CHANGING APPROACH TO FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY ON THE SCENARIO OF THE PANDEMIC “COVID 19”
food security, food self-sufficiency, food self-sufficiency ratio, under-exploited fruits
Food self-sufficiency is being able to produce its food (mainly staples) to meet consumption needs without buying or importing by an individual or a country. This paper was prepared based on interviews, questionnaires, discussions, reviews in different printed materials, books, research papers, reports of different organizations like the Department of Agriculture, LI-Bird, Forest and Soil Conservation Department, and related different websites. The economy of Nepal is predominated by agriculture where 60% of the total population is engaged in agriculture (14th-year plan) and agriculture contributes 27.6% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The pandemic of COVID-19 has led people to realize the importance of food self-sufficiency. The import of food and agricultural inputs has become difficult due to the lockdown in the boarders and transportation problems. Being rich in biodiversity it is an opportunity for Nepal to focus more on the under-exploited fruits and vegetables to make them globally recognized by commercial cultivation. In this paper, we have emphasized the techniques for the country to be food self-sufficient at this time of crisis.
Jay Chaurasia, Monika Parajuli, Gautam Bahadur Khadka