Assessing Food Security Scenario at the Ward Level in Nepal: An Analysis of Caloric Needs from Diverse Crops Based on Location-Specific Factors and Policy Implications

Keshav Bhattarai; Shiva Prasad Gautam; Buddhi Raj Gyawali

doi:10.59552/nppr.v3i1.63

Authors

Keshav Bhattarai Department of Physical Sciences. University of Central Missouri, USA
Shiva Prasad Gautam University of Florida, USA.
Buddhi Raj Gyawali Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Kentucky, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59552/nppr.v3i1.63

Keywords:

Food security, policies, physiographic regions, major and minor crops

Abstract

Food security means access to food along with food production and availability to every individual at a reasonable cost according to the calorific needs of people. To assure food safety to 30 million Nepali people, it is essential to utilize every piece of available farmable land in each geographic region of seven provinces. We analyzed individual household food intake, dietary energy adequacy, and nutritional status and needs at the ward level of Nepal. We used a decadal (2010-2020) average food production of different crops per unit of farmable area, and food needs for people living in that ward based on their gender and nutritional requirements to perform various activities in different geographic regions of seven provinces. We assumed three food consumption scenarios: a) traditional practices of meeting dietary needs only from major crops; b) consuming major and minor crops; and c) consuming major and minor crops and meat and fruit products. Our analysis revealed that it is essential for Nepal to implement policies that will encourage crop diversification comprising both major and minor crops and inform the public about the nutritional values of various crops that can be grown utilizing location-specific environments in different geographic regions of seven provinces. Our findings assist in policy instrumentation that will pursue farming communities to supplement their dietary needs with diverse crop products and suggest government set aside some matching funds to encourage remitters, who return to Nepal with knowledge and financial resources, to engage in agriculture. We also argue that crop diversification is needed to assure farm productivity if certain crops fail due to unforeseen environmental calamities.

Author Biographies

Keshav Bhattarai, Department of Physical Sciences. University of Central Missouri, USA

Keshav Bhattarai is a Professor of Geography at the University of Central Missouri. Dr. Bhattarai has more than twenty years of teaching experience in the US, and fifteen years of professional experiences in forestry sector of the Government of Nepal. He was also a visiting faculty at the Forestry Institute in Nepal and a Fulbright Scholar at Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu. He served as a Department Chair at the Department of Geography at the University of Central Missouri. He obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Geography from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, and a Masters in Natural Resource Management degree from The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. Prior to that he received AIFC degree from Indian Forest College, Dehradun, India. Keshav has baccalaureate degrees in Biology, Economics, and Law from Tribhuvan University. He also obtained a diploma in Aeronautical Radio Engineering from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Dr. Bhattarai teaches geospatial technology, economic geography, and contemporary geopolitical courses at the University of Central Missouri. Dr. Bhattarai has published four books and numerous book chapters and journal articles. He has received several scholarly, research excellence, and international scholar awards.

Shiva Prasad Gautam, University of Florida, USA.

Dr. Shiva Prasad Gautam is a retired professor and currently holds a courtesy Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Florida. Dr. Gautam has more than 40 years of teaching and research experience in the US and Nepal. His faculty experiences have taken him to several universities including Vanderbilt University, Harvard University and University of Florida in the US, and Tribhuvan University in Nepal. He was also awarded the Fulbright grant to teach and research at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal. He obtained his Masters and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in statistics from the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Gautam has published several articles in peer reviewed journals

Buddhi Raj Gyawali, Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Kentucky, USA

Dr. Buddhi Gyawali is a professor of Geospatial Applications, Climate Change, and Human Dimensions of the Environment in the School of Agriculture, Communities, and Environment at Kentucky State University (KSU). Dr. Gyawali serves as Graduate Coordinator for the M.S. in Environmental Studies (MES) Program, Lead Scientist for the Center for Geospatial Intelligence and Environmental Security, and Director of the Summer Apprenticeship Program at Kentucky State University. He was President of the Southern Rural Sociological Association (SRSA), 2021-2022, and a Board member of the Association of Nepalese in Midwest America (ANMA) 2029-2022. Dr. Gyawali also serves on the KY Governor’s Advisory Council for Geographic Information Systems (2017-2023); an Executive member of the Association of Nepalese Agricultural Professionals of Americas (NAPA), and an advisor of the Association of Nepalese in Kentucky America (ANKA). Dr. Gyawali has experience in developing and securing multidisciplinary research, education, and outreach grants. His teaching and research are in several cross-disciplinary fields, including coupled dynamics of human-environment relationships, geospatial applications, agroecosystem, and microclimate and ecosystems studies. He has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles and presented over 50 research papers at various professional conferences.

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