On the fourth day of our trip, we had the opportunity to explore the Bara region. Amongst many NGOs that we met during that day, one stood out: Rural Region and Agro-Forestry Development Center. The works done by the center was quite impressive. In general, the organization raised awareness of the importance of forestry stewardship and made huge headway in achieving success stories regarding proper forestry management.
Because they seemed to be quite knowledgeable in agriculture, I tried to relieve my curiosity by asking some pressing questions. I first asked the president of the organization what he thought about free trade. I asked this question acknowledging that Nepal was a developing country. Developing countries tend to open their borders to benefit from free trade in order to kick start their economy. Moreover, as they open their borders and earn respect from countries involved in WTO (World Trade Organization). Now, being in a landlocked country, the agriculture industry of Nepal is going to face competition from the surrounding countries: China and India. So, regarding this dynamic I wanted to see the president’s opinion on free trade and its impact on the agriculture sect.
In respect, he was quite enthusiastic about the whole ordeal. He says that the agriculture of Nepal is quite strong. As long as the country remains loyal to the agricultural sect, the people are not going to have problems competing in the market. In fact, he was hinting that Nepal could outcompete its Chinese and Indian competition. The only thing hindering this is governmental aid. He says that once the money is properly channeled, Nepal’s agriculture can modernize and be competitive.
Oh. Now we have a whole new problem. I really wonder what he means by modernization. The word can have numerous meanings; however, in terms of agriculture, it usually means industrializing the agriculture sect. This means mechanization of agriculture. Would this not decrease the demand of labor? Knowing that 80 percent of Nepalese are involved in agriculture, and knowing that unemployment is always a pressing concern, is modernizing agriculture really the answer? Perhaps this is a stupid question. Of course the Nepalese need to modernize their agriculture in order to compete in the markets, as well as provide food security to their people. Then, maybe the right question to ask is: how are they going to facilitate the transition from traditional agriculture to a modern one? What kind of jobs is the government going to create for the young workforce who will be forced out of agriculture? I am hoping that both the government and the local level communities are thinking holistically about modernization.
