by Christopher Sharma

Launched November 29 in Kathmandu, a program for food security that takes in Nepal , India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Nearly 2 million euros for the formation of small farmers and promotion of new farming techniques . Among the beneficiaries , Dalits and indigenous peoples.

Kathmandu ( AsiaNews) - Helping 1.02 million people out of poverty , developing agriculture in rural areas in Nepal , Myamnar , India and Bangladesh . This is one of the objectives of the project "Improving Food Security Governance in South and South East Asia through Strengthened Participation of Organizations of Marginalized Farmers ' launched by the Danish Church Aid (DCA) and the European Union to combat hunger in the countries of South Asia and south -east Asia. Launched on November 29 in Kathmandu , the initiative will invest EUR 1.95 million in the coming years in new methods of agriculture and modernization of farming systems .

The beneficiaries of the project are currently 1,887 small farms (about 97 thousand families). Among them there are many people affected by recent natural disasters (caused by typhoons and floods) and families of small farmers who are victims of social discrimination  such as the Dalits . In India and Nepal the local partners are the Dalit Welfare Organization and the Organization Feminist Dalits .

Tek Bahadur Thapa Gharti , Nepalese Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development , praised the involvement of the Protestant Church of Denmark and the European Union and pointed the finger at those that cater to Christians only to accuse them of proselytizing . " In recent years, more and more Christian churches are working to help the poor. They must not only be accused of making conversions".

In Nepal alone, there are at least 33 districts characterized by a backward, underdeveloped agricultural production focused on subsistence farming and 53% percent of farmers own less than 0.5 hectares of land. The country ranks 49th place in the list of the Global Hunger Index , the list of countries with the greatest problems . The World Food Security Index 2013 has ranked Nepal 79th of 105 countries. The program of the DCA and the EU will be activated in the districts of Achlam , Doti , Kailali and Banke and involve about 24 thousand families. According to local sources , the program promoted by the EU and DCA is one of the largest development projects ever launched in the country.

Surendra Thapa , head of the regional office of the DCA points out that " organizations that have joined are deeply rooted at the local level and have strong links with farmers ." He states that "one of the objectives of the project is to ensure the participation of farmers and small entrepreneurs in decision-making and economic planning ." The funds are used primarily to improve the training of people through specific courses related to production , trying new types of cultures and developing techniques to defend indigenous productions at risk of extinction .

 

• NEPAL
• ASIA
• DANISH
• CHRISTIAN
• AID
• EU
• SMALL
• FARMERS
• POVERTY