ASHA Nepal

Nepal's policies and plans have been developed and implemented by focusing on the production of commodities. Focus on the needs of hungry people has remained a low priority. The Agriculture Perspective Plan (APP) gives high priority to national production but pays little attention to food security of the poor. In Nepal, more than 80% of the population depends on subsistence farming for their livelihood and the agriculture share is about 38% of the national GDP, making the country predominantly agriculture based. Agriculture sector has been utilizing a huge mass of unskilled labor comprising 56% of the economically active population. The agriculture sector has been receiving the highest priority in most of the previous plans. But, Nepal is a food-importing country. An increasing population is causing widespread damage to the environment through the extension of agricultural production to fragile lands, and rapid urbanization. In this scenario a sustainable agriculture approach could be an alternative for the small farmers of Nepal to improve their economic condition and food security. Women also get involved in agricultural production and business but have very little right to hold the property. Agriculture is a major source of earning in the society and women themselves could earn modest money for their daily use such as paying fees for children, and buying consumable goods, bringing some economic empowerment. Nepal being a patriarchal society, women are usually dependent on men for decision-making and or any social activities. In this way, promoting sustainable agriculture would empower the women for their rights and well-being. Moreover, the sustainable agriculture approach is an alternative for the small farmers of Nepal to improve their food security and livelihoods. With this view, ASHA Nepal works with women groups for their social and economic welfare. To address the problem of food insecurity, degradation of bio-diversified crops, use of non-indigenous crops and technology, and discrimination against women, ASHA Nepal has been implementing a sustainable agriculture and women?s empowerment project in Okharpauwa Village Development Committee (VDC) of Nuwakot (one among 75 districts of Nepal) since 2004. Some of the general problems in the VDC were identified during meetings with the community people. Most of the people are dependent on agriculture. There were 356 households in these two wards and the literacy rate was very low, especially among the women. Farmers having less than 15-ropani landholdings were not food-secure due to poor land management and cropping practices. Land is very steep and prone to landslides and soil erosion. Farmers were following mono-cropping system. Similarly, lack of practicing of agro-forestry resulted in the farmers going to the forest to collect firewood, fodder and bedding material for livestock. More than 80 % farmers have sufficent food only for 6 months. Most of the young farmers had migrated to the city areas to sell their labor. Farmers were practicing the use of chemical fertilizers and unknown chemical pesticides. Health hazards from the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers were not well documented, but representatives in the meeting said that many people in the villages suffer from headache and vomiting while using chemical pesticides. The project targeted the rural women, mostly illiterate and dependent on agriculture. It started with group mobilization approach of community development such as group formation, group empowerment and cooperation focusing on savings and credit and the promotion of sustainable agriculture in these rural areas of Nepal. In addition, the project was expected to empower women in decision-making, participation in social events, and improve economic and educational status. The project was targeted in a village with about 5,000 population, where the project targets various group-based interventions to reach 120 women, who are from various ethnic groups and castes. The project was expanded to a new setting in 2010, which also showed promising prospects with the promotion of sustainable agriculture, saving the environment and empowerment of the women. To begin the project, a mass meeting was held in each village to explain the potential benefits of this project. Interested women from poor families were grouped into 20-25 to make a women group. The women were trained on different aspects of group formation, sustainable agriculture including farming techniques and women empowerment. The project started with 2 women?s groups in 2004/05, which was expanded to five groups in the same area in 2006/07.