JOIN US'Decommodification' may be key to solve food crisis
He was speaking after participating in ‘Huruli Parise’ book release programme at ‘Nisarga’ on Chitrabhanu road in the city.
Nisarga is a cooperative initiative by like-minded people to sell organic vegetables, fruits, grains and pulses along with ready food items like spice powders, honey, etc.
Closer bond essential
Stressing on the need to create a closer bond between growers and consumers, even by way of visiting fields and farms, Cariyappa said “The debt that consumers carry on themselves with farmers providing for their meals, cannot be met with money alone.
“We owe it to the soil and the man who toils on it, to put food on your table. This can be repaid probably after one is dead and the body becomes a part of the atmosphere, either as soil or as ash.”
Cariyappa took to organic farming many years ago and lives with his family at his self-sufficient farm in HD Kote, and is also the torch-bearer of organic campaign in Mysore and surrounding areas.
Recipes for nutrition
Dr V Rajendra of Government Ayurvedic College and Hospital released the book ‘Huruli Parise’, which comprises mouth-watering recipes that can be prepared using horse gram, one among the most naturally nutritious category of pulses.
Dr Rajendra said a majority of food intake today is based on the ‘likes’ and not on the ‘requirement’ of that particular food to the body.
“Horse gram is not attractive as a healthy food option today, since it is not sold as attractively as any other consumer commodity. Temporary satisfaction, the wants have taken over rationale and the needs,” he rued.
Grower vs consumer
Peace would prevail between grower and consumer, along with the sense to preserve the environment when there is a sense of responsibility, and a sense of being part of the whole world, instead of ‘I am the world’ kind of ego-centric attitude, Rajendra said.
Raitha Sangha leader K S Puttannaiah inaugurated the event and pledged support to the cause of growers. Stating that there was a steep decline in the number of farmers in the country, Puttannaiah said bureaucracy and politicians were in deep slumber when it came to attending to the needs of a farmer.