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commodity prices, therefore decreasing the aff ordability of goods for local
consumers.
Food assistance in the form of rice is o� en believed to be responsible for
changing recipients’ food habits and decreasing their tradi� onal ecological
knowledge about wild crops, increasing their dependence on generally nonaff
ordable items (Upre� 2008; Wahlberg 2008: 7). Indeed, food habits in
the study village seem to have changed. The tradi� onal staple food millet
is now being replaced by rice, if available, consumed in the evening. It is
however diffi cult to blame food assistance for changing food habits; rather,
rice is also provided at the market in Gamgadi, and distributed by the Nepal
Food Corpora� on (NFC). Locally grown millet is hardly available at markets,
as producers usually do not sell it in order to consume it themselves.
Further, food habits should be dis� nguished from food preferences. The
preference for rice should be understood as a combina� on of cultural,
prac� cal and historical reasons. In Hindu culture doing puja using millet is
simply not possible – rice is necessary. Also the previous presence of the
Gorkhali state representa� ves 3 and their demand for rice (see Adhikari
2008) during travelling in Mugu should be regarded as factor contribu� ng to
the perceived social value of rice. Further, especially elders prefer to eat rice
instead of millet because it is easier to digest. Women men� oned an ease
in work load for food prepara� on as the prepara� on of millet bread was
more � me consuming. In this context the distribu� on of rice rather a� ains a
wealth-enhancing importance. The consump� on of rice has also not led to a
decline of knowledge about the prepara� on and consump� on of wild crops.
On average, 78 percent of respondents answered that they taught their
children about the use and prepara� on of wild crops. Therefore, it seems
unlikely that FFW ac� vi� es have any substan� al long term impacts on food
habits when rice is not provided.
3. This prac� ce dates back to 1789 when the then Kingdom of Jumla was annexed into the
rising Gorkha Kingdom, and the local peasantry had to provide extra services to state
representa� ves including the free provision of rice, and carrying of heavy loads. This
prac� ce con� nued under the Rana-regime, so that elder people s� ll remember this system
of free rice-provision.
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Changing paradigms of aid eff ec� veness in Nepal