Concurrent with the celebrations of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, NESFAS launched the Mei Ramew State Agroecology Co-operative Society (MRSACS) here today.
The new cooperative society is made up of 19 primary cooperatives representing as many villages. The society is set to prepare the primary cooperatives in terms of capacity building, business plans, bookkeeping and networking, amongst other activities. The launch was also accompanied by a Mei-Ramew farmers’ market where local produce and cuisine from across communities that NESFAS works with were sold.
Shaiphar Dohling, chairperson of MRSACS, stated that the society is designed to promote livelihoods and build relationships among partner communities and work for the betterment of mother nature.
NESFAS chairperson Nestar Kharmawphlang also spoke briefly about the objectives of the co-operative society.
In his keynote address, NESFAS executive director Pius Ranee referred to a study undertaken by NESFAS in Meghalaya, Kenya, Mexico and Thailand, which, he said, demonstrates that local food systems can contribute substantially to solving some of the pressing global issues, including climate change and biodiversity loss.
The chief guest of the day, R Rymbai, Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies stated that MRSACS is unique in the fact that it deals with agroecology.
