THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Jamshedpur, Dec. 15: In a significant gathering to foster sustainable farming practices, the Centre for World Solidarity (CWS) – Bhumika successfully concluded a state-level one-day food system dialogue at the Centre for Excellence.
Hundreds of representatives, including agricultural scientists, farmers, and government and non-government organisations, participated in discussions on various aspects of organic and sustainable farming.
Executive Director of CWS
The programme started with a warm welcome address by Manimoy Sinha, Executive Director of CWS. Shruti Pandey, project coordinator of the German organisation Welt Hunger Hilfe, provided an introduction to the food system dialogue. Dr. Palash Bhushan Chatterjee, Joint Director, CWS, emphasised the crucial role played by indigenous crop and food producer organisations.
Current food system
The heart of the dialogue unfolded in a panel discussion featuring Dr Shambhu Nath Karmakar of Birsa Agricultural University, young farmer representative Amit Mahato, and District Horticulture Officer Ms Anima Lakra. The topic revolved around catalysing the transformation of current food systems to ensure the availability of nutritious, sustainable, and affordable food items.
Dr. Karmakar stressed the importance of sustainable agricultural practices, noting that while agricultural production has increased since the Green Revolution, an imbalance exists, especially in the case of edible oil and pulses, leading to heavy import dependence. The session was conducted by Rajesh Kumar Jha, Director, CWS.
Fostering agroecological practices
The second session, moderated by Sandeep Sahu, focused on fostering agroecological practices to create a hunger-free future. Public health expert Dr. Sachin Barbade of Ekta, Shamshul Akhtar of social organization Karun Shechen, farmer Prem Chand Soren, Pranab Roy of Rural Delight, and Anand Mahato participated, providing valuable insights into sustainable practices.
Natural farming
The final panel discussion featured Dr Vijay Kumar Piyush, Principal of ABM College, District Agriculture Officer Mithilesh Kalindi, Aarti Bina Ekka of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, and Debashish Mahato. Beena Ekka, the scientist of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, emphasized the urgency of natural farming as a zero-budget approach, freeing farmers from dependency on chemical fertilisers.
