see it either
    even if I desired
    there's nothing such as darkness
    darknes has no existence
    dark is a black glitter
    stained history sparks-
    do you feel it
    did you ever realize it
    will you grab it
    daer, darkness doen't exist;
    not even a single thing exhibits it
    haven't you seen:colliding cumulonimbuses
    had they been dark
    would not have they sparked
    dark is bright
    dark is light
    dark is the might
    dark is justice-
    dark is justice
    dark is right
    even in a no-moon day
    dark yells
    dark urges itself to be called bright
    dark's a diamond
    it is precious
    it holds light
    it is beautiful
    it has got a loveable sight.

    omshanti.

  • Storm, Fire and Downpour

    Storm comes
    and goes away
    but its reminiscences
    excite the silent, silent air.

    Fire ignites
    and extinguishes
    but its lips motivate
    motionless logs, to get burnt.

    There is this downpour
    and it gets halted
    but its drops
    inspire pure white clouds, to surrender unto the ground.

    Let the evil in us
    blow away with the storm
    let the five vampires resting in us
    burn with our determination of purity.

    Let the4 negative thinking and pessimism
    drain away with the downpour
    let our peace-loving soul
    exhibit our truthfulness and sanity.

    Material world is lost in the world of lust
    lost in anger, ego, attachment and greed
    embracing Baba's divine words
    we've to become Golden Age Seed.

    omshanti.

     

     

  • Nature of Love

    I am gazing at the sky
    to watch the dearest clouds cry
    I want the drops touch thy skin
    to please the God forbid our sin.

    Hey there! hark to this doth
    fly near me like a jet moth
    love we shall each other till the dawn
    until clouds depart and morning sun is shone.

    Many a times in our life
    were we urged to thrive
    to exist in the state of thirst
    finally the day has come with an outburst.

    I am looking at your face
    kindly bless me with your grace

    I want our love to induce lasting peace
    to make us one, always showered with bliss.


    a bpb2009 presentation.

     

     

     

  • Our Story

    People there
    live in darkness
    a dungeon is where
    they live.

    Damp
    and full of mosquitoes
    a cave is where
    they live.

    Long grass
    and spiny bushes
    a grassland is where
    they live.

    Slums
    and 'huts of paradise'
    a mainland is where
    they live.

    They live
    their bones move
    they breathe
    and they just live like this.

    a bpb2009 imagine!

  • An Exclusive Interview on Climate Change

    'Your planet needs you: unite to combat climate change'

    On the auspicious occasion of World Environment Day-2009, Bed Prakash Bhatta caught up with three students from Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Rampur to discuss on the burning issue of climate change. The blogger met them at their paying residence in Mangalpur-1, Chitwan district, Nepal. The detail of those students and the interview taken is being presented below. Hope you will have a look and comment as well:

    1. name : Meghnath Pokharel, age: 20 years, sex : male, education : B.Sc. Agriculture, semester Ist, e-mail : pokharelmeghnath@gmail.com ;interests: drawing, studying, acting, yoga practice.

    2. name : Jeewan Pandey, age: 20 years, sex: male, education: B.Sc. Agriculture, semester Ist, e-mail: your_jeewan@yahoo.com ; interests: writing ghazals.

    3. name: Suresh Pokhrel, age: 23 years, sex: male, education: B.Sc. Agriculture, semester Vth, e-mail: pokhrelsur@gmail.com; interests: meditation.

    ----
    QUESTION 1.
    what is Climate Change as per your understanding?
    Meghnath : It is deviation of weather from its natural condition.

    Suresh : It is need of time. It will be stabilized with time amd is especially elevated or originated by evil acts of human beings.

    Jeewan : You need to change the format of interview.

    QUESTION 2.
    what sort of individual efforts can you implement to combat Climate Change?
    Meghnath : I won't drive cars, establish eco-clubs in my village and college.

    Suresh : Through meditation, we can live sustainably as natural as you are and it leads to the sustainable management and utilization of natural resources. Consequently, sustainable management leads to the balance in climate for overcoming Climate Change gradually.

    Jeewan : I can indulge in participation, awareness and leadership activities.

    QUESTION 3.
    could you possibly enumerate the impacts of Climate Change in and around your locality?
    Meghnath : Imbalance in rainfall, temperature rise.

    Suresh : Maize crop in our area (Nawalparasi) couldn't be planted in time due to erratic rainfall; temperature significantly rose during summer this year; mosquitoes increased; legumes production declined due to less or no rainfall.

    Jeewan : Food scarcity; hailstorm blew away leaves of maize; fruit production (citrus, pear) declined; barren lands increased.

    QUESTION 4.
    Which factor is most contributing to Climate Change?
    Jeewan : Human Activities

    Meghnath : More production of CFC through Human Activities.

    Suresh : Direct factor-- production of GHGs; Indirect Factor-- Uncentred human mind.

    QUESTION 5.
    Which aspect of environment is hit hard by Climate Change?
    Suresh : People near coatal regions, sea-shores.

    Jeewan : Human Beings.

    Meghnath : Living Beings   

     

    QUESTION 6.
    What can be your possible message to World Leaders who are meeting at Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009 to address the Climate Change issue?
    Meghnath : You do your part of work to combat Climate Change; earth is waiting for you.

    Jeewan : The powerful countries must help developing nations to combat Climate Change, else the destruction is inevitable.

    Suresh : Be in centered, then use the world.

    QUESTION 7.

    How can we aware people about Climate Change?
    Jeewan : using blogs, forming clubs, campaigning, conducting rallies, public participation, environment conservation would probably aware people.

    Suresh : It is high time government formed the eco-friendly policies.

    Meghnath : street dramas, forming eco-clubs in villages, plastic disposal/collection, use of eco-friendly bags and re-use of plastic products would help people deal with Climate Change.     

     

    a bpb2009 initiative.

    My words of gratitude to all the participants and wish for their bright future as well. Thank you for your time. Thank you dear readers!

  • I love this beautiful life

    Every morning
    I take a deep breathe in
    and gently feel the air pass out.

    I love this beautiful life
    life bears a mystery
    it's always a great challenge to solve it.

    For an entire day
    we deal with problems and solutions
    and always feel the beauty of life.

    One gram of sweetness
    one gram of bitterness
    life is a cake worth eating.

    Every morning
    the fresh air rushes in my alveoli
    and I feel the surplus of energy.

    I love the mystery
    the beauty of life
    I love this beautiful life.

    a bpb2009 imagine series.

  • Khem bhai

    this boy
    is so down to earth
    he manages his school
    he does the culinary works
    he likes to sing
    he washes the dishes
    he smiles
    he loves his pet, the one and only 'Baagh Maare'
    he loves to talk
    he shares what he wants to
    he is the reflection of innocence
    of hard work and humor
    he makes you laugh
    with his simple yet striking words
    (and he serves chilies for me)
    and we friends
    love his playful acts
    he is our brother
    he is one of our kind
    he is the man of smiles
    he is none other than
    our sweet Khem bhai.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Bed Prakash Bhatta 2009     

  • Never Cry

    baby,
    i always love your smile
    i always want you to be cheerful
    never cry so badly
    never feel hurt so much
    there are always ways out
    ans even if there aren't
    lend me your tears
    i will make them fall
    through my eyes
    i want you to be happy
    always be in a jovial mood
    never cry so badly
    never feel hurt so much
    there are always ways out
    and even if there aren't
    lend me your pain
    i will make it gone
    through my heart
    never cry
    because once you weep
    i entirely turn weak!

    bpbpersonals

  • Everything... all I need is You!

    Having met you
    after such a long span
    I realize your importance
    I feel your meaning
    I feel what you mean to me!

    The streets that we scaled together
    the air that passed through our skin
    has recorded our voices
    I have found a whole new dimension
    of love and respect in you!

    Am sorry for what wrong has been done
    trust me on this thing and always be one
    never leave our hands till we live
    and meet up in the fairyland when life sets us free
    I really feel your importance!

    Having met you
    at this moment
    I am delighted more than ever
    I say you that I pray for you
    Our love shall last forever!

    --bpbpersonals

     

     

     

  • road to The Garden of Untruth

    Many times in life
    the road to this garden
    has been shattered-
    obstructed, and blocked
    with the soaring protestors
    marching around this garden
    throwing stones to the people
    jogging inside!

    this garden had no flowers
    but they had beautiful 'beer plants'
    that needed no malt, enzyme
    to decompose and decay
    the people inside
    sold the 'beer' in 'cans'
    the people outside
    forgot all their protests
    and drank this heavenly syrup!

    your companion of literature--bpbpersonals

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