This was pointed out in a program on food sovereignty and food security organized by the National Food Security Network in conjunction with Jagaran Nepal on Wednesday.[break]
On the occasion, the rights activists pointed out the urgency of establishing food security to stave off food crisis in the context of about seven million people in the country deprived of two square meals a day.
"Although food security has been included under the fundamental rights section of the Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007, the State has not done the needful to secure this basic right of its citizens," the rights activists rued.
They also underlined the need for the State to give top priority to food security in its development planning in the wake of possible food shortages occurring in the country due to the climate change effects.
In this connection, the speakers also highlighted the major challenges faced by farmers like the shortage of high-yielding seeds, lack of irrigation facilities, the decreasing soil fertility, increasing desertification and environmental degradation that directly harm agriculture sector.
The program also discussed separate working papers on constitutional and legal provisions regarding food sovereignty, the impact of globalization on farmers and the ways of combating challenges of food security.
Some 3.4 million people are at risk of facing food insecurity while seven million people lack access to resources. Similarly, some five million children are malnourished due to the deficit of food and proper health care, the program heard.
According to a recent study carried out by an NGO, 18 per cent of the country´s population was unemployed and this population was deprived of the right to food due to unemployment condition.
Experts Prem Dangal, Sharmila Karki, Birendra Adhikari, Dr. Netra Timsina, Dr. Keshav Khadka, Bhesh Raj Adhikari imparted training to the participants on ways of enhancing the role of women in achieving food security in the ´institution strengthening and capacity building´ program.
Representatives from the food rights networks in the five Development Regions including the Kathmandu Valley and adjoining districts attended the program.
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