“Efforts are in progress for the transformation of food systems, recognizing the evolving role of youths in addressing challenges,” says the chief guest, Hon. Prakash Pantha, Chairperson, Sustainable Development and Good Governance Committee, National Assembly.

Nepal is facing a crisis of its own. Heavy reliance on remittances gained by Nepali youth to sustain its economy and the challenge of retaining youth within the country are longstanding issues. With 40% of the population being youth, Nepal is currently experiencing a ‘youth bulge’, a phenomenon where the youth population is significantly higher as compared to other age groups. Nepal, therefore, has no option but to involve, encourage, and provide youths with opportunities to improve the country’s food and nutrition status, especially when one-third of the nation’s GDP is still contributed by agriculture today.

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) Report 2023, a peer-reviewed annual report jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe (WHH) that measures and tracks hunger at the global, regional, and country level, underscores youth’s role in shaping food systems. The report highlights the vulnerability of youth, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, to food security and nutrition crises. It states that the worsening climatic conditions demand mass attention to make food systems equitable, inclusive, accessible, and sustainable. To spotlight Nepal’s landscape in this scenario, a GHI Report 2023 launch event was organized by WHH-Nepal and the NGO Federation of Nepal in Kathmandu.

In the opening, Ms. Anja Schroder, Deputy Director of WHH, remarked, “The dynamics of food production and consumption are compounded by issues like biodiversity loss and environmental degradation. Drawing inspiration from these challenges, WHH actively engages in addressing hunger-related problems.” Following her remarks, His Excellency Dr. Thomas Prinz, German Ambassador to Nepal, expressed, “The energy and innovation of youth must be incorporated to improve food systems”, and added, “Local expertise, particularly that of the Indigenous Peoples, is embodied in initiatives aimed at enhancing food systems.”

Ms. Seema Luitel, Program Manager at WHH-Nepal, explaining about GHI, emphasized how a multisectoral approach can play an instrumental role in reducing and combating hunger, while Dr. Yamuna Ghale, Food Security Expert, explained that food security is a human rights issue. She stated, “Nepal is at a golden age, with a major portion of its population being youth, but there is no inclusion of youth in the decision-making process of the youth themselves.”

Dr. Govinda Sharma, Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock Development, mentioned the lack of technology and the ICT sector, whereas the chief guest for the event, Hon. Prakash Pantha, Chairperson, Sustainable Development and Good Governance Committee, shed some light on the work carried out in the food systems transformation and explained, “Rastriya Khadya Sansthan and our collective efforts are focused on swiftly implementing recommendations, signaling a concerted effort to bring positive change.”

A panel discussion, moderated by Mr. Shakeb Nabi, Country Director, WHH-Nepal, was then held to delve further into Nepal’s scenario in agriculture, food, and nutrition status with highly notable youth personalities, including Hon. Sumana Shrestha, Member of the House of Representatives; Dr. Ram Krishna Shrestha, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development; Ms. Samriddhi Gyawali, CEO, Nepal Republic Media; Mr. Pradip Khatiwada, Executive Director, Youth Innovation Lab; Ms. Bonita Sharma, Co-founder and CEO, SOCHAI; and Mr. Santosh Thapa, Youth Engagement Specialist, VSO.

The interactive session provided a platform for a diverse exchange of perceptions about the integration of youth in the food systems. Hon. Sumana Shrestha informed us, “Approximately 40% of our land is fallow, and agriculture is a labour-intensive occupation. Therefore, proper mechanization is essential to alleviate the burden on farmers.” Taking an example of Tikapur, she added, “Understanding the plight of subsistence farming, protecting farmers, and ensuring their access to markets are crucial.” Dr. Ram Krisha pointed out the delayed returns on investment, which demotivates individuals from engaging in agriculture; however, he notified of sufficient opportunities for growth and development, saying, “Incubating services and providing advantages to those working in community sectors could be a strategic approach to fostering positive change and making agriculture a viable and lucrative option for individuals.” Mr. Santosh Thapa highlighted the costliness of each plate of food and the financial strain tied to it, which drives youth to seek out opportunities that promise higher earnings. He remarked, “There’s a pressing need to explore avenues for developing solutions that alleviate the financial burden of youth as well as create a sustainable and inclusive approach within the food system.” Underscoring the discontinuation of indigenous food practices and various traditions that once were deeply rooted in the cultural fabric, Mr. Pradip Khatiwada expressed, “Innovation must be embraced for sustainable solutions, and revitalizing and harmonizing these practices will strike a balance between tradition and progress in the evolving landscape of food systems.” Ms. Bonita Sharma conveyed how the noticeable gap in expertise, even among technically educated individuals, in the agriculture sector poses a concerning challenge. She further added, “Agriculture is unfortunately often viewed as an unappealing occupation, which is why there is a need to take a multisectoral approach to address challenges and find solutions.” Lastly, Ms. Sambridhi Gyawali asserted the importance of changing the narrative of agriculture to entice youth into the sector. She emphasized, “Food will never go out of fashion. By effectively communicating the importance of agriculture, we can inspire a new generation to meaningfully contribute to this vital sector.”

Dr. Kiran Rupakheti, the then-Joint Secretary of the National Planning Commission, highlighted the need to protect against the drain of youth. Similarly, Dr. Sarba Raj Khadka, former vice chair of the Karnali province, reiterated the necessity of creating local employment opportunities. Hon. Bimala Rai Poudel, Member of the National Assembly, stated, “Nepal’s resilience in production and that local innovations and solutions have been able to work well during times of climate change, but we must also be aware of the worsening impact of natural disasters,” and underscored the need to localize the food system. In conclusion, Mr. Ram Subedi, Chairperson, NFN, stressed the need for attraction and motivation in agriculture, highlighting the need for resilient food systems to achieve food security.

Overall, the event’s key recommendations were:

Involve youth and provide them with local employment opportunities to reshape and transform food systems in Nepal

Make agriculture an attractive occupation and encourage youth to associate with it

Revive agriculture with innovations and tools that are in sync with the local environment and ensure farmers have the right access to markets

Integrate indigenous and local food practices and traditions into the food systems to make it sustainable and resilient

Foster collaboration between various agencies, including youth, to drive inclusive food systems

The GHI scale ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 denotes zero hunger and 100 is the most vulnerable region, considering four key factors: child stunting, child wasting, undernourishment, and child mortality. Nepal has scored 15.0, placing it at a moderate level of hunger and ranking 69^th globally. The report notes that hunger levels in Nepal have been declining since 2000, and it is among the few countries that have improved their scores (reference years being 2015, 2008, and 2000, as the scores vary each year depending on the changes compiled by United Nations agencies).

Nepal’s overall progress can be attributed to various interventions and initiatives injected into the food and nutrition sector by all the local government bodies, development agencies, and private organizations. Nevertheless, there is still ample room for improvement. Food systems have been a recurring issue, even in COP 28, where food systems transformation on the global climate agenda was put forth and endorsed by 134 world leaders to ensure sustainable agriculture by building food systems and scaling up regenerative agriculture. With a major portion of the population covered by youth globally and in Nepal, a coherent action is required to place youths at the forefront, providing them with a meaningful space to get involved, initiate, and act towards a food-secure nation in years to come.