News 7 of 7

Food insecurity threatens social and political stability in South Asia, argues the South Asia Network on Food, Ecology and Culture (SANFEC), a network initially supported by CIDA through InterPares and subsequently by IDRC.   Social instability in South Asia is caused in part by food insecurity in rural communities, which leads people to migrate from rural to urban areas.  The SANFEC research has shown that enhancing local food production, generating knowledge on biodiversity-based production systems and sharing information among farmers and with policymakers can reduce pressures leading to conflict.  The perspectives of food-producing communities, especially women farmers, have been included in debates on domestic and regional policies on agriculture and food security.

This developing country approach to promote food security and sustainable livelihoods can be useful to Canadians who are also grappling with issues such as globalization and agriculture at home.  You are invited to participate in a panel discussion where some SANFEC members, in Ottawa for a few days, will describe their views on this topic.

Speakers at this event will include:

Ms. Farida Akhter, a well-known activist from Bangladesh, will talk about the role of uncultivated (“wild”) foods in the survival strategies of the very poor;
Mr. Shahid Zia, of Pakistan, will show how farmers from different countries in the region learn from each other through events such as Biodiversity Fairs and Farmer Caravans;
Mr. Podiliname Henadirannehelage, of Sri Lanka, will share his knowledge of the various uses of jackfruit, a key element in the food systems of the very poor;
Mr. Sundaram Varma, a farmer of Rajastan in India, won national awards for developing new varieties of food crops;
Mr. Bhuwon Sthapit, of Nepal, contributes to research on the scientific basis of biodiversity conservation and its application to policy; and
Mr. Farhad Mazhar, of Bangladesh, will talk about the role of social movements in promoting development alternatives and the policy contributions of SANFEC in the context of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Everyone interested in these issues is welcome to attend.
To RSVP, please contact Ms. Hutoxi Noble at (613) 236-6163 #2275 or at hnoble@idrc.ca .

2001-11-07

News 7 of 7