Food Activism-2013 in Pokhara

Food activism is a movement which was initiated from year 2012.This movement has been initiated with joint partnership of Nepal Food Technology Students’ Association (NEFTSA), Food and Nutrition Awareness Centre (FONAC), and +Disable & Helpless Rehabilition Service Center (DHRSC)  with the theme of “Agricultural co-operatives: Key to feeding the world”. 

The first food activism was conducted  through Photo awareness programme on the  issues of food safety, food adulteration, and food hygiene and their adverse health effect.The photo awareness programme  was limited to some districts of eastern Nepal including Bagmati district.

This momentum of food activism is continued in the year 2013 jointly with NEFTSA at Regional College of Science and Technology +NEFTSA Recost, FONAC, DHRSC and +View Your Choice- तपाईको सोचाई हाम्रो रोजाई -  as outreach partner with a theme of "Food and Nutritional security Today’s Necessity”. This time,  the food activism program is extended  to the western part of Nepal including Pokhara and Lekhnath Municipality. NEFTSA organized this event  with a  sponsorship of the Regional College of Science/Health Science and Technology, Pokhara Sub-metropolitan, Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Laxmi Group and Fishtail dairy Pvt Ltd. 

Food insecurity, Hunger and poverty, climate change and environmental issues, sub-standard and adulterated foods, Nutritional security and malnutrition, Hygienic practices for preparing food, food adulteration and their consequences, Indigenous foods and their promotion of livelihood are the key issues of food activism-2013.

Pokhara is a focal point of the Tourism industry, the malpractices in the food system have a very negative influence in it. So the food activism was especially targeted in Pokhara valley to explore awareness in the entire mass of general public including stakeholders. Food activism-2013 is recently completed in Pokhara at  the date of December 17   2013 with great enthusiasm. Diverse group of population has participated in this awareness rally including college students’, governmental and non-governmental employees, Health professionals, School students’ etc. The programme was divided into three session viz. Awareness rally, Photo exhibition and Talk Programme.

Awareness rally; Food Activism 2013 in Pokhara

Awareness rally was done with T-shirt for food activism and with play- cards. 
Some of the slogans of food activism were.

1. Food security Today's Necessity.
2. Focus on environmental  development climate change for  food security.
3. Production and availability for security.
4. Anti food loss and waste management for food security.
5. Do not use Chemical and pesticides in farm yards.                                       
6. Safe and Nutritious food for better Health.
7. Promote and Protect Nepalese Indigenous foods.
8. Healthy food for Healthy life.

The awareness rally rounds the major chowks of Pokhara vallay including Nayabazar, Prithivichowk, Newroad, and terminates at B.P Chowk,  Chipledhunga with photo exhibition which was the second session of the day. Around 250 public participates in the food awareness program and tentatively 350 public visited photo exhibition program.Talk Programme was done along with photo exhibition as third session, Stakeholders on Helath sector and social development emphasized on the issue of unhygienic food market mess and its health impact.

     

Ashim Sigdel is a student of Food Science and Technology at Regional College of Science and Technology of Tribhuvan University. He is also the Food Activism Programme Co-ordinator for Pokhara.