Field Guides to Food

Food Security and National Park

Eco-tourism does bring economic gain to the community through employment but it also reduces land for agriculture. Additionally the Tharus now grow more vegetables to sell to the hotels and now Tharus are adding more vegetables in their diet than before. However, the dependence on imported food is troubling but in the present context growing your own food and relying on imported food hasn't affected Tharus adversely. The big difference that we have found by relying on imported rice/corn/wheat is on taste rather than on price. I am not sure yet in what ways reduction on farm land will impact the Tharus and the community at large but soon people will have to depend on imported food rather than on the local growers.

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