Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihood
How it works:
Our Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihoods program is a combination of three interrelated efforts.
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- Providing rural farmers with the knowledge, skills, and technology they need to be successful in growing a diverse range of produce.
- Encouraging sustainable, organic farming practices for the future of the farmers and the future of Nepal.
- Embedding new systems and knowledge within the existing local governance and cooperative structures.
ASK-Nepal meets with village communities to discuss what is keeping them from being successful, whether it be lack of technical knowledge, need for tools or seeds, or assistance in organizing. From there, we arrange need-specific training and assist farmers with applying for government subsidies.
Training
ASK-Nepal facilitates an array of formal and non-formal training programs for rural farmers to provide them with the knowledge and skills they need. Our certified master farmers visit rural communities to conduct trainings when necessary, on topics farmers want to learn about. Topics include but are not limited to:
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- Advanced or location-specific farming techniques
- Transitioning to organic practice
- Certification guidance
- Commercial-scale farming guidance
- Marketing and retailing assistance
Sustainability
Ensuring both the environmental and practical sustainability of organic farming is essential to ASK-Nepal’s objectives. We seek to provide farmers with an income that will grow with them into the future and lead to a more sustainable Nepal. Our organic farming project helps farmers to do this by focusing on climate resilient agricultural practices and by assisting farmers to become organic certified. Organic farming is a growing trend in Nepal both for domestic use and for export, and it is our goal to equip our farmers with the tools and practices they will need to be participate in these new markets for organic Nepali produce.
Supporting Livelihoods
Our support of farmers also extends from our collaboration with the Danish NGO Trianglen. Traignlen provides villagers in ASK-Nepal’s network with non-binding funding. Many of the communities choose to spend the grant microloans for organic farming production or animal husbandry. Through this financing opportunity, our famers have access to the capital they need to buy essential tools or seeds or finance larger commercial farming operations. Please see more about this program on our Development Aid program page.