Changing Agricultural Practice
Food as Commodity and Its Evolution in North-east India
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jagdish Lal Dawar
The Mizo area was historically a liminal and fluid space defined by the persistence of fluid notions of sovereignty and territoriality. It was annexed by the British in 1890. The sources for the production of food for the pre-colonial Mizos were: agricultural practices, Forest and, the fishing. However, in this paper we would be taking up taking up only agricultural practices and food production. The Mizos had been practising shifting cultivation, variously known as rotational bush-fallow agriculture, swidden cultivation, slash-and-burn cultivation, Jhumming for food production. However, this method of cultivation came under attack during the colonial times. In the writing of the British officials the Mizos have been represented as head-taking savages, uncivilized and their method of agriculture was perceived to be primitive. The colonial officials as well the missionaries aimed to ‘"mprove’"the moral and manners of the Mizos. Teaching modern methods of agriculture formed an important aspect of this discourse. Permanent Wet Rice Cultivativation (WRC) and "terrace" farming was promoted as an alternative to shifting cultivation. However, except some valley areas the Mizos continued to practice shifting cultivation. In the post-colonial Mizoram there was pressure to grow more food and therefore attempts to explore alternative system culminated into New Land Use Policy (NLUP). An attempt has also been made to study the impact of this policy. The Paper is based on archival as well as oral source.
Halophyte Crops and Their Role in the Future of Agriculture
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Tania Farzana
The world’s food production will need to increase dramatically to mitigate the rising global food demand. This will be a challenging task due to the decreasing availability of good quality cultivatable land, mostly because of soil salinisation. Salinisation is a serious problem as the majority of the crop and forage species used in modern agriculture are salt sensitive (glycophytes). Consequently, alternative crop and forage species for farming in salt-affected marginalised environment need to be exploited to overcome this situation. Halophytes, natural salt loving plants, can be viable alternatives to industrialised crops. These plants have the ability to complete their life cycle in the presence of high sodium. However, the identification and use of suitable halophyte species as crops is in the early stages. This study is aimed to understand the cultivation requirements and salinity tolerance of some selective edible Australian native and naturalised halophyte species. The effects of different salinity levels on plant growth, yield and quality were investigated. In addition, greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the role of plant nutrient ratios (i.e., nitrate-N to ammonium-N ratios) on the accumulation of antinutritional compounds in the halophytes, in particular the levels of oxalates. Information from this study will help to guide the selection and successful incorporation of halophytes into future saline farming systems.
Reducing Food Waste by Using Field Sidestreams for New Products
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Marie Olsson, Lovisa Eliasson, Klara Löfkvist
A significant proportion of the cultivated vegetables are left in the field or sorted out before sale, resulting in a relatively large amount of waste in primary production, often due to high quality standards from wholesalers. In addition, the non-product parts of the plant, such as stems and leaves of broccoli, remain left on the field, and have been estimated to amount to 2/3 of the plant. Future demand of food for a growing population, goals for a more sustainable production, increased profitability for growers, as well as a new interest in plant-based products make a more efficient use of the production increasingly interesting. The aim of this project was to explore the possibilities to utilize field sidestreams of Brassica vegetables for new food ingredients to be used in products such as bread, soups or vegetarian products. Field waste (leaves and parts of stems) of cabbage, broccoli, and kale were harvested and processed to dried products and purees and were evaluated for product properties. Further, practical issues of the harvest were addressed and the processing effects on the nutritional value were determined. Future possibilities for reducing food waste in the primary production and distribution chain will be discussed.
Education Program to Develop Local Food in the Desert
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Holly Gatzke
Farmers in desert regions have an opportunity to produce local food but knowledge gaps existed as a barrier. A progressive line of education programs were established to support the production of healthy local foods in Lincoln County, Nevada. These programs included starting a 4-H vegetable garden and market, extended season production on-farm demonstrations, and classes with the goal of showing that quality produce could be grown. Market profiles were developed through surveys of farmers’ market consumers and chefs. Quality testing of local produce was done by chefs in Las Vegas. Mentor farmers and enterprise analysts provided assistance to improve production, marketing, and financials. Education to locals on healthy eating improved their understanding of the health benefits and preparation techniques for using the local produce. A program on value-adding used substandard produce to create more local foods. As a result, a local food industry is started with producers growing in over 40 high tunnels to sell local fresh produce to residents at a farmers market, local restaurants, and chefs in Las Vegas. Challenges still exist with inconsistent markets and distribution networks to urban markets.
