A day long consultation workshop on policy framework on interlinkages of agrobiodiversity with nutrition and climate resilience to smallholder farmers was organized in joint collaboration of Centre for Crop Development and Agrobiodiversity Conservation (CCDABC) and National Genebank (NAGRC)/NARC and Nepal Agrobiodiversity Society (NABS) and LIBIRD at National Genebank on 14 November 2021 with the objectives of sharing the findings of the study on interlinkages of agrobiodiversity with nutrition and climate resilience;obtain feedback from different stakeholders on the enriching thefindings of the study and tocollect expert views on current policy provisions and effectiveness in policies realization/implementation.The major intentioned outcome of the workshop is a policy brief on interlinkages of agrobiodiversity with nutrition and climate resilience with recommendations.
Altogether 29 participants, from different sector and disciplinary involving in agriculture and biodiversityhave participated the workshop. The workshop was chaired by the Dr. Ram Bahadur KC, Director, Crop and Horticulture /NARC and Dr. Balaram Thapa, Executive Director of LI-BIRD had welcomedthe percipients and highlighted the objectives.He also gave the remarks encouraging participants to take the workshop seriously with the aim of sharing the findingsof the workshop and improving the delivery to targeted groups and also expected the findings of the workshop will help to create a policy brief on interlinkages of agrobiodiversity with nutrition and climate resilience with recommendations.
There are four studied reports have been presented on the following topics:
- Analysis of Policy Gap and Interlinkages of Agrobiodiversity with Nutrition and Climate Change by Dr. Ram Krishna Shrestha, Chief, Crop Development and Agro-Biodiversity Conservation
- Policy and Policy Interlinkages among Agrobiodiversity, Nutrition and Climate Change in Nepalby Bal Krishna Joshi, PhD
- Case Study onPolicy interlinkages among agrobiodiversity, nutrition and climate change by Ms. SabnamShivakoti, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development
- Survey findings onPolicy interlinkages among agrobiodiversity, nutrition and climate change by Mr. SubodhKhanal, Asst. Professor, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science
At the end of the workshop, the participants have studied and analysed policy gaps and interlinkages of agrobiodiversity with nutrition and climate resilience to smallholder farmers and provided the evidence and insight on the opportunities, challenges and means to mainstream agricultural biodiversity and the needs of its custodians in nutrition and climate policy in Nepal and provided the recommendations and suggestion as follows:
- The policy should address the shift/changes of climate and agriculture practices which have negatively corelatingto traditional culture and systems.
- Need of documentation of traditional knowledge. Promote innovative farmers as Citizen scientists.
- The policy needs to prioritize the local agriculture product Instead of promoting/ focusing on imported fruits like Avocado, Kiwi, etc.
- The policy strongly needs to clarify the agrobiodiversity as publicproperties because currentlyall of the agricultural practices have been treated as private so the policy needs to be clarified.
- Policy needs to be focusses on trademark in this business (Baisya era).
- The policy needs more clarification on practices of adaptation and mitigation.
- In climate change issues, though MOFE has overtaken MOAD, there is need of strong lead from the later ministry.
- Need strong linkage with trade and industry and the comparative advantage of benefit needs to be described in policy.
- The policy should amend the current indicators used for agricultural development which focusses on hybrids, productivity, but not in public health and nutrition.
- Need of respondent profile.
- Policy should have clear definition of small holder farmers
- A single windowed policy in needed (Our policy is like putting legs in two boats).
- More priority should set on the curriculum development in universities on agrobiodiversity
- The monitoring system should strengthen.
- Seed registration policy should be implemented to discourage the use of non-registered seeds
- Needs of database of actual farmers
- Needs to promote family farming
- Needs of permanent forum to promote interlinkage.
- Promote youth involvement in agriculture.
- Needsto buy back guarantee of local product
- Need of more clarity in insurance policy in losses due to natural disaster
- Need to strengthen the coordination between three-tiered government
- Instead of conventional practice the agriculture system needsparadigm shift for development
- The taxes collected from farmers i.e. PAN and other taxed should employ in their hard times.
- Need to review National strategic framework for nature conservation and nutrition
.