Agro-biodiversity

Nepal is rich in agricultural biodiversity and local crop varieties/breeds. Local landraces/breeds are still grown by the farming communities in different agro ecological regions. Conservation of agricultural biodiversity be it on farms, in the wild or in the secure storage is essential to the future of agriculture and thus of humanity. Agricultural biodiversity at all three levels - ecosystems, species and the genetic diversity within species - can contribute to human well being in several ways. Agricultural biodiversity in farming systems delivers food and nutrition, fibre, fuel, and services that contribute to people’s livelihoods and it also help conserve habitats. Effective use of existing diversity leads to a sustainable and environment friendly solution to the problem of food production.

More than 80% of the people in the project area are involved in agriculture and the landscape is rich in agricultural diversity, which is reflected in its crop diversity including local varieties of paddy, barley and millet. The area falls under high level of subsistence farming of traditional crops. Locally adapted Tilaki, Kanakjeera and Shyamjeera are popular high quality rice species or races unique to the area. The area is also rich in wild food crop diversity and animal genetic resources. However, population sizes of these landraces/breeds are decreasing because of poor yield potential, introduction of modern cultivars/breeds and lack of policy and market incentives. Increased human population pressure, continuing poverty, land degradation, environmental change and launching of modern technologies have contributed to the erosion of genetic resources in the area.