Bishnu Hari Pandit

Poverty and Resource Degradation Under Different Common Forest Resource Management Systems in the Mountains of Nepal

Different types of forest management systems in the study area are analyzed, followed by an assessment of nontimber forest products (NTFPs) use systems and collection practices under the government and community-managed systems, and their implications for the status of forests and NTFPs. Confronted with severe poverty arising from small landholdings and scarce nonfarming employment opportunities, villagers in the upper portion of the watershed have benefited considerably from the income derived from NTFPs. Findings indicate that various components of a common forest resource can be managed differently and undergo degradation at different rates. NTFPs are undergoing degradation more seriously than timber under both government and community forest management systems. However, NTFP degradation is more serious in government forests than in community forests. Such degradation is due primarily to a lack of proper institutional arrangements, including the lack of a comprehensive government policy framework for sustainable use and management of NTFPs.

Factors influencing the integration of non-timber forest products into field crop cultivation: a case study from Eastern Nepal

This article examines the feasibility of integrating five non-timber forest product (NTFP) species into field crop cultivation in eastern Nepal. Cost-benefit analyses including Net Present Value (NPV) and Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) show that all the NTFP species are more profitable than field crops. This profitability relationship holds true even under a sensitivity analysis assuming a 20% reduction in yield and/or fall in prices. However, despite the profitability, farmers do not readily integrate these species into their farmlands on a large scale. A regression analysis of constraining factors explored in a household survey revealed that domestication of NTFP species is significantly influenced by factors such as knowledge and skill required for domestication, frequency of visits to a forest, length of fallow period, size of upland terraces, cattle and goat herd size, accessibility of a forest, permit system, trading system, and market uncertainty. Overall, the unfavorable institutional environment has been the major factor constraining the integration of NTFP species into farmland. Policy recommendations include transferring management to local people such as changing the open-access status of national forests; providing NTFP collection permits to local residents; amending inappropriate policies; promoting group marketing; and taking an adaptive, collaborative approach to community forestry.

Poverty and Livelihood Impacts of a Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Project in India and Nepal: An Assessment

Abstract A medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) project was implemented in Nepal and parts of India from 2005 to 2009 by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development to enhance the livelihood options and reduce the poverty of poor rural households. The present study assesses the impact of the project on poverty and livelihood security using quantitative and qualitative data collected in a household survey, focus group discussions, and interviews with key informants. The project improved the skills and knowledge of producers and collectors MAPs in production, management, processing, and marketing, as well as their negotiating power with traders. This helped increase household income and alleviate poverty. However, the projects impact varied across project sites. While an impact was quite visible in Nepal and Chhattisgarh, India, it was less visible in Himachal Pradesh, India. Factors responsible for the different levels of impact are analyzed, and lessons are drawn for future programs and projects. The findings suggest that locally available and commercially valuable natural resources, including MAPs, have the potential to improve the livelihoods of rural mountain people.

Adaptation factors and futures of agroforestry systems in Nepal

Farmers in Nepal mid-hills have practiced agroforestry for generations as main source or supplement of timber, firewood and fodder from government forests. The nature and extent of agroforestry practice is being challenged by rapid social and economic change particularly in the recent rise of labour out-migration and remittance income. Understanding is required of the critical factors that influence farmers in the way they adapt agroforestry to their circumstances. This paper analyses the relationship of households’ livelihood resources and agroforestry practice to identify trajectories of agroforestry adaptation to improve livelihood outcomes. Using data from a survey of 668 households, it was found that landholding, livestock holding and geographic location of farmers are key drivers for agroforestry adaptation. A multinomial logistic regression model showed that in addition to these variables, household income, household-remittance situation (whether the household is receiving remittance or not) and caste influence adaptation of agroforestry practice. The analysis indicates that resource-poor households are more likely to adapt to terraced-based agroforestry while resource-rich households adapt to woodlot agroforestry. Appropriate agroforestry interventions are: (1) develop simple silvicultural regimes to improve the quality and productivity of naturally-regenerating timber on under-utilised land; (2) develop a suite of tree and groundcover species that can be readily integrated within existing terrace-riser agroforestry practices; (3) acknowledge the different livelihood capitals of resource-poor and resource-rich groups and promote terrace-riser and woodlot agroforestry systems respectively to these groups; and (4) develop high-value fodder production systems on terrace-riser agroforestry, and also for non-arable land. The analysis generates important insights for improving agroforestry policies and practices in Nepal and in many developing countries.

Upgrading Bay Leaf Farmers in Value Chains—Strategies for Improving Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction from Udayapur District of Nepal

This article highlights the results of an action research to upgrade mountain farmers of bay leaf (Cinnamomum tamala Nees and Eberm) in Udayapur district of Nepal. Farmers received low prices, lacked market information, capacities, and institutional mechanisms, and were exploited by traders. To address these constraints, three independent but interlinked pro-poor value chain (VC) upgrading strategies comprising VC coordination upgrading and horizontal and vertical contractualization were implemented. Information was collected from focus-group discussions with collectors, traders, and facilitators, and a questionnaire was used to collect pre- and postintervention data (n = 120). VC upgrading strategies improved harvesting practices, increased farmers’ bargaining power, and led to a threefold increase in price, which increased household incomes. Results demonstrated improved terms of participation of farmers and a general increase in market price of bay leaf in Udayapur. The study approach can be up scaled to reduce poverty from high value products.

Multi-year double cropping biochar field trials in Nepal: Finding the optimal biochar dose through agronomic trials and cost-benefit analysis

Poor water and nutrient retention are the major soil fertility limitations in the low productivity agricultural soils of Nepal. The addition of biochar to these soils is one way these hindrances can be overcome. In the present study, six different biochar doses (control, 5 t ha-1, 10 t ha-1, 15 t ha-1, 25 t ha-1 and 40 t ha-1) were applied to a moderately acidic silty loam soil from Rasuwa, Nepal and the effects on soil physicochemical properties and maize and mustard yield over three years (i.e., six cropping seasons), were investigated. Biochar addition did not show significant effects on maize and mustard grain yield in the first year, however significant positive effects (p < 0.01) were observed during the second and third years. During the second year, maize grain yield significantly increased by 50%, 47% and 93% and mustard grain yield by 96%, 128% and 134% at 15 t ha-1, 25 t ha-1 and 40 t ha-1 of biochar respectively. A similar significant increase in yield of both crops was observed in the third year. Yields for both maize and mustard correlated significantly (p < 0.001) with plant available P, K+, pH, total OC%, CEC, base saturation, and increased as a function of biochar addition. On the basis of the measured crop yields for the various biochar doses, a cost-benefit analysis was carried out, and gross margin was calculated to optimize biochar dose for local farming practice. Total costs included financial cost (farm input, labor and biochar production cost), health cost and methane emission cost during biochar production. Health costs were a minor factor (<2% of total biochar preparation cost), whereas methane emission costs were significant (up to 30% of biochar cost, depending on the C price). Total income comprised sale of crops and carbon sequestration credits. The cost-benefit analysis showed that the optimal biochar application dose was 15 t ha-1 for all C price scenarios, increasing gross margin by 21% and 53%, respectively, for 0 and 42 US

Impacts of market-oriented agroforestry on farm income and food security: insights from Kavre and Lamjung districts of Nepal

per ton CO2 price scenarios. In the current situation, only the 0 US

Fourfold Increase in Pumpkin Yield in Response to Low-Dosage Root Zone Application of Urine-Enhanced Biochar to a Fertile Tropical Soil

price scenario is realistic for rural farmers in Nepal, but this still gives benefits of biochar amendment, which are capped at a 15 t ha-1 biochar addition.

Emissions and Char Quality of Flame-Curtain "Kon Tiki" Kilns for Farmer-Scale Charcoal/Biochar Production

In recent years, there has been a growing realization that improving market access for smallholders will lead to improvement in income and food security. However, market failure often limit smallholders’ fair access to market opportunities. To address this problem, a market-oriented agroforestry action research program was implemented in six sites of Kavre and Lamjung districts of Nepal between 2013 and 2016. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the changing impacts of the market-oriented agroforestry system on improving people’s livelihoods and addressing food security issues. The net-margin analysis of five priority products of agroforestry systems indicated that farmers benefitted most by a banana-based high yielding fodder system (56%) followed by Alnus-cardamom system (48%), tomato-fodder and buffalo (36%), chilli-fodder (26%) and ginger-based (25%) systems due to facilitation of market-oriented agroforestry action research services. The impact of market-oriented agroforestry intervention from a survey of 289 households, revealed that household income was increased by 37–48%, which can provide up to six additional months of food to the poorest households. This innovation has the potential to take the majority of households (63%) out of the poverty cycle while avoiding food shortage during the year. The implications of the study are that farmers must be united for collective marketing of their production and develop marketing strategies to eliminate middle men for better return. Some key lessons learned for the success of this research include farmers’ own motivation, favorable environment, and the inclusion of social activities and incentives for cultivating priority products species.