Long-term food security for all, in essence, what Food Plant Solutions does and achieves.
Message from the Chair
As you are all aware, the theme for this year is “Rotary Opens Opportunities”.
It certainly has for our Rotary Action Group. Since July 1 2020, I have had the pleasure of speaking, via Zoom, to over 30 Rotary Clubs around the world, to tell the story of Food Plant Solutions. In Australia I have been interviewed by radio stations and spoken at Probus groups, at an International Peace day dinner and to the southern region of Order of Australia Committee. We have made a video and worked with the other members of our DISC to support clubs.
I have enjoyed meeting Rotarians from around the world doing extraordinary things in their communities. We have prepared Brief Guides for many communities, who are all trying to make a difference. We know that gardening, not only supplies food for a family but that is good for the mental health of a community.
Earlier this month I had the privilege of presenting an address at a primary school in Hobart, which in 2020, the Rotary Club of North Hobart had facilitated a school garden, using our Event Guidelines; “Fresh Food For Families.” This school has added a Peace Pole to their garden and the children had worked hard to develop the formal unveiling of the Peace Pole. What a joy it was to be there and remind the children that many wars are begun because of the lack of food and their garden has connected Peace and Food. Imagine how great it would be if this could happen in all communities.
I spoke of my dream that with each of the water wells Rotary facilitates in countries where families walk miles for water that a community garden be developed, so that not only the community had water, but that they also have nutritious food for their children, and the garden went on to produce food for generations to come.
You could ALL make this happen in your communities.
What a wonderful way you could make a difference and “open the opportunity” to fulfil our dream of ensuring long term food security for all members of your community.
Yours in Rotary
PDG Una Hobday OAM, PHF
Chair – Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group
Backyard Gardening in the Philippines
For some time Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group has partnered with the Muravah Foundation in the Philippines. We recently received a note from them; “Thank you very much for continuous support of our backyard gardening program. Please extend also to Mr. Raffy Garcia our warmest acceptance to his donation for the fulfillment of this project.
We have 35 households right now with a backyard garden. Muravah personnel are the ones who prepare the vegetable seedling and once ready for transplanting we distribute it to different households. Aside from household gardening, we also maintain a vegetable garden at the Muravah yard. Right now we have distributed different kind of vegetables to 37 indigenous families of this barangay.
Attached are some photos taken during the vegetable distribution done by our barangay health workers. Thanks and more power.”
Contact us at info@foodplantsolutions.org to find out how you can help projects like this or start your own.
Why Food Plant Solutions is so Important!
Malnutrition is an insidious condition affecting millions of people globally. Consumption of food can only overcome malnutrition if the lacking nutrients giving rise to malnutrition are actually in the food consumed. While this statement appears pretty obvious it is amazing how often it is overlooked.
Feeling full does not necessarily mean you are nutritionally satisfied. Satisfying hunger with foods that are lacking in appropriate nutrients can actually exacerbate malnutrition. FPS focuses on promoting foods that WILL address malnutrition and hunger as a sustainable self-help solution.
And, our results show that our programs can be a solution to malnutrition and ensure a world where food security is available to all.
FPS continues to deliver positive outcomes but we need your help! Please consider donating to Food Plant Solutions and/or extending our message to potential sponsors. https://foodplantsolutions.org/donate/
The Importance of Dark Leafy Green Leaves – Bruce French AO
The Corona pandemic has significantly changed our world. But at the same time a range of other conditions are also causing chaos in many countries even though they are not getting great attention. As I seek to find information on edible plants of the world, Deb (my wife), often asks, “What country am I in now?” This week my answer was, “The most devastated country in the world”. It took her 3 guesses before she got to Yemen. The next time it was Mexico where chronic malnutrition is because of a diet based on rice and beans; it is simply inadequate. I am still listing edible plants for Mexico, but currently the number is heading towards 3,000 edible plant species.
About a quarter of a million birth defects each year are due to folates or inadequate leaves being eaten. And about 30% of the women of the world are anaemic or iron deficient due to lack of green leaves. A child goes blind every minute due to Vitamin A deficiency. Our database has over 9,500 species of edible leaves. And a mixture of leaves can make an appealing attractive addition to a meal.
Nourishing Matters to Chew On
Nourishing Matters to Chew On is a podcast created by host, Anthea Fawcett (sustainability advocate and founder of Foodswell). The series looks at healthy, sustainable food systems here in Australia.
Food Plant Solutions was interviewed for one of the episodes – Food Biodiversity, Food Plant Solutions at this link: https://omny.fm/shows/nourishing/dr-john-mcphee-and-oa-karalyn-hingston-food-plant. It’s a really great way to better understand our history and what we do.
The full series can be found here https://omny.fm/shows/nourishing, please be sure to leave a review!
Don’t just take our word for it…
World Agrorestry Tanzania
“I’m impressed to read about school garden training in Tanzania and the renewed focus on indigenous and underutilized foods!” Erick Ngethe Project Manager, World Agroforestry
A vote of thanks from Cameroon
H4BF delivers programmes in partnership beneficiary communities to help ensure that every women and child’s lives in a safe and clean environment to meet their basic needs and expands their opportunities to reach their full potential. H4BF would like to express its deep appreciation to all resource partners including the UNDP, UNFPA, Global Aid for Africa, MasterPeace Foundation, RDF Cameroon, International Cities of Peace, Food Plant Solutions, who have generously contributed to its work on WASH, Gender Based violence (GBV), Nutrition, Peace Building, Agriculture, food security, Child protection, Health for women and children including persons with disability in the regions.
Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya
“Dear Food Plant Solutions, I’m just letting you know that I’ve downloaded your program guides for South Sudan, Republic of Congo & Kenya. I’m working as a volunteer teaching permaculture to a group of people at Kakuma Refugee Camp and I think your resources will be most useful to them. Thanks very much for all that you are doing. Angie Polkey”
Fresh Foods for Families Workshop
Poor nutrition and obesity are significant issues in most societies. On the local scene, FPS has been instrumental in developing The Fresh Foods for Families workshop, designed to help families to grow, nurture, harvest and prepare vegetables for nutritious meals.
Initially targeted at new Australian migrants, the program has evolved to a wider community outlook and is now suitable to be rolled out in any community. While food sustainability is the primary reason for conducting these workshops, additional outcomes include community bonding and multicultural appreciation and celebration. The program has developed an Events Guideline, which provides an easily followed process, enabling a Fresh Foods for Families workshop to be conducted by anyone. Feedback from a workshop held last year in Tasmania speaks volumes; “This is the best workshop I have been to, and if we had more in Tasmania, we wouldn’t be going without food.”
More information on the workshop can be viewed here – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nXeE4qzU2z_cAHG5ppBC5-77k73DWrZD/view?usp=d
Did you know?
Now more than ever everyone needs a safe, nutritious diet. With your help we can achieve this.
Learn more: https://foodplantsolutions.org/
Contact us: info@foodplantsolutions.org
Make an immediate impact: https://foodplantsolutions.org/donate/
