Page 46 - 國合會2016電子書-英文

Interview 1

Chen Zhi-fan, Short-term horticultural expert,
Gorkha Food Security and Livelihoods Support Program (Nepal)

Cooperating with INGO brings the world to see
Taiwan’s efforts

Between April and May 2015, 2016 was a horticulturist of Taiwan school, but also prepare for the
Nepal was struck by two powerful Technical Missions in Honduras next year’s plan to expand farming
earthquakes that caused mass and Sao Tome and Principe for operations.
casualties and widespread many years, who later worked for a From Zhi-fan, CARE Nepal
damage to infrastructure and private company. saw the diversity and maturity of
also destroyed 130,000 tons of Chen Zhi-fan graduated from the Taiwan’s agricultural technology.
food, food stocks, livestock and Graduate Institute of Plant Industry To enhance food security and the
agricultural equipment, causing of National Pingtung University livelihoods of the people of Gorkha
over US$200 million in losses. of Science and Technology. and to further address the needs
Although Taiwan does not have Elaborating on his efforts over the of disadvantaged groups such as
diplomatic relations with Nepal, two months in Nepal, with regard to women and the poor, in December
from a humanitarian standpoint, cultivation management, including this year, CARE Nepal once again
in December, the TaiwanICDF, how to prune tomatoes, set up joined forces with the TaiwanICDF
together with CARE Nepal, fruit and vegetable plastic tunnels to implement the one-year Gorkha
implemented the Gorkha Food and use readily-available cleaning Food Security and Livelihood
Security and Livelihoods Support agents and sunflower oil to make Enhancement Program. The aim
Program in Gorkha, one of the an organic insect repellant to is to use Taiwan’s advantages in
worst affected areas. The aim was protect crops against pest damage, terms of agricultural talent and
to help the disaster victims improve he said, “We take these techniques resources to help farmers build
their agricultural technology for granted in Taiwan but they were an agricultural value chain and
production and marketing capacity, a real eye-opener for the INGO continue to develop sustainable
in order to maintain their livelihoods partners, local officials and farmers agriculture.
and food security and allow them there!” He also took local wisdom
to quickly recover and rebuild after and utilized materials to show
the earthquakes. farmers how to compost poultry
As part of this program, the manure or plant residue to lower
TaiwanICDF provided the funding fertilizer costs, instructed them how
required on behalf of Taiwan and to calculate profit and loss, and
also dispatched a short-term even collected fruit and vegetable
expert to Nepal to assist with its production and marketing industry
implementation. CARE Nepal, as data and visited commercial farms
the program implementer, worked to help farmers prepare to market
with Nepal’s District Agriculture their produce in the future.
Development Office (DADO), Zhi-fan observes that, after
District Livestock Service Office receiving guidance to improve
(DLSO) and the local NGO. their farming techniques, the
farmers’ vegetable crop production
Taiwan’s agricultural gradually increased and they
technology and experience an moved from self-sufficiency
eye-opener for its partners towards semi-commercialization,
The expert that the TaiwanICDF allowing them to not only earn the
called upon to go to Nepal in July money to send their children to

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