APSCC partners with the Global Soil Partnership, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to promote food security for all and to make sure people have access to high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. Food security has been a global concern since the early 1980s, encompassing food availability, access to it and utilization. Food insecurity arises when food systems fall under stress induced by climate change or various other environmental issues. Peninsular India is well-known for suffering severe cyclones and also drought prone Central and Northern parts are considered to be the most vulnerable, forced to mitigate climate change because of its geographical location, overpopulation, poverty level and high livelihood dependency on agriculture. The figure shows an index of food security risk, and it is based on the key elements of food security set out by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The challenges to food security are twofold. On one hand, the knowledge about traditional foods is almost vanished and the traditional homemade healthy foods are replaced by “Ready to Eat Foods”, which are stuffed with stabilizing agents, emulsifiers, microbial growth inhibitors, preservatives, synthetic chemicals, etc. Such traditional foods are not only nutritious but also heal and sustain health. On the other hand the natural resources are getting degraded/ depleted/ destroyed because of the unprecedented natural calamities and challenges related to climate change. To mitigate such global challenges, organic farming, organic milk production, organic egg and meat production has to be promoted.
At APSCC, we promote
Purchasing locally or regionally grown food for the campuses which minimizes significant amounts of energy consumed during transportation, preservation, refrigeration, etc.
Revising the menu plan by incorporating food such as whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and fruits that are grown organically using waste derived compost.
Producing organic food through onsite kitchen garden without the use of artificial pesticides and fertilizers, whose use is neither healthy nor sustainable.
Boosting of organic food production through poly-cultures and intercropping rather than conventional monoculture farming. This not only provides better yield but also minimizes soil erosion, thereby enhancing the growth of beneficial soil flora and fauna.
FAO Link: http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/overview/partners/gsp-partners/en/