Bio-diversity

Because of the marginality and subsistence nature of farming, small scale farmers have been increasingly convinced that high inputs agriculture cannot be the best alternative for Mudikuwa, Parbat farmers. Since they initiated organic farming five years back with support from the UNDP-GEF they totally altered previous thought that stated the high inputs agriculture that reduces rural poverty . Their experience with high inputs agriculture proved to be counter productive in terms of yield stability, resource conservation and environmental management. Farmers therefore initiated to explore sustainable livelihood options within locally available organic sources of fertilizers, pesticides and crop and animal diversity of local origin. Together with the shifting from inorganic inputs to locally prepared organic fertilizers and pesticides and from improved crop varieties or breeds to locally valued diversity Mudikuwa farmers have demonstrated they could secure additional income from selling of locally developed products made out of natural resource base. These include organic manures, organic pesticides and varieties of Lapsi (Chorespondias auxilaris) products. PCDS has been successful to demonstrate that agro-based enterprise can be established based on locally available genetic resources. Also the maintenance of diversity helps resilient impacts especially when climate or weather conditions are uncertain. Studies have shown that diversity helps ensures ecosystem services together with human health and nutrition. The maintenance of diversity helps recycle soil nutrients which in other words reduction the use of external nutrients that are hazardous to health and the environments. This also reduces the pest and disease infestation under intercrop systems. Importance of biodiversity maintenance and organic agriculture has been increasing with increasing threat from ever changing climates. Thus the project aims to increase and improve agro-biodiversity utilization, local access to seeds and information of local origin required by local people through adding values for securing sustainable livelihoods. The project also tries to integrate socially excluded caste and indigenous communities to promote agro enterprise and sedd banking.

Nepal