Kalistan

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Empress stresses Voluntary Labor
Personal Commitment impresses entire political world
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
June 30, 5683


Empress at Eveari Community Gardens, spending time, helping tend 35 acre plot

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Jennifer I Ananto applauded a recently launched campaign to encourage both voluntary labor and civil agriculture in response to the continuing recession. "We have decided to put our own efforts into this initiative, to set the example," said Her Imperial Majesty. "It is our intention to promote the work of civilian agriculture and farmers markets across the Empire to ensure that fresh food continues to make it to Kalistani homes throughout the growing season, so that the recession does not affect the nutritional requirements of Kalistani families." Her remarks were made during a policy speech in Eveari Community Gardens.

The Empress said that the initiative was to make up for a decrease in foodstuff imports from other nations. "The Empire receives a majority of our food imports directly from Gaduridos and Baltusia," said the Empress. "These imports remain on schedule and at pre-recession levels, but we also have seen decreases of food imports from our old trading partners in Dovani and other parts of Seleya. So it is incumbent on us to adjust our own food output to make up for the deficit."

Kalistan has the potential to be food self-sufficient, but the recession hit after fields were prepped and planted in the year, and tens of thousands of square acres in Suldanor and Odufaray had been planted with crops used in fuel and polymers production this year already. "By our estimates, the community farms we organized in every town over 2,000, as well as personal kitchen farms that people put in this spring, will make up for the deficit in food acquisition that we will face as a result of this recession. Meanwhile, we will be able to ask the growers syndicates in each Duchy to save about 10% more food for seed for next spring, and convert a lot of the lands that farmers keep back for fuel production."

The Empress said that she and His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Fredrick IV Ananto had conferred with the Kalistani Ducal Council earlier in the spring to set these efforts in motion, including temporary moratoria on new building starts in cities so that green spaces in cities can be converted to community gardens. Growers' Syndicates assisted by renting land preparation implements and technical know how regarding which crops to plant, how to prepare the soil, and how to take care of the crops. Thousands of people across the Empire were mobilized to farm this summer through volunteer labor initiatives, including both the Emperor and Empress, who have donated three days a week to the Kaliburg and Eveari community projects.

"This initiative is a short term answer for a much longer term displacement," said the Empress. "We will require the Duchies to plant again next year if this measure does what it is intended to, but as we convert arable land in Kalistan back to agricultural land, we will likely begin noticing biodiesel shortages. This will be a trade off and even after Kalistan gets to recession under control, Kalistan will feel its effects for likely years after while we convert back to a pre-recession production."

The Empress talked about the all-hands-on-deck response that the Empire will be taking. "We are taking the impact of this recession very seriously, especially for lower income and working families and individuals," said Her Imperial Majesty. "The wealthy will be able to ride this squall out if we can contain it to within a year or two, but lower income families will be directly impacted and most quickly. So it is imperative that we take steps now to work to mitigate those effects. Ensuring our food and fuel supply is imperative." The Empress also indicated that food shipments to the warzone in Kizenia will begin slowing. "The Military has food supplies for more than a year, but we are unlikely to continue shipping additional food to the Kizenian front lines. That food will become needed here in Kalistan." The Empress noted that fuel shipments to Kizenia will also end."

The National Government and the Ducal Governments received high marks from Kalistan's political community for taking such decisive action to ensure that Kalistan continues to be able to meet necessity. "We are very pleased to see Their Imperial Majesties and the respective Dukes of Kalistan taking this matter so seriously," said Lord Mayor Calvin Flores of Sulari. "Without a doubt, having the support of the top political leaders also allows us to put resources into it, and get buy in from our population. This is what real leadership looks like: Its the kind of leadership that the people of our Nation expect, and appreciate."

Food from the Civil Agriculture Initiative is to be freely available at all food banks and farmers markets across the Empire through the end of the Harvest Season.

@TheRepublic