Urban Farming
- September 20, 2020
- 11:30-13:10
- Video Confrence
- 9851082828
event description
The urban farming initiative also offers support for projects such as school gardens, community gardens, market farms, and educational gardens and farms. Through community partnerships work is done to highlight urban farming and create an environment for it to thrive in the metropolitan area.
Organic Association Nepal (OAN) is an organization of Nepalese commodity producers, manufacturers and traders in the sector of consumable products, food and agriculture. The organization was established in 2018 and targets to link all organic product manufacturers, traders and consumers at national and international levels. The goal of the association is to empower the progress of organic production followed by research and consumption in Nepal in close cooperation with the consumers, the organic producers and other stakeholders of the organic chain.
OAN has a major focus on organic farming research for better agriculture practice in Nepal in organic environment. “Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition (Vedic agriculture), innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved.” It banks upon crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, off-farm organic waste, mineral grade rock additives, the biological system of nutrient mobilization and plant protection.
In order to promote organic farming, OAN organizes a series of free workshops on ‘urban farming’ aiming to promote easy ways which everyone of us can easily incorporate to our everyday lives in order to reduce our ecological footprint.
Organic Association Nepal (OAN) has launched its first series of urban farming workshop designed to help urban gardeners and farmers add to their skill set while networking with other growers. First event is scheduled for 20th September 2020 by online portal- ZOOM meeting due to global pandemic effect on social gathering.
- 11:30 AM – 11:40 AM
Welcome and Program objective sharing - 11:40 AM – 12:15 PM
Welcome and Program objective sharing - 12:15 PM – 12:35 PM
Discussion - 12:35 PM – 12:45 PM
Remarks - 12:45 PM – 01:00 PM
Closing remarks and vote of thanks
our speakers
Dr. Sunil Babu Shrestha
He is also a Vice- Chancellor and an Academician of Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST). He is also Editor in Chief of Nepal Journal of Science and Technology (NJST). Dr. Shrestha has served the nation two times (2009, 2015-2018) as a member of National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal with portfolio covering Housing and Urban Development, Water Supply and Sanitation, Science and Technology, Local Development and Federal Affairs and Public Private Partnership. Professional Engineer Shrestha has gained more than 20 years experiences, working in different organizations (Private, Government and Non-government) in various professional and administrative capacities. He had leading contribution in infrastructure sector for the preparation of Fourteen National Plan of Nepal, Preparation of Integrated Planned Urban Development Guidelines, Preparation of Concept and Salient features of SMART City for Nepal, Preparation of policy guidelines for Smart Village, Food Green City, Cooperative Housing and Preparation of National Report of Nepal for Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Development (Habitat-III). He was main contributor to introduce “One City-One Identity (OC-OI)” an innovative concept for Urban Development in Nepal.
Dr. Deepak Prakash Baskota
Former State Minister for the Ministry of Home Affairs, Nepal-Dr. Deepak Prakash Banskota is Founder and current President of Organic Association Nepal (OAN) and Chairperson of Kanchanjanga Tea Estate and Research Center(KTERC), who started organic farming in Nepal in 1984 after having a learning experience of organic tea cultivation in Darjaleeng, India. His belief is that changes are emotional and hard to change traditional practices if you only address people with arguments and overlook the fact that implementation hurdles and fears of failures. Often they block everything. But if we move with people’s engagement and quality management through Plan, Do, Change and Act (PDCA) then everything can be driven to target and achievements will motivate naturally. One of examples of such is his Cooperative model of organic tea cultivation from Phidim, Panchthar. He is the founder Chairperson of National Federation of cooperation, who contributed significantly in drafting cooperative acts and legislatures of Nepal and was appreciated as one of the best cooperative model in the world.
Mrs. Shanta Banskota Koirala
She holds the position of Director at Kanchanjangha Tea Estate and Research Centre (KTERC), leads planting and processing organic tea, herbs and spices in tea garden and factory at the remote hill district of Phidim, Nepal. She organizes small farmers for organic farming thereby contributing to improving quality of life by increasing income in an environmentally sustainable way; a total of 418 small farmers have been developed;the products have received NAASA, JAS, USDA certifications including FLO. There are 150 workers with 85% women for the operation of the tea garden and factory. KTERC has establishedworkers’ cooperative;savings activities by women; scholarship programme to the children of workers; cow bank project;skill training to the economically weaker communities for producing tea packaging boxes made from local bamboo; training to develop women entrepreneurs; packaging, labelling and marketing knowledge and skill to women;developing and promoting eco-tea tourism including local communities.
Mr. Arjun Koirala
Involved in urban development of Nepal for the last 2 and half decades; Professional Engineer –Arjun Koirala has gained knowledge and skills working with Government of Nepal, multinational development cooperation agencies and international companies for urban planning, engineering project management, and socioeconomic changes. He has shared his knowledge and learning as team member, advisor, tutor and volunteer to bring urban development of Nepal. His educational highlights include Graduate in Civil Engineering and Post-Graduate in Urban Planning. He has contributed significantly in providing technical assistance to relevant ministries and municipalities of Nepal in urban planning management including identifying, assessing and designing community level infrastructure to strategic urban infrastructure projects. Currently, Er. Koirala is serving as Deputy Chief of Party for USAID funded health and education reconstruction project for Nepal. His knowledge sharing and advises will be crucial for urban farming workshop, presenting optimal academic and practical aspects to succeed balcony farming.