Food security in mountains: Challenges and sustainable strategies

The worsening global financial crisis threatens to perpetuate food insecurity that would result in widespread poverty world wide. The situation of food insecurity becomes particularly severe in communities that reside in isolated, far flung and inaccessible remote areas. The harsh climates and the difficult, often inaccessible, terrain combined with political and social marginality makes the mountain people more vulnerable to food shortages as compared to the other communities residing in the plains. In addition the indigenous knowledge about local foods and traditional agricultural practices in mountain areas is eroding and agricultural diversity as well as productivity is declining, further increasing the vulnerability of mountain people. Hence, it becomes imperative to focus on approaches that ensure the availability of adequate and nutritious food for mountain people to lead healthy and active lives. This paper attempts to present sustainable approaches for livestock production, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism and micro hydro power that need to be adequately implemented for ensuring food security along with a sustainable management of the local resources and the improvement in livelihoods of the people with an increase in their socioeconomic status.