State of agricultural

biodiversity
management
 1. Present status of agricultural biodiversity
conservation and utilization in Nepal

1.1 Conservation of biodiversity

1.2 Biological resources and its diversity
1.3 Existing protective mechanisms (community
forestry, agrobiodiversity and mountain
biodiversity)
 Grass roots Strategies & Initiatives
1. Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB)

• Farmers involvement in
selection and crossing
of germplasm
(breeding)
• Enhancing farmers’
skills in plant breeding,
variety selection and
promotion
• Enhances access to GRs
and provides options
for benefits sharing

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 PPB/Grass Root breeding approach
• Jethobudho
• Biramful-3
• 338 accession
collected in 1999
Biramful X Himali
• Diversity assessed
for consumer
Biramful-3 preference and six
Well known for aroma are selected
and texture • Variety released by
national seed board
(2006)
Source: Biodiversity International
2. Participatory varietal selection
• 'Participatory varietal selection' offers farmers a
choice of crop varieties matched to their needs.

• The approach has been proven - and refined to

become even more client-oriented - in Ghana,
Bangladesh, India and Nepal for rice, wheat,
mungbean, horsegram, maize, chickpea, finger
millet and sorghum
How to use participatory variety selection?
• PVS comprises three steps to identify preferred variety;
Situation analysis identifying farmer’s needs:
• It requires community meetings to identify, prioritize and
document specific varietal traits preferred by farmers.
Search for suitable varieties:
• Once situation analysis and identification of farmers’ needs
have been completed, a search for suitable materials will be
tested to find out farmers preferred traits for inclusion in the
selection. The varieties may be newly released or promising.
Experimentation of on farm research:
• Choosing the suitable pre/release varieties are essential to
test in diversity of socioeconomic and agro ecological
conditions. Pre/released variety along with popular variety as
a check will be grown.
 Some cases
• 18 villages of
Chitwan and
Nawalparasi
• 6 chaite and 16 main
season rice tested –
for two years
• More useful to
diagnosing reason
for adoption and
rejection
 3. Community Seed Banks
• Initiation of community seed bank to enhance
access, exchange, use and management of
locally valuable, unique and endangered
genetic resources

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 Current Context
• Bara-Kocharwa • In-situ conservation
• Jhapa-Sibaganj • Exchange of
• Nawalparasi-Agheuli materials
• Dang-Rampur • Exchange of
• Jumla-Taliganj knowledge
• Tanahun-Purkot • Minimizing risk of
knowledge loss
 4. Cross sectional strategies
a. Landscape planning approach
b. Integrating local participation
c. Institutional strengthening
d. Insitu conservation
e. Strengthening national biodiversity unit
f. Increasing support for biodiversity research and conservation
g. Endorsing local knowledge and innovations
h. Coordination and implementation of policies
i. Enhancing national capacity
j. Excitu conservation and biotechnology
k. Securing IPR and FR.
l. Biodiversity prospecting
m. EIA
n. Women in biodiversity conservation
o. Ecotourism
p. Awareness
q. Biodiversity registration
 Driving Forces for a landscape
approach
• Conservation – Development Debate
– Increasing pressure (and conflict)
– Linkage to poverty alleviation
• International Dialogues
– Indigenous rights of communities and minority
groups
– Multistakeholder dialogues
• Innovations:
– Merging ecosystem thinking (emphasis on social
learning)
– Attention for markets for environmental services
Characterising Landscape approach
It recognises:
 various ecosystem services (valued!)
 to multiple stakeholders,
 pursuing different land use objectives (or
livelihood strategies)
 Integrating local participation

Smallholders access market prices from rural

info kiosks, c/o Pride africa, IDRC
Institutional strengthening
Endorsing local knowledge and innovation
 Do Farmers Innovate?

A traditional innovation
Do Farmers Innovate?
 Ex-situ conservation and use of
PGR: Good Practices
Farmers
Gene bank
Characterization
Evaluation
Rejuvenation
Documentation

Exploration
Utilization
Breeders

National and international

Improved variety Farmers

Securing IPR and FR
 Definition of Farmers’ Rights.
• Rights to Seed: Rights of farmers to save, use, sow,
exchange and sell farm-saved seed

• Promote and protect rights to traditional knowledge

• Right to participate in fair and equitable sharing of

benefits

• Right to participate in decisions making process

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 Strategies for Ensuring Farmers’ Rights in
Genetic Resources
Prerequisites

• Farmer/community focus in R & D activities (e.g.

farmer participatory R&D such as PPB )

• Focus on In Situ On-farm rather than Ex-situ

Conservation of Genetic Resources

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Biodiversity prospecting
Women in biodiversity
conservation
 Developing agro ecotourism

Any activity, enterprise or business that

Agritourism
links agriculture with products, services
Agrotourism and experiences in tourism.

Responsible travel to natural areas that

Ecotourism conserves the environment and
improves the well-being of local people.
 Agro-ecotourism
Travel to rural farming communities that strive to protect their
natural and man-made resources by using eco-friendly
agricultural practices

Farm Tours

Health &
Community
Wellness: Spas,
Local remedies festivals

Culinary Historic
plantations &
Tourism agri-museums

Agro-trade
(Agribusiness)
Culinary experiences enhance All tourism
assets

“...All travellers eat and drink

... Therefore food and drink

have a greater ability to make
long-lasting memories than
any other kind of tourism
experience ….”
What are agro-ecotourists looking for?
• Participate in food Agriculture
production (and Heritage
consumption)
Nature Adventure
• Learn about the
lives of rural people

• Escape the hustle

of the city

• Connect with
nature
Developing conservation
awareness
 Biodiversity registration

• Document
TK
• SHARE
• CONSERV
E
 What is CBR ?
It is a record kept in a Register book or Videos or
Tape records developed by community members to
document their biodiversity and traditional
knowledge and ways its’ management.
 What CBM entails?
 CBM is a community-based participatory methodology to strengthen
the community’s capacity through management of their own
knowledge based systems.

 Key aim is to result in more delegation of authority to the

community, develop ownership and support on-farm
conservation of agrobiodiversity and sustainable livelihood
options with minimum external inputs and risks.
1. Changing consumption patterns
2. Capacity building, training, education
and awareness raising
3. Information
4. Approach to the Planning and
Management of Land Resources
5. Combating deforestation
Combating Desertification and Drought
7. Sustainable mountain
development
8. Promoting sustainable agriculture and
rural development
9. Conservation of BD
Protection and quality of water resources
Management of toxic chemicals
Strengthening the role of major
groups
• Women
• Children and youth
• Indeginous people
• Local authorities
• Workers and trade
unions
• Business and
industry
• Farmers
Sustainable
tourism
Nullifying the impact of climate
change
Grass roots Strategies /Approaches
• Community Biodiversity Registration (CBR)
• Establishment of Community Seed Bank (gene bank)
at the local level
• Farmers Participation in Genetic Resource
Enhancement and Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB)
• Creating awareness of GR at the Local Level through,
Biodiversity Fairs, Diversity Block, Rural Radio etc.

• Farmers’ participation in negotiation for Access and

Benefit sharing Agreement

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